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    How Jalen Brunson Found His MVP in High School Sweetheart Ali Brunson

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    Watch: Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns Says He Could Feel Late Mom’s Presence During Finals

    Generally speaking, when New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson shoots his shot, he does not miss. 

    But when a basketball teammate introduced the 29-year-old to now-wife Ali Marks Brunson his freshman year at Illinois’ Adlai E. Stevenson High School, “She’s like, ‘Oh, you’re on JV,” he lamented during a December episode of Roommates Show, the podcast he hosts with teammate Josh Hart and businessman pal Matt Hillman.

    When the future second round NBA draft pick gently corrected her, he continued, “She was like, ‘Oh, OK,’ and kind of, like, dismissed me and then, yeah, walked away for, like, two years.” 

    It’s not as if they never huddled up. “We were friends for a couple years,” stressed his bride, who earned her doctorate in physical therapy in 2021, “and then our senior year we started dating.” 

    But as she was bound for the University of Illinois and he was destined to score two national championships at Philadelphia’s Villanova University, “I didn’t want to date,” Ali acknowledged of her ambivalence before their relationship tipped off in 2013. “Long distance is hard.” 

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    However, the ball bounced Jalen’s way when they attended Chicago music festival Lollapalooza. 

    Recounted Ali, “We were like, ‘Let’s stay together forever.'” 

    Though Jalen—who had a courtside view when dad Rick Brunson spent nine years in the league—doesn’t remember it being quite the perfect swish. “Definitely not what was said,” he acknowledged, “But it’s a good story.” 

    Theo Wargo/Getty Images

    And their current chapter has certainly been riveting. 

    Proposing on their high school gym court in September 2022 after being inducted into the school’s athletic hall of fame (and three months after he signed his current $104 million, four-year contract with the Knicks), the 6-foot-2 athlete and the AMB Method founder, 30, wed at Chicago’s Ritz-Carlton the following July.

    “She’s always been by my side,” he told People at the time of Ali, who changed into her prom dress at the reception, “and I’m lucky to have her.”

    Now, the three-time NBA All-Star is attempting to lead his squad—and their legion of devoted fans—to their first championship since 1973 all while making it home to put his 22-month-old daughter Jordyn James to bed whenever he can. 

    Named for Ali’s late father James Marks, who died in 2010 after a battle with pancreatic cancer, Jordyn can usually be found courtside when the Knicks tip before bedtime. 

    “Jordyn sees blue/orange or photos of the Knicks logo and automatically says, ‘Dada!'” Ali revealed of her pint-sized cheerleader. “She will cheer when someone scores a basket and loves watching highlights of Jalen.”

    Though not quite old enough to read a depth chart, added Ali, “She definitely understands some aspects of it.”

    Most importantly, she knows that win or lose, Dad remains her MVP.

    “He comes home, and he is my husband, or the father to my child,” Ali explained to People of her partner of more than a decade. “He keeps personal life in the house and basketball doesn’t really come in, that’s not really our conversation.”

    And regardless of how out-of-bounds his day might have been, he’s always ready to offer an assist.

    “Good game, bad game, he leaves it at the arena when he comes home,” Ali insisted of Jalen, named team captain mere days after Jordyn’s arrival, “that’s how we separate things. And that’s how we keep our relationship super personal.”

    Of course, he’s not the only NBA standout who’s found someone to go one-on-one with. Check out more winning partnerships. 

    BACKGRID

    Karl-Anthony Towns & Jordyn WoodsAll Jordyn Woods wanted for Christmas in 2025 was Karl-Anthony Towns‘ rooftop proposal. “Marry Christmas,” the model cheekily captioned her Dec. 25 Instagram post, showing the New York Knicks center taking a knee at Overstory, a trendy cocktail bar on the 64th floor of an NYC skyscraper. And while the massive rectangular sparkler she’s been sporting since 2024 was quite the winning play, simply having fun together are the true Xs and Os to their romance. “I think it’s kind of cool dating your ,” she said on her Instagram series in 2021, a year into their relationship. “We know each other. We know each other’s hearts. We know each other on good days and bad days and we’ve been through a lot of bad days together.”

