Shaq Tries To Shutdown Show "Basketball Wives"

Shaq's Wife Violated Confidentiality Agreement On "Basketball Wives"

Shaunie and Shaquille O'Neal

VH-1's new reality show, "Basketball Wives" starring, Shaunie O'Neal, the soon to be ex-wife of, Shaquille O'Neal, is in hot water of a legal variety.

It seems Shaunie signed a very binding confidentiality agreement with estranged husband, Shaq, which prohibits her from discussing their relationship publicly, particularly in a book or on a television program, which is exactly what she has done.

The scandalous "Basketball Wives" has thus far discussed Shaq's adulterous affair with, Laura Govan, the fiancée of fellow NBA basketball player, Gilbert Arenas, while kindly leaving out Shaunie's infidelity. Shaunie reportedly had two boyfriends during the course of their marriage and previously left her deacon husband to marry Shaq.

Shaunie O'Neal on "Basketball Wives"

Shaq had his lawyers send over a legal warning to VH-1 days before the show aired, but they went ahead with the debut without removing references to Shaq that aren't particularly flattering. Shaq is now threatening suit.

The show has a history of legal problems. The program clearly had to change its name from "NBA Wives" to "Basketball Wives" for legal reasons, as it would violate the league's trademark rights.

"Basketball Wives"

One of the show's stars, Royce Reed, was slapped with a gag order from, Dwight Howard, instructing her not to divulge the contents of their past relationship or mention his name or that of their son.

LEGAL LETTER: http://www.tmz.com

"Basketball Wives" Is Crazier Than "Real Housewives Of Atlanta"

Shaunie O'Neal

After having its name changed from "NBA Wives" to "Basketball Wives" VH-1's latest reality show debuted yesterday, starring Shaunie O'Neal, soon to be ex-wife of basketball player, Shaq O'Neal.

She brought along Eric Williams' wife Jennifer, Matt Barnes fiancée Gloria Govan (her sister, Gilbert Arenas' fiancée Laura, had an affair with Shaq), Michael Olowokandi's girlfriend Suzie Ketcham, Antoine Walker's former girlfriend Evelyn Lozada, Rasual Butler's ex-girlfriend Erikka Mozam and Dwight Howard's former girlfriend and mother of his son Royce Reed, who is the most scandalous of the bunch.

The women featured on the show are pretty and well spoken, but the show turned into caustic catfights and crying. Royce Reed also began vulgarly dancing throughout the show like a stripper, lowering the tone of the program.

She is a pretty woman (er, I don't mean like the movie of the same name) and should carry herself better than that, especially for her son's sake. It is clear the other women on the show do not like her. She was even labeled "groupie-ish."

A preview of coming episodes reveal clips of more bickering and a fight featuring one of the stars of the show, throwing a drink in another's face, who in turn smashes a glass in her face for doing so.

This show could have been far more useful and revealing regarding the tribulations that come with being attached to some, not all, athletes, who engage in sexual affairs, leaving their women devastated.

Instead, "Basketball Wives" is like "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" - full of fighting and gossip - but with a Miami locale. It will help ratings to a certain degree, but dignity flew out the window.

NBA Player Becomes A Preacher

Former Miami Heat basketball player, Wayne Simien, has become a preacher. He became a Christian in 2003. His story is a wonderful one of redemption, after he gave up drugs, alcohol and sexual promiscuity.

Five years from KU, Wayne Simien answers another calling

Posted on Sun, Feb. 28, 2010 11:16 PM - ...After he had become a Christian on July 12, 2003, entering his junior year, there were plenty of folks who wanted the old Wayne back. They called him “Big Dub,” and he was once the life of the party.

“As soon as I stopped doing drugs, stopped drinking, stopped treating women badly, stopped playing selfishly on the court, that’s when people were like, ‘Hey Wayne, what’s wrong with you? What’s going on? I’m worried about you,’ ” Simien says. “Now you’re worried about me? After I stopped doing all these things?” ...

During that first year in Miami, Simien would meet his wife, Katie, through some mutual friends who shared their beliefs. Wayne and Katie met in August 2005, began dating on New Year’s Eve, became in engaged in February and were married in July. In another statement about the way he was choosing to live, Wayne did not kiss Katie until their wedding day.

“I wasn’t a virgin when I got married,” Simien says, “so it was just another way of wanting to honor my wife, wanting to share that with not only her but also everybody that was at our wedding ceremony.”...

http://www.mercurynews.com