Karl Malone shockingly challenged Kobe Bryant after inappropriate remarks on wife Vanessa Bryant: "Let's just knuckle up"

Karl Malone wasn't a great role model, neither on the court nor off it. While he was a fantastic basketball player who achieved numerous accolades during his 19-year NBA career, Malone was very controversial as well.

Many basketball fans are aware that the Utah Jazz legend impregnated a 13-year-old child when he was in college. However, some people don't know that Malone did not get along well with Kobe Bryant during his season with the LA Lakers.

The power forward spent the last season of his career in the City of Angels, but his tenure with the Lakers was rather controversial. After hitting on Vanessa Bryant, Kobe Bryant's wife, he also offered to fight the legendary guard.

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Karl Malone wanted to fight Kobe Bryant

The 2003-04 season was the last season of Malone's professional basketball career. After playing for the Utah Jazz for 18 years and not winning a single championship, the 6-foot-9 power forward decided to join the Lakers to try to win it all.

During the season, Malone hit on Vanessa Bryant. His inappropriate behavior ruined his relationship with Kobe Bryant, who was arguably the best player on the team that year.

In 2015, more than a decade after his season with the Lakers, Karl Malone offered to fight Bryant. The Hall of Famer had an interview with HuffPost, talking about his relationship with the five-time NBA champion and offering to fight him.

"Back in the day when you had a beef, you didn’t go get guns and knives." Malone said. "We just go in the back with no cameras, no nothing, and let’s just knuckle up and get it over with."

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When Malone was asked if he ever made that offer to Kobe, he said the following:

"No, but it’s standing [offer]" the Utah Jazz legend said. "I'm 6-9, 272, I'm not hard to find. I don't want no trouble, but if something got to go down, I'm not playing fair."

Malone and Bryant never had a fight. However, it's not surprising that the Hall of Famer had this attitude toward his former teammate. While he was a beast on the floor, Karl Malone had too many off-court controversies that ruined his reputation.

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What did Malone say to Kobe Bryant's wife?

While he was with the LA Lakers, Malone wore a cowboy hat and boots before one game. When Vanessa Bryant asked him what he was hunting for, this is what the former Laker said:

“I’m hunting for little Mexican girls."

This was a reference to Vanessa, who is of Mexican descent.

Malone spend the last season of his career with the Lakers (Image via Getty Images)

Malone hit on Vanessa on another occasion as well. At one point, Bryant's wife told him that he was old enough to be her dad, to which he responded, "Oh, like your daddy?"

You may be interested in reading: How was Karl Malone's statutory rape trial solved? Was he convicted or acquitted?

The Lakers ended up losing the NBA Finals to the Detroit Pistons. Karl Malone had a disappointing performance in the series, averaging only 5.0 points and 7.3 rebounds per game in four games.