    Cindy Ord/MG25/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue; Michael J. LeBrecht II/NBAE via Getty Images

    Coco Jones & Donovan MitchellJust because singer Coco Jones wasn’t ready to open up her romantic playbook doesn’t mean she was hiding her years-long romance with Cleveland Cavaliers shooting guard Donovan Mitchell. “Secrecy is not what I prefer,” the “ICU” musician explained during a March 2025 appearance on Club Shay Shay. “I don’t want to feel like I have to be somebody secret. I don’t want to make anybody feel like they’re mine.”Instead, added the Bel-Air actress, “For me, I’m trying to protect myself, and I’m trying to protect my family and who I love, so I am more private.”But the truth is, maybe she, she, she, she, she needs the seven-time NBA All-Star, who shared drone footage of his oceanside proposal in July 2025. Diving into her bridal era, “It’s unexplainable,” she told E! News at the 2026 Grammys. “I’m like, ‘Wow, I’ve been to so many events, I’ve planned so many things, I’ve been to so many fittings, I’ve worn so many amazing things, but this is unexplainable.'” 

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    Jayson Tatum & Ella MaiAt Jayson Tatum‘s lowest point, it was his family that convinced him to keep shooting his shot. When the Boston Celtics’ star forward ruptured his Achilles during the 2025 playoffs, “I could have been like, ‘You know what, I’m done. I’ve accomplished enough,” the 2024 champ admitted to E! News. “But I thought about the people I would be letting down.”That included sons Deuce (from a previous relationship) and Dylan, with singer girlfriend Ella Mai. “I thought about my kids,” the six-time All-Star explained. “Use this opportunity to show them, ‘This is what dad went through, and he had a choice to make. We always have choices to make in our lives. What choice are you going to make?'”One key move that he and the “Boo’d Up” musician decided on is to not diagram their five-plus year relationship. “I think it’s been a weird topic because obviously I never announced it myself,” she explained during a December 2025 episode of Capital XTRA. “So, people don’t know whether or not to say it. But I’m not going to act like I don’t have a child. I have a child.” A talented one, at that. “I try not to overdo it because I don’t want him to grow up and be like, ‘She just pushed her music down my throat,'” she told E! of their 2024 arrival. “But I do try and play a lot of music around him.”

    Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images for Sports Illustrated

    Anne de Palma & Joel EmbiidWhen Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid was first introduced to future wife Anne de Palma at a 2018 dinner with a mutual friend, he avoided a full-court press. Instead, she told ESPN in 2021, “It started off as a beautiful friendship.”Both transplants to the U.S.—he left Cameroon as a teen to play basketball; the Brazilian model signed her first contract at age 14—they soon learned they each spoke French and shared a love of soccer. “We FaceTimed every day for a while,” de Palma continued, but she soon realized he was her personal MVP. “He just has this personality where he wants to motivate you.” Three years after the SI Swimsuit fixture and the seven-time All-Star welcomed son Arthur (named for his younger brother, who died in a 2014 car crash) in September 2020, they wed in the Hamptons. “He pushes all of us to be the best of ourselves,” de Palma raved to ESPN of the 76ers center. “That’s the type of person you want to have around.”

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    Bam Adebayo & A’ja WilsonLas Vegas Aces standout A’ja Wilson isn’t just an MVP to the WNBA, where she nabbed her league-leading fourth title in 2025. She also provides a crucial lift to boyfriend Bam Adebayo. When the Miami Heat’s star center bested Kobe Bryant‘s record, scoring 83 points against the Washington Wizards on March 10, 2026, he credited his longtime teammate. “To have 83 the first game she’s here is very special,” the three-time All-Star said in a video shared by the NBA on social media. “The behind-the-scenes, the workouts, the conversations, they’re very motivating, and obviously you see what she does … you get inspired by that. I’m thankful to have her in my life.”He provides quite the assist as well. When the University of South Carolina retired her jersey in 2025, Wilson shared, “I wouldn’t be who I am today without the love, support and sacrifices of so many people. And what a blessing to have those most special to me courtside today, especially my favorite Olympian from out of town.”

    ESPN/TikTok

    Wendell Carter Jr. & Angel Reese”I think the next time I’ll post I’m in a relationship is when I’m married,” WNBA standout Angel Reese shared during a January 2025 episode of her Unapologetically Angel podcast, explaining a newfound desire for privacy. “You might see me on a date. You gonna have to catch me though. Like, I’m not gonna post a man on my page.”Still, there have been definitive clues that the Bayou Barbie has found her Ken in Orlando Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. “That’s a sign,” the Atlanta Dream power forward captioned a TikTok showcasing an impressive arrangements of roses, “that’s a signnnn.” And it was certainly a big play when the Duke alum turned up to the 2025 WNBA All-Star game sporting a t-shirt baring Reese’s visage. The NCAA champ—set to appear on season two of The Hunting Wives—returned the favor, attending a December 2025 Magic game in a jersey emblazoned with the words “My Man.” 

