New York Post - Kobe vs Malone Saga

[Ataraxia]

December 14, 2004 -- REMEMBER when the Lakers' "three-ring" circus was simply silly? Last season it became painfully sad. Well, now they've got themselves a full-blown stench. And it's getting more toxic by the aftershock.

As noted in this space last Friday, Kobe Bryant's radio rant regarding Karl Malone wasn't faintly innocent, which makes his subsequent artificial apology (on orders from team owner Jerry Buss) hysterical.

As projected, Bryant's ulterior motive for distancing himself from Malone had everything to do with his wife, Vanessa, and nothing whatsoever to do with The Mailman's pretend procrastination in re-joining the Lakers.

A day later, Bryant came clean to the Los Angeles Times by verifying a sordid tale that had circulated around the NBA over the last two weeks from Los Angeles to Miami, to Boston, to New York, and back to L.A. for a fresh supply of landfill.

Now everybody knows what was on Bryant's mind, what provoked him initially to insult Malone publicly. Now everyone knows Malone stands accused by Vanessa of hitting on her at halftime of the Nov. 23 Bucks-Lakers game. Now everyone knows why Kobe and Karl will never be friends or teammates ever again, though, damned if Buss isn't still trying to make it happen.

Exempting Buss, everyone knows the close bond that developed over the last year or so between the Malones and the Bryants has been irreparably broken. True or untrue, you can't indict someone for something so disrespectful and think Kobe and Karl can play nice together.

Clearly, neither man believes the other can be trusted anymore. Evidently at least one of them never did. Otherwise Bryant wouldn't have been so quick to believe Malone capable of making a play for his wife. And so outraged that Vanessa's gallant defender, nothing, if not a one-woman man, threatened to take out Malone in three separate phone conversations, according to sources.

Based on how supportive Malone was of Bryant throughout his indictment for rape, before accepting the worst on face value, you would think Kobe would've been a tad more tolerable of his glib remark, as inappropriate as it was. That is, unless he knows better.

Vanessa Bryant had called Kaye Malone at home to get Karl's new number so she could invite Karl, Jr., to sit with her in the second half of that Nov. 23 game. Decked out in cowboy boots and a hat to match, Malone ambled over and gave her a hug.

"Who are you hunting?" asked Vanessa, a beautiful Latino. She then repeated it.

Who could resist a smart aleck answer to such a leading question? "Little Mexican girls," Malone said, smiling devilishly.

Was Malone out of line? Depends on what they've been able to say to each other before. Depends on whether he was really hitting on her. We've all seen it before: If she took it the wrong way he could apologize; done deal. If she took it another step, hey, let's not make believe this stuff doesn't go on every day in real life . . . and the clever offer is compliments of a sensuous superstar.

Vanessa Bryant expressed no indignation. She did that after the game to her husband. By all accounts, Malone was shocked when Kobe called him in the car, repeatedly telling him he was going to "[mess] him up" if he ever went near his wife again.

Again, unless you're convinced Malone is guilty, why wouldn't he be shocked? I mean we're not talking about just another player/Laker walking up to Vanessa Bryant and taking his best, crude shot. We're talking about people who've dined, partied and hung out together.

Surely they've said some things to each other privately that outsiders couldn't get away with. Don't tell me no risqué lines were ever crossed or breached. I don't believe anybody ever got upset when double entendres were passed back and forth.

Maybe the problem here is we're trying to figure this out logically. Instead this nonsense is probably everything that's wrong with everything in pro sports — rich young people, Southern California, and anything else you care to throw into the smelly hamper.

It's insane, it's stupid and it's getting messier by the moment.

Succeeding phone calls by Bryant to the Malone home were both menacing and malicious. According to hand-me-down sources (Kaye called Shaquille O'Neal's wife and Gary Payton's wife and the word spread from there) Kobe ratted out Karl, saying he fools around on the road all time; shades of snitching on Shaq when the Eagle, Colo., police picked him up.

You know, of course, what's next: Karl will expose Kobe's theoretical dalliances all over the planet.

This just in: Kobe insists the Lakers re-sign A.C. Green.

[Andre]

Another one-sided article from some Kobe hater.

