Tip-off time is upon us! The NBA Finals commence on June 6, and the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks are expected to have quite a competitive face-off. We’ll be tuning in not only to see who takes home the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy in the best-of-seven matchup, but also to see if the wives and girlfriends of some of our favorite players representing in the Finals will be courtside. In past years, we’ve watched queens like Savannah James and Ayesha Curry root for their men at this time of year, and these are the first ladies (the Black ones that is), of a few of the players who will be fighting for a title.
Marlene Wilkerson
Wilkerson is the wife of Dallas Mavericks star and NBA champ (previously with the Cleveland Cavaliers) Kyrie Irving. The pair reportedly have been together since 2018 and share two boys. Irving also has a daughter from a previous relationship.
Alisah Washington
Beauty Alisah Washington is the wife of P.J. Washington of the Dallas Mavericks. She is also an influencer and entrepreneur in her own right. She wed P.J. in October of 2023 and they share a son together. He also has a son from a previous relationship with influencer Brittany Renner.
Shakara Pritchett
When he was playing for the Chicago Bulls in early 2023, Derrick Jones Jr. used a team trip to Paris as the perfect opportunity to pop the question to longtime love Shakara. The couple share two children. “We met during my predraft in Cleveland. I was with my agent and out one night and we met; just like that,” he told NBA.com. “We’ve been together seven years. She knew it was coming eventually, but she didn’t know it was coming that night and out here. I felt like it was the perfect timing.” They wed in October of 2023. Jones now plays for the Mavericks and we’re sure Shakara and the family will be cheering him on throughout the Finals.
Tamia Tillman
Finally, a Boston Celtic! Xavier Tillman is married to wife Tamia, with whom he shares three children. The couple wed in 2019 and they’re hoping for a championship with the Celtics after Xavier moved on from the Memphis Grizzlies early this year. “Happy anniversary to my best friend, my safe space, my biggest supporter, the loml!” Tamia wrote on their fifth anniversary in May. “Couldn’t imagine growing old or doing life w/ anyone else.”
Ella Mai
Catching a glimpse of Celtics star Jayson Tatum with British R&B singer Ella Mai is a rare sight, but the two have been a rumored item since 2020, and were first spotted out publicly in 2022. There are even some fresh rumors that the two welcomed a baby together recently. Nothing has been confirmed though. So the chances of seeing Mai courtside are slim, but we dig this alleged coupling either way.
Suzie Micael
We don’t know if the beautiful content creator and the multifaceted and incredibly talented Celtics star Jaylen Brown are still a thing, but she was at his birthday party last fall, and he caught hell online in February for forgetting to help her walk across some ice in heels. Whatever their status, if you see her in the stands during the upcoming games, you know why!
Thereza Wright-Morris
This foxy lady is the wife of Dallas Mavericks power forward and NBA champion Markieff Morris. She was with him in the Bubble with their daughter when the Lakers won the Championships in 2020 and shared what that experience was like for her. And he’s also been open about their ups and downs, including at NBA press conferences. “Yeah, I mean I broke up with my wife a couple of times and we’re still married. S–t works,” he said when speaking on past teammate Kevin Durant previously seeking a trade from the Brooklyn Nets. “Sometimes you need space to figure some things out.”