    John Nacion/Getty Images

    Kyle Kuzma & Winnie HarlowWhen it comes to planning her future wedding to Milwaukee Bucks power forward Kyle Kuzma, model Winnie Harlow is still studying that metaphorical game film. “At this point, we’re trying to get to a point of where,” she explained to E! News in September 2025, seven months after the NBA champ proposed during a Valentine’s Day trip to Turks and Caicos, “and then we can get everything flowing.”A few keys to the game: “I’m an island vibe,” explained the America’s Next Top Model alum. “So, I really want to have warm weather, and I want to have a lot of dancing. I’m that type.”And no doubt Kuzma will dish out some key assists, having truly scored with his island engagement. “I never really asked her what type of ring she liked or anything,” he told Vogue of dreaming up the 8.5-carat stunner. “I just wanted to draw a picture of what I felt resembled her—something that was elegant, but very timeless and simplistic at the same time.”

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    GloRilla & Brandon IngramMemphis native GloRilla left a Thanksgiving 2024 game between her hometown Grizzlies and the New Orleans Pelicans feeling quite grateful that their star forward Brandon Ingram made a move. “But that’s it,” the musician told Complex in 2025, “that’s all I’m gonna say!” Though clearly her response to the two-time All-Star (who now suits up for the Toronto Raptors) was, “Let’s go!” After more than a year of huddling up, “I’m not going to speak too much about our relationship because I kind of like our privacy,” she noted to Complex. “We don’t really be too much in public.”But every now and then, she’ll throw it down. As she wrote in a January 2026 Instagram post, “Might let him dunk dis like he dunk da balllll.”

    Johnny Nunez/Getty Images for Remy Martin

    LeBron James & Savannah BrinsonThe true MVP of the household, Savannah Brinson was small forward LeBron James‘ teammate long before he was collecting championships with Dwyane Wade, Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis. And during that first date to an Akron, Ohio Outback Steakhouse, the cheerleader and softball player had no inkling that the basketball standout from her rival high school would go on to rule the NBA. “I just thought he’d be a hometown hero for his era,” she told Harper’s Bazaar, “and it would be over.”Fast forward a decade or so, and she and 2003’s No. 1 draft pick were married at an event so star-studded Beyoncé and Jay-Z were on hand to perform their hit “Crazy in Love.”Now raising their brood of three at a $23 million mansion in L.A., where James took his trophy-winning talents to the Lakers, “The only reason why I can do what I do at the highest level both on and off the floor is my because my best friend got my back regardless the outcome!” he wrote in a November 2019 tribute. “I’m just the car, she’s the engine!”

    Christopher Polk/Variety/Shutterstock

    Kawhi Leonard & Kishele ShipleyA two-time defensive player of the year, Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard is also skilled at blocking inquiries into his personal life. More than a decade into his romance with fellow San Diego State University alum Kishele Shipley, neither has even confirmed if they’ve wed. And fans were surprised to learn in April 2019 that the two-time champ (who, like his partner, doesn’t have a public Instagram) missed a game because Shipley had given birth to their second child, son Mark Leonard.”He doesn’t give a damn about the stardom,” former coach Gregg Popovich has said. Daughter Kaliyah Leonard remains unimpressed as well, the then-4-year-old choosing the Toronto Raptors’ victory parade in 2019 as the perfect spot to take a nap! 

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    Steph & Ayesha CurryHard to believe two-time NBA MVP Steph Curry failed to connect on his initial move with now-wife Ayesha Curry. But when the then-Davidson College standout went in for a kiss during a hang with his former youth group pal, she ducked.Thankfully, “We had a do-over!” she told told E! News’ Jason Kennedy in October 2017. And a few years after that first kiss in his parents’ driveway back in their hometown of Charlotte, he proposed in that very spot. “Yeah,” he told Parents, “it was like The Notebook.”When they discovered months after their 2011 vows they were expecting their first child—future press conference scene-stealer Riley—Ayesha worried she’d never fully find her professional footing.But more than a decade, three more kids—daughter Ryan joined the squad in 2015, followed by brothers Canon and Caius in 2018 and 2024—and an entire lifestyle empire later, she’s done just fine, her list of titles including cookbook author, Food Network personality, model and philanthropist.Just don’t saddle her with the term “basketball wife.” As she shrewdly pointed out to ABC News, “I mean, I don’t think my husband would call himself ‘chef’s wife.'”

