His appearance in front of the media once again brought up allegations from the past, but Karl Malone refused to address the matter in detail.

“That’s my personal life, and I’ll deal with it like I have dealt with everything else,” Malone said. “I’m not discussing any of that. I don’t care.”

The incident in question occurred during Malone’s time at Louisiana Tech in 1983. He referred to the minor involved as his girlfriend, but her family filed a paternity suit against him.

Although Malone denied the accusations, he ultimately settled out of court with the family. The minor’s son, Demetress Bell, played for the Buffalo Bills and Philadelphia Eagles.

Despite the past, Malone is now recognized as Bell’s father.

The two have even mended their relationship and are now reportedly “best friends,” according to a tweet by ESPN’s Eric Woodyard.

While the past may resurface from time to time, we must focus on the present and recognize that individuals can grow and change. We must not let past mistakes define a person’s entire life.

Regardless of his relationship with his son, the issue many people obviously have is that Malone had relations with a minor.

He keeps a generally low profile, so it is easy for the scandal to fly under the radar. That certainly seemed to be the case based on the roaring applause that greeted him in the Vivint Arena at the NBA All-Star Game.

There are many who won’t let him forget it, though. And now they will be sure to remind the NBA as well.