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Kobe Bryant Once Trashed Media for Claiming Karl Malone “Made a Pass” at Wife Vanessa: “It’s Just Water Under the Bridge”

Published 03/20/2022, 10:00 AM EDT

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A long-standing feud between Kobe Bryant and Karl Malone arose over Bryant’s wife, Vanessa, which was the subject of many interviews and game shows. As soon as the news broke that Bryant had accused Malone of making a pass at his wife, the media went crazy. Many statements were exchanged during that time. Their relationship went from bad to worse for quite some time.

It was reported in 2004 that Rob Pelinka, Bryant’s agent, told ESPN.com that Malone made “several inappropriate comments” to Vanessa. In the aftermath, there was a rush of reporters going on and off about the topic. This all occurred on Nov. 23, a day when the home game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Milwaukee Bucks was taking place.

via Imago

In turn, Pelinka said that Kobe and Karl had a close relationship, more than just teammates.Their wives are quite friendly as well. Kobe has told me that he feels very hurt and betrayed by what has happened.”

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During an interview with John Saunders, he discussed the hot air surrounding this topic, as well as the claims and false news that are being reported. Insisting that this is a personal issue, he shares that he wishes to resolve the issue in a personal manner.

Kobe Bryant’s response to Karl Malone’s pass on wife Vanessa

When the news broke, he noted that reporters swarmed around him on and off the court, asking him questions regarding this. During the conversation, he mentioned that he did not want to make this a public feud. He wanted it to end as a personal matter between him and Karl. In addition to this, he was asked directly if Malone had “made a pass” at Vanessa.

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According to Bryant, he said, I read articles in the paper when people talking about the story and telling half-truths about what took place. I wasn’t fine with that. That didn’t sit well with me at all.

You know those surrounding the situation know you know we all know what happened in the situation and you know other than that its just water under the bridge. I’m just trying to move on with it,” he added.

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The feud went a long way, with both Karl Malone and Kobe giving their replies. Even after one decade, there was still tension between them and there were many back-and-forth correspondences regarding this issue. We’d like to hear what you have to say about this feud.

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Written by:

Anshika Rai

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Anshika Rai is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. She is currently pursuing her bachelor's degree in journalism and mass communication. Anshika has been following NBA for many years now.
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