    Allen Berezovsky/FilmMagic

    Bradley Beal & Kamiah Adams-BealWe love a man who stays on brand. Back in 2016, Clippers guard Bradley Beal took the beauty entrepreneur “to the top of the Ferris wheel in Vegas, and asked me to be your girlfriend,” she shared on Instagram. Four years and two sons—Bradley Jr. and Braylon—he brought her to a similar ride in Maryland. “Now the second time you’re on a Ferris wheel, I’m asking you to be my wife,” the three-time All-Star said in clip of his January 2020 proposal.Her answer, of course, was an unequivocal yes. “No one else id rather spend my life with,” wrote the XO By Kamiah founder, who welcomed third son Braxton in 2022 ahead of their vows. “Thank you for helping me evolve into the woman I’ve become, and for constantly challenging me to become better each and everyday.”

    Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images

    Kyle Lowry & Ayahna Cornish-LowryAs St. Joe’s best offensive player for two consecutive seasons in the mid-2000s, guard Ayahna Cornish-Lowry isn’t your typical courtside cheerleader. Sharing with Canadian lifestyle site The Kit in 2019 that she prefers “to be close to the action,” the mom of sons Karter Lowry and Kameron Lowry said she doesn’t just zero in on her husband Kyle Lowry.Rather she’s taking in every set that the Philadelphia 76ers run: “I don’t focus in on just Kyle, I try to watch the whole game and the whole team and see what’s going on. I love watching it from a basketball eye.”And she’s not afraid to give the six-time All-Star and Olympic gold medalist, her take on how he’s running the floor. “He’ll come up to me during time-outs, that’s how close I am,” she said of the point guard, her sweetheart since their days at Philadelphia’s Cardinal Dougherty High. “If I see something, I try to mouth it to him. Maybe he’ll get it.”

    Gregg DeGuire/FilmMagic

    Draymond Green & Hazel ReneeDraymond Green, the Warriors’ outspoken four-time All-Star isn’t exactly known for his subtlety. So when he asked Hazel Renee to be his bride in January 2019, he went full court press. There was a helicopter ride to a yacht filled with their family, friends and kids Olive Jay and Draymond Jamal Green Jr., a six-carat Jason of Beverly Hills diamond and no less than Golden State coach Steve Kerr spilling the news to the press.After sharing that he and the Empire actress were holding their vows around a planned return trip to the Olympics, COVID-19 forced them to reschedule and focus on a new milestone: Welcoming daughter Cash in October 2020.”Our journey that we are on has been nothing short of amazing!” he wrote in a 2020 birthday tribute. “Through the good and bad times you continue to be the rock of our family.”Finally walking down the aisle in 2022 (with Vogue publishing photos from their vows), the pair welcomed daughter Hunni in 2023 and their latest arrival in Feburary 2026. 

    Rob Latour/Invision/AP

    Russell & Nina WestbrookKnown for racking up the points, Sacramento Kings point guard Russell Westbrook took on the role of cheerleader, hyping up bride Nina Westbrook as she nailed shot after shot in a March 2020 Instagram video. And it’s not as if he was blowing hot air. Now a licensed marriage and couples therapist, Nina was once UCLA’s fastest players when she spied a flashy young point guard winking at her as he nailed a breakaway dunk. “You were pretty good out there tonight,” she reportedly told him after the game. “It’s easy to play like that when you have someone to play for,” he shot back.More than a decade later they’re juggling their Why Not? children’s foundation with raising son Noah and twin daughters Skye and Jordyn and enjoying the occasional dinner-and-a-movie night in. “There is not a thing you won’t do to bring a laughter and joy to our children’s life,” she raved in a Father’s Day post. “You are the coolest dad, the definition of fun, and the embodiment of love.”

    Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images

    Kevin Love & Kate BockAt this point, it’s unclear who gets more play in Sports Illustrated—the Utah Jazz big man Kevin Love or Swimsuit Issue cover girl Kate Bock, a fixture since being named Rookie of the Year in 2013. Not that her guy is feeling competitive. “This is a timeless cover,” he wrote of the 2020 edition in a congratulatory post. “It could not be a better representation of the beautiful woman you are and continue to be. I’m just so happy for you.”More than a year after the five-time All-Star power forward proposed during a January 2021 birthday celebration, they wed at the New York Public Library.”We both envisioned an old-school New York City, Great Gatbsy-inspired, black and white ball for the big day,” the Love Kate founder detailed to Vogue. “That was the easy part! The hard part was just making the small detailed decisions—whether it was a specific linen, the seating chart, or where to get ready.”Soon after, they were prepping for a new era, the two welcoming daughter James in June 2023 and her younger sister Leighton on Valentine’s Day 2025. 

    Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

    Chris Paul & Jada CrawleyYou know you’re basketball royalty when your wedding party includes LeBron James and his bride. In fact, everyone from Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony (plus Gabrielle Union and LaLa Anthony) to Ludacris and Kevin Hart turned out for Chris Paul and Jada Crawley‘s 2011 Charlotte vows, with no less than Robin Thicke providing the wedding music.And while an in-ceremony performance by gospel legend BeBe Winans and some 10,000 roses, orchids and hydrangeas is nice, nothing is more important to the Thunder’s 12-time All-Star than his top teammate.His day one since they met at Wake Forest University, “I truly love Jada; she has been there for the ups and the downs,” the recently retired point guard told Essence of the philanthropist, mom to Christopher II and Camryn. “Basketball isn’t going to last forever. Jada and I love spending time with each other, genuinely.”

    Scott Eisen/Getty Images

    Al Horford & Amelia VegaIn the Horford family, it’s Al Horford‘s bride that truly holds court. Model and singer Amelia Vega‘s titles include Miss Dominican Republic 2002 and Miss Universe 2003.Though it took two meetings, the first at the Latin Pride Awards in Boston and the second four years later working together on a campaign for children with cancer, the Dominican born five-time All-Star said he was confident early on that he’d found his forever teammate.”We started dating and became pretty obvious that she was the right person for me. It just felt right,” the Warriors power forward told Latina in 2013. “I would always make fun of people, or wouldn’t believe something like that was true. I felt right with her and I knew that I wanted to marry her.”More than a decade in, “Married life is awesome,” said the University of Florida standout, dad to Ean, Alía, Ava, Nova and Mila with the Miami boutique owner. “We’re building something special—our lives together.”

    Layne Murdoch Jr./NBAE via Getty Images

    Jrue & Lauren HolidayBack in 2008 when Portland Trailblazers guard Jrue Holiday was a stand-out freshman at UCLA, an autograph seeker approached him at a women’s basketball game, thinking he was his teammate Darren Collison. Witnessing the whole exchange, Lauren Holiday, a member of the Bruins soccer team, chimed in, “Don’t worry, you’re cuter than Darren.”It’s a decidedly adorable meet-cute, but the rest of their love story is even better. Retired from the national women’s team, the World Cup champ and two-time gold medalist was nearly five months pregnant when she learned she had a brain tumor. Without thought, Jrue took a months-long sabbatical from his NBA gig in 2016 to be at his bride’s side until the meningioma was successfully removed.Now a devoted father to theirdaughter Jrue and son Hendricks, “You show us everyday what unconditional love looks like,” Lauren wrote in a Father’s Day tribute. You show up for us on your best and your worst days and it never feels like you give us any less.”

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    Gordon & Robyn HaywardJust a few years removed from his career at Butler University, now-retired forward Gordon Hayward shot his shot, asking recent high school grad Robyn Hayward to be his bride on Christmas Eve 2013. Married the following May, the athletes—she was a standout volleyball player at her Indiana high school—have steadily been putting together their own squad ever since. Son Theo joined daughters Bernie, Charlie and Nora in September 2020 while Gordon was battling it out in the bubble with the Boston Celtics.And despite having to play zone with all their little ones, the duo haven’t ruled out bringing on more teammates. “Bernie is sweet and gentle, Charlie is always doing things on her own time and beats to her own drum, Nora makes sure Theo knows she’s the boss and has no fear at all, and Theo is pretty unbothered and chill (so far),” she detailed in a December post. “This is what 4 kids 5 and under looks like (for us)… @gordonhayward do you want more kids?”

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