Exclusive

Romance Report: Ciara Trades 50 Cent for New NBA Baller Beau

Exclusive! Singer dating New York Knicks player Amar'e Stoudemire, but what does Chelsea Handler have to do with it?

By Marc Malkin, Ken Baker, Brett Malec Jan 21, 2011 10:10 PMTags
Ciara, Amar'e Stoudemire Jason Merritt/Getty Images; Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images

It won't be a lonely Valentine's Day for Ciara this year.

The 25-year-old singer has taken a page out of pal Kim Kardashian's playbook and is dating a new NBA baller beau.

So who's the guy? And what does E! funnygal Chelsea Handler have to do with the budding romance?

Read on to find out...

Ciara has recently begun seeing 28-year-old New York Knicks star Amar'e Stoudemire.

"They're keeping it on the DL, but they are dating," a source tells us of the couple, who just recently took their friendship to the next level about a month ago.

According to our source, Ciara, who has been dating rapper 50 Cent on and off for much of last year, officially cut off contact with the hip-hop star when he began hanging out with Handler.

"When that Chelsea stuff started, she pulled away from him," adds the source.

Ciara and Stoudemire recently met up in L.A. when he was in town for a game against the Lakers. She was even spotted courtside at the Jan. 9 match.

Stoudemire has previously been linked to tennis star Serena Williams and Kanye West's ex Amber Rose.

Reps for both could not be reached for comment.