Being married to an NBA star might seem like it would be all about perks and the lap of luxury, but the real life of a basketball wife isn't always so glamorous. Many basketball wives face challenges that other women, who are not married to man in the limelight, do not face.
Infidelity seems to be one major problem plaguing the lives of basketball wives. Due to the copious amount of away games, NBA players are always on the road which only lends itself to temptation and allure. Some women, like Vanessa Bryant, choose to stay after a cheating scandal, while other wives, like Eva Longoria, have walked away from their philandering fellas.
But even if their men don't cheat, basketball players' wives have to agree to a life where their partners are gone for a large chunk of the year. If you are in the NBA it means you have to leave your wife a lot and that's something that the wives of players know going into the marriage, but not every marriage (or every wife) can take the constant traveling year after year.
That also means that if the couple has children, the lady of the house has to raise their kids alone during basketball season. The weight of all that comes with being in the NBA, as well as the demands of the high-profile life can rip spouses apart. Fame and the pressure that comes with it can also put a wedge between a once-close couple.
While many basketball wives and husbands sink under the weight, there are NBA marriages that have thrived. Kudos to the twosomes who have managed to stay together, because we think the deck, as blinged out as it is, isn't always stacked in their favor.
Check out some of the real-life basketball wives and how their NBA relationships have fared...
La La Anthony got engaged Carmelo Anthony on Christmas Day 2004. They had a son named Kiyan Carmelo Anthony, who was born on March 7, 2007. Over five years after their engagement, the long-betrothed couple finally got married on July 10, 2010 at Cipriani's in New York. The ceremony, which had over 300 guests, was filmed by VH1 for a reality series, titled La La's Full Court Wedding. Their love story continued on for viewers with La La's Full Court Life. All seemed well with the couple until yesterday, when E! News reported that they had split. Rumors have emerged that Carmelo impregnated another woman, but his rep has denied the allegations.
Kobe Bryant got engaged to Vanessa in May 2000, when she was still a senior in high school. They were married on April 18, 2001 in Dana Point, Calif. The couple welcomed their first child, a daughter named Natalia Diamante Bryant, in 2003.
Despite a highly publicized cheating scandal, Vanessa stayed with her hoopster. Vanessa and Kobe had a second daughter, Gianna Maria-Onore Bryant, who was born in 2006. But all was not well behind closed doors. On Dec. 16, 2011, Vanessa filed for divorce citing irreconcilable differences. However, their separation was short lived. On Jan. 11, 2013, the NBA power couple announced on social media that their divorce was off. It seems like Vanessa and the Lakers superstar patched things up; Vanessa gave birth to their third daughter named Bianka in December 2016.
Larsa Pippen wed former Chicago Bulls star Scottie Pippen in 1997. They have four children, Sophia, Justin, Preston Pippen and Scotty Pippen Jr.
Unfortunately, Scottie filed for divorce last October, after 19 years of marriage. The exes have been spotted on vacation with their children recently, sparking reconciliation rumors.
Gabrielle Union began dating Chicago Bulls' shooting guard Dwyane Wade back in 2009. The two reportedly broke up at some point in 2013, but reconciled and then got engaged a few days before Christmas of that year. However, during that time off, Dwayne fathered a child with another woman. But, much to the shock of many, Gabrielle did not leave him.
The couple got married in Miami on Aug. 30, 2014. Before getting married for a second time (she was previously married to NFL player Chris Howard), she made sure to get a prenup with her baller. The actress did an interview with Arsenio Hall a few months before walking down the aisle in which she confirmed that she would be getting a prenup.
Basketball Wives star Shaunie O'Neal married Shaquille O'Neal on Dec. 26, 2002 in Beverly Hills, Calif. The couple had four children during their relationship, two of which, Shareef Rashaun and Amirah Sanaa, were born before they got married. Shaquir Rashaun and Me’arah Sanaa were born after the couple wed.
Sadly, the two separated after five years of marriage on Sept. 4, 2007, but reconciled shortly after. However, Shaunie filed for dicorce on Nov. 10, 2009, citing "irreconcilable differences." For what it's worth, Shaunie parlayed the split into a lucrative business when she became the executive producer of both Basketball Wives and Basketball Wives LA.
Adrienne Bosh married Miami Heat star Chris Bosh at the Fountaineblue Miami Beach in 2011. The duo has a whopping four children, Lennox Noel, Jackson, Dylan Skye and Phoenix Avery.
Canadian-born actress and chef, Ayesha Curry has stolen not only Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry's heart, but also America's heart too.
Ayesha met Stephen in a church youth group when they were 15 and 14 years old. The beauty and the Warrior eventually got married on July 30, 2011. They have two daughters, Riley Elizabeth Curry, who was born in 2012, and Ryan Carson Curry, who was born in 2015.
Before Jose Bastón, the former Desperate Housewives star was married to Spurs point guard Tony Parker. The couple first met in 2004 and became engaged in 2006. The actress married the French NBA star in a civil service in Paris on July 6, 2007. They had a full Catholic wedding ceremony the next day at the Saint-Germain l'Auxerrois Church. But unfortunately, the marriage didn't last long. Eva filed for divorce on Nov. 17, 2010, citing "irreconcilable differences."
Soon after filing, the Devious Maids star said she caught the French athlete cheating, claiming that she'd discovered hundreds of text messages between her ex and Erin Barry, the then-wife of Brent Barry, Tony's former teammate. Their divorce was finalized in January 2011.
Even with the glitz, the glam, the exposure and the finer things life has to offer for wives of the NBA, it's still hard out there for a WAG...