As noted in this space last Friday, Kobe Bryant's radio rant regarding Karl Malone wasn't faintly innocent, which makes his subsequent artificial apology (on orders from team owner Jerry Buss) hysterical.

True. But let's not forget that Kobe might have tried to just keep this things secret. But after all the accusations received after the radio talk show he felt in need of reveiling what was behind the scene. I still think Kobe didn't say anything disrespectfull during the Radio interview.

Now everybody knows what was on Bryant's mind, what provoked him initially to insult Malone publicly.

Insult him publicly??? WHAT??? He just said it was not fair to hold on the rest of the team since every player was giving 110%. Is that insulting to his majesty, the king of the realm, Karl Malone? insulting...please...

Clearly, neither man believes the other can be trusted anymore. Evidently at least one of them never did. Otherwise Bryant wouldn't have been so quick to believe Malone capable of making a play for his wife

I don't know..if your wife tells you that a friend of yours hit on her, who would you trust? You would think your wife is just telling bullshits? Nice marriage you have.....

"Who are you hunting?" asked Vanessa, a beautiful Latino. She then repeated it.

Who could resist a smart aleck answer to such a leading question? "Little Mexican girls," Malone said, smiling devilishly.

Was Malone out of line?

There has been more than just this sentence. Check this thread:
http://www.nbaliveforums.com/ftopic19656.php

Apparently, Malone was ambiguous all the time and said/did many things that could be interpreted in the wrong way by Vanessa Bryant.


I don't know what really happened, But I don't think that Kobe should be always the wicked characther in everything he's is involved in. Just give him a break.

[Robby]

"Who are you hunting?" asked Vanessa, a beautiful Latino. She then repeated it.

Who could resist a smart aleck answer to such a leading question? "Little Mexican girls," Malone said, smiling devilishly.

Was Malone out of line?

There has been more than just this sentence. Check this thread:
http://www.nbaliveforums.com/ftopic19656.php

Those were relayed by Kobe's agent and take wild guess who he's trying to make look good. He already twisted part of the comment by Vanessa so I wouldn't be surprised more of those comments weren't true. And it look like the other side wants to talk about this.

Maybe the problem here is we're trying to figure this out logically. Instead this nonsense is probably everything that's wrong with everything in pro sports — rich young people, Southern California, and anything else you care to throw into the smelly hamper.

Wow, I don't think I've ever read anything that labeled Malone as young, rich people.

[Andre]

Those were relayed by Kobe's agent and take wild guess who he's trying to make look good. He already twisted part of the comment by Vanessa so I wouldn't be surprised more of those comments weren't true. And it look like the other side wants to talk about this.

If Kobe or his agent made them up, Malone should sue him or his agent, but guess what. He's not doing it...

Let's make it clear: I don't like any side in this story, But I HATE that Kobe is the only one who is always criticized. WTF, Malone had a wierd behavior in this story, but I still haven't heard anyone criticizing him, despite he is behaving like a vicious superstar who can't decide where to play and talks awkwardly to someone else's wife.

On the other hand, Kobe just points out that it's time for Malone to make a decision...and he takes the defense of his own wife..but he is portrayed as the Devil..

This is a crazy crazy world

[Robby]

Like I've said in the other thread, Kobe was a worse situation last year where his court problems were much more of a distraction and guess who always stuck up for him. It's only fair that Kobe repeat the favor.

Let's make it clear: I don't like any side in this story, But I HATE that Kobe is the only one who is always criticized. WTF, Malone had a wierd behavior in this story, but I still haven't heard anyone criticizing him, despite he is behaving like a vicious superstar who can't decide where to play and talks awkwardly to someone else's wife.

It's called giving someone the benefit of the doubt, kind of like Kobe got last year when he lied early on denied any encounter with his accuser. As for this vicious superstar, please tell what sort of married lady says "Hey, cowboy, what are you hunting?" to another guy, twice. Malone's response wasn't the ethnically sensitive thing to say, but I don't think its any sort of pick up line, maybe just a smart aleck answer like the article claims. Also could someone explain why a 41 year old would try to hit on a his friend's wife, who's half his age, and with his son present?

