Basketball Wives is an American reality television series that premiered April 11, 2010 on VH1. It chronicles the lives of a group of women who are the wives, fiancées and girlfriends, or have been romantically linked, to those in the professional basketball industry. For the first five seasons, the show was filmed in Miami, Florida. A Los Angeles-based spinoff, Basketball Wives LA, premiered on August 29, 2011. After a five-year hiatus, the original series returned for a sixth season on April 17, 2017, with its setting relocated to Los Angeles, effectively combining the casts of both the original series and its spinoff. On May 22, 2019, VH1 announced the eighth season would premiere on June 19, 2019.
Development
Basketball Wives debuted on April 11, 2010, with 30-minute episodes. The second season premiered on December 12, 2010, with expanded 60-minute episodes and featured new cast member Tami Roman. Season 3 made its debut on May 30, 2011, with new cast member Meeka Claxton. The fourth season premiered on February 20, 2012, with two new cast members, Kenya Bell and Kesha Nichols, and the departure of Claxton. The fifth season premiered on August 19, 2013, with Tasha Marbury joining the cast. According to a tweet from Tami Roman after the fifth season, the show was quietly, although officially, canceled at that time. On March 27, 2017, VH1 announced that on April 17 the series would be returning after nearly four years off-air, with Evelyn Lozada, Shaunie O'Neal, Tami Roman, Jackie Christie, and Malaysia Pargo returning to the franchise. Keonna Green, Bonnie-Jill Laflin, Cristen Metoyer, and Aja Metoyer joined the cast as recurring cast members. Brandi Maxiell, Elena Ahanzadeh, and Saniy'yah Samaa also joined the series, as recurring cast members. Hazel Renee joined the series as a recurring cast member halfway through filming the sixth season, as did Jennifer Williams, who was a cast member on the show from seasons 1–4.
Series synopsis
Overview and casting
The series stars former dancer Royce Reed, Michael Olowokandi's ex-girlfriend Suzie Ketcham, Matt Barnes' fiancée Gloria Govan, Eric Williams' wife Jennifer Williams, Antoine Walker's ex-fiancée Evelyn Lozada, and Shaquille O'Neal's ex-wife Shaunie O'Neal. Erika Moxam joined the supporting cast. All cast members returned for a second season, with Tami Roman, ex-wife of Kenny Anderson. With the demotion of Govan to the supporting cast alongside Ashley Walker, Juli Richmond and Kim Russell All main cast members from the previous season returned for a third season. With Meeka Claxton wife of Speedy Claxton added to the main cast. Eric Williams is promoted to supporting cast member With the exception of Claxton, all main cast members from the previous season returned for season 4, including Kesha Nichols and Kenya Bell. The cast underwent a major change for the first time in the show's history for season 5, with only Ketcham, Roman, Lozada, and O'Neal returning from last season's main cast. They were joined by Tasha Marbury, wife of Stephon Marbury. Bell was demoted to the supporting cast. The cast underwent another major change for season 6, with only Roman, Lozada, and O'Neal returning from previous season's main cast. They were joined by Jackie Christie wife of Doug Christie and Malaysia Pargo ex-wife of Jannero Pargo. With Bonnie-Jill Laflin first and only female scout, Sisters Aja and Christen Metoyer, Keonna Green girlfriend of Nick Young, Elena Ahanzadeh, Brandi Maxiell wife of Jason Maxiell, Saniy'yah Samaa celebrity stylist, Hazel Renee, and former main cast member Jennifer Williams. Kristen Scott, CeCe Gutierrez, and professional athleteOgom “OG” Chijindu joined the cast starting Season 7. All cast members from the seventh season returned for season 8. Newcomer Febe Torres was also added to season 8. Roman departed the show halfway through the season and made her final appearance in the thirteenth episode, citing other career opportunities as her reason for leaving the show.
