Karl Malone is an Basketball Hall of Famer, US Olympian, and unquestionably one of the greatest players in NBA history. What also is not in question is that he fathered a child with a 13-year-old girl when he was a 20-year-old sophomore at Louisiana Tech. This has raised questions about his inclusion in the popular new mobile game Dunk City Dynasty.
Thanks in large part to the crime happening before the Internet, even many lifelong NBA fans don't know about this. It certainly isn't anything the league publicizes, as it continues touting Malone as a basketball legend. His on court accomplishments warrant that treatment.
But now that anyone can use Google and find out about this scandal, it's interesting that Malone's canonization has rolled right along. He has an actual statue outside Louisiana Tech today. When reporters questioned the university about that, they simply said it was built using private funds. Obviously, the university could still say they'd rather not have that statue outside their school, but colleges really like it when alumni hand them money.
Dunk City Dynasty is a game, not beholden to any alumni. From the thousands of players that have suited up in the league and could be chosen, it sure feels like Karl Malone is one you could skip. However, if you look through the comments on Malone or any athlete accused of a crime, there is almost always a whole lot of "Hey, but..."
NetEase Games will respond to public pressure, or the lack of it. They see the NBA still treating Malone like a legend. They see his school erecting statues, or allowing other people to and pretending they're powerless to stop it.
The message from NetEase is clear. They won't consider shunning Malone until the rest of basketball loving society does.