[Robby]

Another one-sided article from some Kobe hater.

Actually this article is by Peter Vecsey who has always been an anti-Malone writer.

[Bang]

You know, Kobe is a rapist and adulterer, and now he pretends to care about his wife...This is so funny..Let me laugh at it again..

[Ataraxia]

In the words of the almighty NLSC member hi

[Andre]

Kobe pretends to care about his own wife? Well, Malone doesn't even pretend top care about his own...who's the worst?

Seriously, we all know NBA players get tons of girls, whether they are married or not, it doesn't matter that much. But Malone could look somewhere else for sex instead of hitting on Kobe's wife.

[Matthew]

Unless if malone comes out and says "i hit on kobes wife" i'm not buying it. All this madness has to stop, and kobe has to stop running to the press like a schoolgirl. what good is it doing?

[John-John Joe]

Ladies and Gentlemen, I am here to bring to your attention an evil, heinous entity that has infected the National Basketball Association. His name? Osama Bean Bryant. I've studied him for quite some time now and have carefully outlined this miscreant's pernicious deeds. I warn you in advance what you are about to read will shock, offend, nauseate and surfeit you in ways that are unimaginable.

- cunningly framed Scott Peterson and also volunteered his services to perform the lethal injection, with the bevel down.

- once when visiting a Children's hospital he gave a 10 year old diabetic a 5 lb. bag of Skittles and a root beer float.

- was the third shooter on the grassy knoll.

- reportedly gave Michael Jackson young actor Haley Joel Osment's (from the movie Sixth Sense) cell phone number and told him to "holla".

- incited the Watts riots in 1965.

- upon meeting legendary boxing great Muhammed Ali, he greeted him with, "So, what's shaking?"

- wrote and directed the movie "Gigli."

- successfully convinced young Ashlee Simpson that it was "okay to lip sync, who's going to find out?"

- shot rappers Notorious B.I.G, Tupac Shakur and gave ODB the 2 bags of white substances found in his stomach via the autopsy.

- the first African-American member of the Klu Klux Klan.

- Bob Marley shot the sheriff, Kobe shot the deputy.

- when Joan of Arc was burned at the stake, Kobe lit the match while singing Lloyd Banks' rap song, "On Fire."

- once giggled uncontrollably when a man in a wheelchair involved in an altercation with a supervisor yelled, "I won't be pushed around!"

- helped Baltimore Ravens' runningback Jamal Lewis broker the drug deal, he recieved an assist for his efforts.

- was responsible for Hurricane Andrew.

- was one of the police officers who bludgeoned and beat Rodney King.

- he was really the culprit who gave Barry Bonds the flakseed oil and clear cream.

- sold singer Whitney Houston crack cocaine.

- He was a personal advisor for the following dictators: Fidel Castro, Augusto Pinochet, Nikolas Ceaucescu, Idi Amin, Pol Pot, Mao Tse-tung, Josef Stalin, Benito Mussolini, Adolph Hitler, Napoleon Bonaparte, Genghis Khan, and Attila the Hun.

- He was responsible for the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906, and the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 (and everyone thought it was Mrs. O’Leary’s cow . . .)

- He said to O.J. Simpson, “I’m really not sure what you were so jealous about, but I guess I could take a stab at it . . . and to Robert Blake, “Your late wife must’ve really gotten on your nerves – of course, that’s just a shot in the dark . . .”

- He sold guns and explosive materials to Columbine H.S. students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold.

- Knows the location of Jimmy Hoffa's body.

- He turned over “inside” stock trade information to Martha Stewart.

So now I ask you fellow Americans, how can we possibly let this knave continue on his cankerous mission? Thank God there are a few voices of reason out there like BSPN: The World Wide Leader in Sensationalism who are well aware of this rapscallion. Most notably, Screamin A. Smith and Dan PaTRICK but they cannot do it alone!

Who's with me? WE MUST DESTROY HIM!

[Drex]

- upon meeting legendary boxing great Muhammed Ali, he greeted him with, "So, what's shaking?"

Shit, I couldn't do anything but laugh at that post, specially that sentence. OBB, so evil