I don’t doubt that most NBA fans at one point or another wished they could step into the shoes of their favorite players
7. BRITTANY RENNER IS A FITNESS GURU
You know what they say: if at first you don’t succeed, try and try again. That appears to be a piece of advice Brittany Renner has taken to heart following her breakup with uber-famous ex-NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick. She’s moved on to Sixers great Ben Simmons whom she’s since distanced herself from. Unfortunate as that is, they did make a pretty fantastic couple when they were together, and, back when they were together a few years ago, Sixers fans were desperate for any kind of courtside news that didn’t have to do with the process or player drama.
A fitness guru and model, it’s safe to say that Renner doesn’t have to rely on her man for her money,
which is pretty evident given that she’s separated from her one-time boyfriend. She’s been on a fitness and weight-loss campaign as of late, and she’s certainly come a long, long way from working at the notoriously scandalous sports bar chain Hooters. These days, she’s been running around with rapper Lil Uzi Vert, so rest assured that she hasn’t left a lifestyle of glitz and glamour behind. I wouldn’t qualify her as a gold-digging type, as Renner has clearly made an effort to make a name for herself outside of her romantic relationships.
6. LAUREN CHENEY IS AN ATHLETE
When it comes to NBA WAGs who absolutely don’t deserve to be thought of as gold diggers, Lauren Cheney should be pretty close to the top of the list. For starters, Cheney, like her husband Jrue Holiday who plays for the New Orleans Pelicans, is an athlete. Perhaps that’s why they make for such a good couple.
Cheney was a midfielder and forward for the U.S. National Women’s Soccer Team from 2007 to 2015, and the story she’s metaphorically written with her husband of five year is one of tragedy and triumph. In 2016, Lauren was diagnosed with a brain tumor, which is obviously the sort of news which no one wants to receive. In response to the unfortunate diagnosis, her husband took a leave of absence from the NBA in order to spend time with and care for his ailing wife. Over the next year, she would give birth to their first child, and she would subsequently undergo a procedure to remove the tumor. Today, though she still suffers from a damaged eye as a result of the removal of the tumor, she’s made a recovery, and is currently being put through her paces as a new mother.
5. LEIA SERGAKIS SUPPORTS HER MAN
Playing in the NBA is by no means easy, and, though superstars like Lebron James and Kevin Love may sometimes make it look effortless, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Plenty of wannabe NBA titans enter the league after the requisite one year playing college ball and assume they’ll take the association by storm. That’s rarely the case, and it’s a pattern to which current Sacramento Kings player Kosta Koufos has fallen victim. He’s had an undoubtedly underwhelming career, and he’s been passed from team to team over his ten year tenure in the league. Outside of some hardcore Kings fans, I doubt anyone would really proclaim themselves to be a fan of Koufos. Playing in the NBA has its advantages, however, and, despite his average to below-average play, he managed to marry the ridiculously hot Leia Sergakis, to whom he’s been married for about three years.
She’s done various gigs as both a model and an actor, and she almost certainly doesn’t need to rely on her man for her money.
If that were the case, you would think she might pursue someone with a fatter contract. That’s what’s great about Sergakis, though - she definitely married Koufos for love, which is always nice to hear.
4. NINA EARL WESTBROOK IS A CLASSY LADY
Russell Westbrook is another one of those names with which most people are familiar. Again, he isn’t quite on the level of people like Michael Jordan, but he’s definitely on the radar of most NBA fans. He made waves last season for breaking the longstanding record for most triple-doubles in one season with a total of 42, so it’s fair to assume that even people outside of the NBA’s sphere of influence would know who he is.
He’s also pretty well-known for having married one of the classiest NBA WAGs we’ve seen in a long time. The couple actually started their own charity organization known as the Russell Westbrook Why Not Foundation. A great sentiment, albeit it with a slightly wonky name.
Nina Earl Westbrook is also famous for being a baller herself. She played on UCLA’s women’s team in college, which happens to be the same institution which Russell attended. It isn’t hard to see how the couple got together, but it’s rare to hear of one-time college lovers keeping it together years after graduation. That’s been the case for the Westbrook duo, however, and it’s a beautiful thing to see, especially if you’re a Thunder fan.
3. YVETTE PRIETO DOESN'T NEED JORDAN
As I have constantly alluded to throughout this list, Michael Jordan is probably the most recognizable basketball player ever. The Muhammed Ali of heavyweight boxing, the Tom Brady of professional football, Jordan arguably takes the cake when it comes to players with the most impactful and longest lasting reputations. He even saved Bugs Bunny and the rest of the Looney Tune gang through the power of basketball—what other player could make that kind of claim.
He’s become a bit of a meme ever since his tearful appearance during his induction into the NBA hall of fame in 2009 went viral, but he’s also made waves in recent years as a result of his 2013 marriage to Cuban model Yvette Prieto. She is drop-dead gorgeous, and, had she not chosen a career as a model, she had a B.S. in business management to fall back on. They make for a great couple, but Prieto wouldn’t have to rely on Jordan’s income to pay her bills. She is the stepmother to three of Jordan’s previous children and the mother of his youngest two, which means that she certainly has responsibilities outside of romance to worry over. Jordan has only been married once before, and I would be surprised to see this match break up.
2. KHLOE KARDASHIAN IS HOLLYWOOD ROYALTY
Well, I suppose aren’t exactly putting our best feet forward, here, but, when you’re talking about NBA WAGs, Khloe Kardashian is almost a mandatory inclusion. Sure, I think that a majority of fans probably don’t like her, given that she’s caused a good deal of drama within the league. She’s also a Kardashian, and that name is so synonymous with controversy that she may as well marry ex-Clippers owner Donald Sterling.
Kardashian was infamous for drifting away from her ex-NBA star husband Lamar Odom, a situation which was only exacerbated when he was found unconscious in a Nevada club in 2015 caused by an overdose. What’s worse is that, though the two were still technically together at the time in legal terms, Khloe was rumored to have moved on. She had been linked to James Harden, another big-name NBA baller.
The Kardashians are notorious for disrupting the league, as Khloe’s extremely well-known sister Kim is famous for marrying basketball great Kris Humphries only to file for divorce a mere three months later. A word of advice: if you plan on playing in the NBA at some point in your life, keep clear of the Kardashian sisters, whatever you do!
1. IGGY AZALEA IS STILL A BIG NAME
The fling between rapper Iggy Azalea and Golden State Warriors shooting guard Nick Young, better known by is horrendous nickname of Swaggy P, was infamously toxic. Both celebs were relatively disliked in their respective industries even while separated, and, when news of their relationship broke, it seems like things went even further downhill. It didn’t last a terribly long time, however, which is probably for the best — both for them and for NBA fans the world over.
Young and Azalea’s relationship had been in the rocks for some time, but the bottom fell out when a video filmed by then Lakers teammate D’Angelo Russell in which Young admitted to being unfaithful went viral. Since then, it’s been splitsville for the pair, and there are rumors circulating that the female musician might have a thing for fellow rapper Tyga, though we have yet to hear any definitive news regarding the subject.
Swaggy P should definitely have thought better than to betray Iggy, as his stardom, time in the NBA, and bank account are all beginning to dwindle. Though Azalea isn’t in the limelight as often as she used to be, it’s likely that she’ll have a more illustrious, memorable career than her one-time boyfriend.