Not with my wife you don’t!

by Ivette Ricco

December 13, 2004

The Postal Service is at its busiest time of year, and the guys who deliver the mail “through rain, or sleet or snow” are slaving away.

But elsewhere in the wonderful world of sports, the “Mailman” also known as Karl Malone apparently tried to deliver a package to Vanessa Bryant she didn’t want to sign for.

Kobe Bryant and Vanessa Bryant are two “beautiful” people. They have looks, status, money and power. They have what many people can only dream of having, but, they seem unable or unwilling to stay out of the spotlight.

Welcome to the Bryant’s Desperate Lives

The latest episode of the Bryant’s Desperate Lives didn’t involve anything as headline-grabbing as the NFL’s Desperate Housewives skit or the NBA’s Artest Brawl or MLB’s BALCO revelations.

And this time it wasn’t Kobe, he wasn’t accused of rape, he wasn’t bashing Shaq in the media, or Phil Jackson, nope, this time it was about his wife Vanessa and her own Enquirer-like incident.

Kobe alleges that Karl Malone made suggestive(?) remarks to his wife Vanessa Bryant at a Lakers game in November.
Kobe says that Malone was “hitting on” Vanessa while Kobe was out there working on the court! Now that takes some cojones! And what does Vanessa do? She tells Kobe (big mistake!). Why?

According the Los Angeles Times the whole thing went down like this:

”Bryant's agent, Rob Pelinka, related more alleged contents Sunday of a cellphone conversation during the Nov. 23 game.”

”Malone was courtside at Staples Center for that game, invited on behalf of the Lakers, and Vanessa Bryant was across the court, a few rows behind the Laker bench.”

”Vanessa Bryant was on her cellphone with Kaye Malone, who did not attend the game and was at home in Newport Beach. Vanessa Bryant told Kaye Malone that Karl Malone's son, Karl Jr., looked bored during the game. Kaye Malone said to give Karl Malone a call on his cellphone and invite Karl Jr. to sit with the Bryant family.”

”Karl Malone responded improperly when Vanessa Bryant called him, Pelinka said.”

”According to Pelinka, Malone said at that point, " 'No, why don't you come sit by me and give me a big hug that would be on the front cover of every magazine in the country?' Vanessa said, 'What?' "

”According to Pelinka, Malone also said he was "hunting for a young Mexican girl" in response to a question from Vanessa Bryant as to why he was wearing a cowboy hat. Vanessa Bryant is a Latina.”

”Kobe Bryant said he had strong words for Malone during a cellphone conversation from his car after the game.”

"Stay away from my wife," Bryant recalled Sunday as saying to Malone. "What's wrong with you? How could you?”

Okay, so she tells Kobe, and he of righteous indignation and impeccable character goes public with it? He of bad judgment, adultery and deceit at least and of rape at most doesn’t have much room to complain about inappropriate behavior.

And we thought the ladies on Desperate Housewives were Desperate!

Can Kobe say “DRAMA”?

"What's wrong with you? How could you?" Kobe said to Malone. Shoot, Kobe, sound a tad familiar? “Malone's agent, Dwight Manley, said Malone did not act inappropriately.” "Karl did not do what he was accused of," Manley said. "He never hit on [Bryant's] wife. This is a soap opera that is affecting the best power forward ever and a gigantic franchise. Karl did not want to get sucked into it as much as he has. It's all the Bryants' soap opera. It's a personal matter between Kobe and his wife and Karl got drawn into it like a pawn." Is this the way Kobe’s life is going to play out? On headline-grabbing faux pas after another? Can’t this talented young man keep his name out of the press and concentrate on scoring points on the court, because he most certainly isn’t scoring off the court

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