The term "basketball wife" comes with connotations that aren't necessarily positive. People associate it with women who are looking for a come up or clout by marrying an NBA player, or they think of women fighting each other on a VH1 reality show. Because of these associations, Lala Anthony and Gabrielle Union said that they struggled with being labeled with the term even though being a "basketball wife" is technically what they are. Lala has been married to Carmelo Anthony since 2010 and Gabrielle married Dwyane Wade in 2014.
Both ladies recently spoke at the National Basketball Wives Association Summit and were open about their struggles with being independently successful of their husbands, but still feeling as if they're living under the label of just being an NBA wife. Lala was an MTV VJ on TRL before tying the knot with Carmelo, and Gabrielle was a well-established actress prior to beginning a relationship with Dwyane.
“For many years, I personally fought against the term basketball wife,” Lala said. “I was so focused on having my own and not being known as someone married to a basketball player. And to be honest with you, my marriage really suffered because of that.” Now, Anthony says, “I’m so proud to uplift my husband and not feel as though I’m sacrificing myself by doing so.”
“I’m so sorry I had those judgments about basketball wives...I’m continuing to grow and understand how much we need each other, and there are things we go through that only other basketball wives would understand.”
Gabrielle had some advice of her own for those looking for love, whether it be with a professional sports player or not. “I met [Dwyane] after getting divorced and failing miserably at marriage,” Union told InStyle. “I was already me and fully formed, financially solvent, and educated...I recommend you come in fully formed before going into a relationship because that whole Jerry MacGuire ‘you complete me' bulls**t is exactly that. You complete you, and then find your person.”