Love and basketball! Whether it’s a college matchup or the NBA, celeb couples love a date night that involves courtside seats.
Beyoncé and Jay-Z have perfected the art of the courtside appearance over the years, especially during the era when the “99 Problems” rapper owned a partial stake in the Brooklyn Nets. The twosome, who tied the knot in 2008, always wow the crowd with their fashion choices, which in one memorable instance included a $22,000 Gucci kimono for Beyoncé.
In later years, the twosome started bringing their daughter Blue Ivy (born in January 2012) with them as well, and like her parents, she usually turns the court into a runway. At a Los Angeles Lakers game in March 2020, the famous tot wore a personalized jean jacket with the phrase “Blue is my name” printed on the back.
In December 2014, the Carters were joined courtside by royalty of a different sort: Prince William and Duchess Kate, who took in a basketball game during their visit to New York City. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended a matchup between the Nets and the Cleveland Cavaliers, who at that time had LeBron James on the roster.
“It’s an honor,” the athlete told ESPN at the time of playing in front of the royal family. “I’ve had people from all across the board as far as stature, but the president of the United States, that was pretty huge. To have those two, to say they were traveling here and one of the things that they wanted to do was see me play, it’s a pretty big deal in my household.”
The Ohio native met with William and Kate after the game, where he presented them with a tiny Cavaliers jersey for Prince George (who was then just 16 months old). Several days after the meeting, James shared a Photoshopped image of the toddler wearing the jersey. “My lil guy Prince George was excited about our win last night as well so he wanted to run around this am,” he joked via Instagram.
The royals’ meeting with James also made headlines for a different reason after some observers criticized the basketball star for putting his arm around Kate when they posed for the photo, allegedly breaking royal protocol. William and his wife, however, were just happy to meet the olympic gold medalist.
“The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge very much enjoyed their time in the US, including attending the NBA game and meeting LeBron,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement at the time. “When members of the Royal Family meet people they want them to feel as comfortable as possible. There is no such thing as Royal protocol.”
Keep scrolling to see which celeb couples have enjoyed basketball date nights over the years.
