Kobe Bryant‘s debut in the All-Star game in 1998 is fondly remembered for his duel with Michael Jordan. While most enjoyed the young prodigy’s willingness to take on the best player in the world, reigning NBA MVP Karl Malone wasn’t too pleased.
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During a play, Bryant was matched up against Jordan and was looking to create space to get his shot off. Malone jogged over to set a screen but was waved off by the young debutant, who settled for a contested jump shot and missed.
In 2016, George Karl, the coach of the Western Conference team, revealed that Malone took exception to Bryant waving him off. He said,
“Kobe told him to get off the block & get out of my way.”
Malone asked to be subbed off and was later quoted saying,
“When young guys tell me to get out of the way, that’s a game I don’t need to be in.”
Bryant was unbothered by the Utah Jazz superstar’s comments. In a post-game interview, he responded to Malone, saying,
“That was his opinion. I found it kind of funny. It didn’t bother me.”
The Lakers guard added that he only waved off Malone because he wasn’t to prove his mettle against Jordan. He claimed the Jazz star had probably done the same when he was a young up-and-comer in the NBA. While Malone was seething, Bryant was nonchalant, which probably irked the veteran forward more.
Karl Malone and Kobe Bryant’s beef over Vannessa
Six years after the incident in the All-Star, 41-year-old Karl Malone joined Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers, chasing the championship ring that had eluded him throughout his career.
Their relationship as teammates started on a good note, and the duo even got close off the court, as their wives also became friends. However, an incident in December 2004 soured their relationship forever. Before a game against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Crpyto.com Arena, Bryant’s wife Vannessa quipped at Malone’s cowboy outfit, saying, “Hey, cowboy, what are you hunting?” The former MVP claims he jokingly replied, “I’m hunting for little Mexican girls.”
Malone’s comment offended Bryant, and the veteran apologized to his younger teammate and wife. However, Bryant did not let the story drown out. During a conversation with journalists, he said,
“The comments that [Malone] said, I don’t know any man in this room that wouldn’t be upset about that… What he said is what he said. I believe in my heart that it wasn’t a misunderstanding. My wife wasn’t going to stand for it. She felt uncomfortable being around him to the point that she felt she had to call his wife and tell her.”
Over a decade later, Malone said in a HuffPost Live interview that he did not have a problem with Bryant, but if the Lakers superstar wanted to fight, he was willing to go at it. Bryant never took Malone up on his offer. Their beef fizzled out as they never crossed paths. However, the animosity between the two superstars was palpable in 1998 and 2004.
