Parents' Guide to

Basketball Wives

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Reality doc about NBA women is voyeuristic and sensational.

TV VH1 Reality TV 2011
Basketball Wives Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

age 16+

Based on 10 parent reviews

age 18+
age 18+

Re: Kristen Scott is the Queen of Basketball Wives

Kristen Scott is my Favorite. Kristen always tells the Truth and Kristen is Strong and very entertaining. Kristen look better than All the rest of girls on the show. Kristen Scott is the Queen of Basketball Wives.

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Is It Any Good?

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The series, which is produced by Shaunie O'Neal, offers a voyeuristic look at what life can be like for women who are married to professional athletes. It attempts to show some of the real challenges they face when attempting to maintain a stable relationship with their partners, including spending months apart from each other, dealing with flirtatious groupies, and living in their partner's media spotlight. It also addresses some of the stereotypes about women who share their lives with NBA players, including those that characterize them as being promiscuous and/or greedy.

It contains most of the expected drama one expects from reality shows, but the willingness of these women to openly discuss some of the personal issues they had with their famous partners/husbands makes it a bit more sensational. Some may view these conversations as entertaining, but they are also intended to give these women a voice in a world that isn't always conducive to stable relationships, and which sometimes appears to glorify inappropriate behavior among professional basketball players. It may not always be in good taste, but it is definitely revealing.

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