Relationship with Karl Malone[edit]
Laboratory blood tests prepared for the Bell family's 1996 paternity lawsuit against Karl Malone reportedly pointed to an over 99 percent probability that Bell's father was either Malone or a brother of Malone. Malone initially refused to respond to the lawsuit, but eventually reached an out-of-court settlement with the Bell family over the issue. The Bells received a single lump sum payment of a confidential amount, with no on-going child support for Demetress. In speaking later about the settlement, Malone's attorney asserted that it had not included an official court determination of paternity, and noted that Malone "had a lot of brothers".[2]
Although Malone was 20 years old at the time that the 13-year-old Gloria Bell was impregnated, she said that her family chose not to pursue criminal charges against Malone over the relationship. According to Bell, with Malone being a neighbor — Summerfield's population is only a few hundred — her family did not wish to see him jailed, especially since he would then be unable to provide any support for Demetress at all.[2]
In 2008, The Buffalo News published a story about Bell that included the claim that he did not know who his father was until after he graduated from high school.[3] However, in a 1998 article in The Salt Lake Tribune, when Bell was 14 years old, his mother spoke of his shying away from anything to do with Malone because his feelings were hurt by Malone's refusal to acknowledge him.[5]
According to Bell, he has spoken to Malone on one occasion, when Bell was 18 years old. Bell reported that Malone told him that he would have to make his way on his own, as it was too late for the two men to have a father-son relationship.[3]
Bell and Malone began to mend their relationship around 2014, and in 2018, Bell said that he and Malone talk and text "nearly every day" after going on a hunting trip together and had a close relationship.[4] Malone said about his relationship with his older children, "I didn't handle it right; I was wrong ... Father Time is the biggest thief that's out there, and you can't get that back."[4]
Bell has reported that he is very close to Daryl and Cheryl Ford, older twins of Malone that were also the subjects of a paternity suit.[18][2
NBA COMMISSIONER ADAM SILVER’S STATEMENT REGARDING THE PASSING OF RED McCOMBS
NEW YORK, Feb. 20, 2023 – NBA Commissioner Adam Silver issued the following statement today regarding the passing of former San Antonio Spurs team governor Red McCombs:
“Red McCombs brought the Spurs to San Antonio and was a driving force in creating the modern NBA. He was an innovator and savvy entrepreneur who never shied away from taking risks. We mourn Red’s passing and send our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends and the Spurs organization.”
NBA AND COSM ANNOUNCE MULTI-YEAR PARTNERSHIP TO BRING LIVE IMMERSIVE GAMES IN 8K TO NEW EXPERIENTIAL VENUES
– NBA to Become First Sports League to Partner with Cosm on Shared Reality Experience –
February 16, 2023 (Los Angeles, CA) – The NBA and Cosm, a leading immersive technology, media, and entertainment company, today announced a multi-year partnership that will feature a new live game viewing experience for fans. In this first-of-its-kind partnership, Cosm will produce and present select games from NBA League Pass, the league’s out-of-market live game streaming service, in immersive 8K on large-scale LED-dome systems at its forthcoming venues.
The agreement makes the NBA the first professional sports league to partner with Cosm to debut select NBA League Pass games in “Shared Reality,” a new type of immersive experience, driven by Cosm’s CX System, that seamlessly bridges the virtual and physical worlds. Cosm brings the world’s best fan experiences to the screen and merges a stadium-like atmosphere – the energy of the crowd, elevated food and beverage options, specialized merchandise, and state-of-the-art visuals – to make guests feel like they are in an NBA Arena. Members of NBA ID, the league’s new global membership program, will receive exclusive benefits at Cosm’s venues, including discounts on tickets, merchandise, and events.
“We are excited to bring NBA games to Cosm’s innovative venues and further our common goal of enhancing the fan experience,” said Teddy Kaplan, Associate Vice President, New Media Partner Management Lead at the NBA. “Cosm’s Shared Reality technology offers a new and exciting way to bring fans together in person and closer to the game."
“This is one of the most transformational deals to hit the sports industry in quite some time,” added Jeb Terry, President & CEO at Cosm. “Our team has created an entirely new experience, driven by industry-leading technology, to give fans a new way to watch the game. We have an incredible opportunity to work with a partner as innovative as the NBA, to combine our collective know-how, and to rewrite the playbook on how leagues, broadcasters, and brands can bring fans closer to the action than ever before. The promise of Cosm is to give you the best seat in the house, no matter where that house is. It is the best of at-home and in-arena experience as one, and we’re thrilled to deliver on that promise with the NBA.”
“Cosm is transforming the experience of the live game, and we could not have asked for a better partner than the NBA to show off the future of fandom,” added Peter Murphy, Vice President, Head of Business Development and Partnerships at Cosm. “We look forward to leveraging Cosm’s unparalleled experience in experiential technology to distribute live NBA games in a way the world has never seen before. Through our partnership, NBA games will be a pillar in Cosm’s venue programming for years to come.”
The NBA and Cosm will continue to work together to deliver live, immersive 8K feeds directly into Cosm’s research and development facility (“Experience Center”) in Salt Lake City, UT. Both the league and company will collaborate and amplify the announcement by hosting private events at the Experience Center throughout NBA All-Star 2023.
Cosm recently broke ground at its first venue in Los Angeles at Hollywood Park, adjacent to SoFi Stadium and Intuit Dome, and announced its second venue in Dallas at Grandscape, with plans to expand to additional locations in key markets. Details around the schedule of events upon the opening of these venues will be shared at a later date.
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