NY Magazine recently sat down with three Basketball wives, Vanessa Bryant (wife of Kobe Bryant), Alexis Welch (fiancee of Amar’e Stoudemire) and Kimberly Chandler (wife of Tyson Chandler). Ladies talked about what the real life of basketball wives look like and how people get different misconceptions about them that are wrong. Read some highlights below.
Vanessa Bryant:
On why she stays out of limelight:
“I thought things would go away, if you don’t feed into the b.s., and no one would think about you. Now I realize I do have to talk about certain things. Still, I don’t like the limelight. There’s a lot of good you can do with fame, like creating awareness for a foundation, but a lot of negativity comes along with it.”
On her typical day and why she doesn’t have nannies:
“I think people imagine that I sit at home with all the time in the world to do my hair and makeup, but that’s certainly not the case. I’m up at 6:30 in the morning with my kids. I’m taking them wherever they need to go.[I don't use a nanny] That’s the way I was raised and I’ve never missed a sports game or practice of my daughters.”
On her fashion and handbag collection:
“I’m inspired by Ann Miller and Monica Bellucci. My mom dressed so ladylike, with high-waisted knee-length skirts, nylons, and long tailored coats, always on her way to work.[..]I’m not really a handbag person anymore. I’ve collected Birkin bags, Chanel 2.55 jumbo flap bags, and the Marc Jacobs Stephen Sprouse collection for Louis Vuitton since I was a teenager. But now, as they say, everyone and their mom is buying a Birkin or a regular size 2.55 bag in black, taupe, or beige. I’ve been sticking to a magenta suede Proenza Schouler bag.”
On not being able to be married to someone who is not winning:
“I love basketball. And I know what goes on behind the scenes, so I have a different perspective on things, but still, I do. I certainly would not want to be married to somebody that can’t win championships. If you’re sacrificing time away from my family and myself for the benefit of winning championships, then winning a championship should happen every single year[...]If you notice, I am the only one allowed in that tunnel. I don’t like standing outside and giving him a kiss in front of all the cameras. So I stand in there to get away from them. But then the cameras end up following. And if the girls are there, sometimes, that’s their kiss good night for Daddy, and when he comes home, they’re asleep.”
Alexis Welch:
On being supportive:
“We all want to encourage our men and support them. This is a partnership. We’re going to get everything balanced, and that will be reflected on the court. I’m taking care of the household, making sure the kids are straight, the dog has his food, making sure Amar’e can be a dad at the end of the day, do something that has nothing to do with basketball. Amar’e’s going to get on the grind, everything’s going to fall into place. This year, we’re bringing a championship to New York.”
Kimberly Chandler:
On fashion:
“It’s a family thing, the Chandlers’ interest in fashion, and Tyson probably had as much fun on the day he arranged at Barneys as his wife. When they arrived, they were whisked into a dressing room the size of a hotel suite, with racks of clothes throughout and shoes lined up along the perimeter, Stella McCartney frocks and Chloé pants and everything in her size. Tyson gestured around the room, saying, “Everything you want, you can have.” Chandler said, “Okay, good! I’ll take it all!” Slow down, slow down, he said, try some of it on. She walked out with a bounty, like a Rick Owens jacket with a high collar and low sleeves—it’s probably her favorite Owens jacket. And the rest? “I don’t really remember,” she says. “I know I have some pieces still.”
Is it me or is the only thing they talked about really was clothes?!
Check out the full interview on NYMag!
