10 NBA Wives and Girlfriends Who Built Successful Businesses Beyond Basketball

Life alongside an NBA player can involve constant travel, demanding schedules and long periods away from home. However, several women connected to NBA stars have also developed their own professional identities through entrepreneurship.

Some have built fashion labels, while others have entered beauty, food, children’s products, wellness and media. Their businesses have allowed them to establish careers that exist independently of their relationships with basketball players.

Here are 10 NBA wives and girlfriends highlighted for their entrepreneurial ventures.

10. La La Anthony

La La Anthony was already an established television personality before her relationship with Carmelo Anthony. Her career included appearances on reality television and entertainment programs, helping her build a public profile of her own.

Anthony later expanded into entrepreneurship through the beauty industry. She co-founded Inala with Josh Snow, a haircare brand that focuses on scalp and hair products.

One of the brand’s early products was a rice-water-based scalp and hair treatment serum, which Anthony promoted publicly after the company’s launch.

Her Business activities have added another dimension to a career that has included television, entertainment and fashion.

9. Francesca Aiello

Francesca Aiello established herself in the fashion industry well before becoming engaged to former NBA star Blake Griffin.

She founded Frankies Bikinis in 2012 while she was still a teenager. The swimwear and lifestyle company subsequently grew into a recognizable fashion brand.

The business has worked with several prominent names from entertainment, fashion and sports, including Bella Hadid, Pamela Anderson, Sydney Sweeney, Gigi Hadid, Naomi Osaka, Hailee Steinfeld and Sofia Richie.

Aiello’s entrepreneurial journey stands out because she began building the company at a very young age and developed it into an internationally recognized swimwear label.

8. Paije Speights

Paije Speights, who has been linked with James Harden, has pursued a career in fashion through her own label, Front Paije.

The brand focuses primarily on women’s high-end fashion apparel and emphasizes limited-run designs rather than large-scale mass production.

Front Paije has also developed an online audience, with its social media presence attracting tens of thousands of followers and the company offering international shipping.

Her work demonstrates how a relatively small fashion operation can use digital platforms to reach customers beyond its home market.

7. Winnie Harlow

Supermodel Winnie Harlow, the fiancée of Kyle Kuzma, has expanded her career from fashion into the beauty industry.

Harlow founded Cay Skin in 2022, creating a brand centered around sun-care products. The company’s range includes sunscreen as well as products designed for after-sun care and lips.

The brand received recognition from beauty publications following its launch, helping establish Cay Skin as another major part of Harlow’s professional portfolio.

Her entrepreneurial career complements her modeling work and demonstrates how celebrities can use an established personal brand to enter the consumer beauty market.

6. Nina Westbrook

Nina Westbrook, wife of former NBA MVP Russell Westbrook, has built businesses focused on children, families and lifestyle products.

In 2018, she launched The Little Ark, a lifestyle boutique in Oklahoma City serving babies, children and parents. The store offers products including gifts, home décor and other family-oriented items.

Westbrook later expanded her entrepreneurial portfolio by launching Minibrook in Los Angeles in 2020. The sustainable children’s apparel line gave her business interests a stronger focus on children’s fashion.

Her ventures have allowed her to combine retail, lifestyle and family-focused entrepreneurship.

5. Ayesha Curry

Ayesha Curry has become one of the most recognizable entrepreneurs associated with the NBA. The wife of Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry has built businesses across food, media, beauty and lifestyle.

Her entrepreneurial career in food began with International Smoke, a restaurant venture launched with chef Michael Mina in 2017. The restaurant eventually closed in 2026 after operating for several years.

Curry later expanded the Sweet July brand into multiple areas. She launched Sweet July skincare in 2023 and subsequently opened Sweet July Cafe in Charlotte, North Carolina.

She also launched Sweet July magazine in 2020, giving the overall brand a media component alongside its consumer products and hospitality ventures.

4. Jordyn Woods

Jordyn Woods, who is married to Karl-Anthony Towns, has built a presence in fashion and activewear.

She launched her activewear company, SECNDNTURE, in 2018, drawing on her experience in the fashion and entertainment industries.

Woods later expanded her fashion portfolio with Woods by Jordyn in 2023. Following a period away from the market, the brand was relaunched in September 2024.

Her career illustrates how entrepreneurs can evolve a fashion business over time, experiment with different product categories and return to the market with a refreshed strategy.

3. Draya Michele

Draya Michele has developed several fashion businesses while also maintaining a career in entertainment and reality television.

The Houston Rockets star Jalen Green’s partner launched her swimwear brand, Mint Swim, in 2011. The business became one of the major components of her entrepreneurial profile.

She later expanded into apparel with Beige & CoCo in 2016 and has also been associated with another streetwear venture.

Michele’s business career has therefore covered both swimwear and broader fashion, allowing her to turn her interest in style into multiple ventures.

2. Gabrielle Union

Gabrielle Union is one of the most established entertainment figures on this list and has developed multiple businesses alongside her acting career.

The wife of former NBA star Dwyane Wade launched her Flawless haircare brand in 2017. The company focuses on haircare products designed around moisturizing, strengthening and maintaining healthy-looking hair.

Union later entered the baby-care market with Proudly, a company she launched with Wade in 2022.

Her business portfolio demonstrates how an established entertainment career can be expanded into consumer brands aimed at specific lifestyle categories.

1. Savannah James

Savannah James, the wife of LeBron James, has developed an entrepreneurial career spanning food, investments, beauty and media.

In 2013, she launched The Juice Spot in Miami, a business focused on cold-pressed juices and fruit smoothies. The venture eventually closed in 2016 after the family moved back to Cleveland.

James later became involved in investment activities, including an investment in LeBron James’ Lobos 1707 tequila brand in 2023.

She also expanded into beauty by launching Reframe Beauty in 2025, a luxury skincare brand.

Her media presence has expanded as well, with the launch of the Everybody’s Crazy podcast in 2024.

Rather than relying on a single company, Savannah James has built an entrepreneurial portfolio across several industries.

What Makes These NBA Partners Stand Out?

The businesses represented in this list cover a wide range of industries. While basketball is the common connection between the individuals, their professional interests extend far beyond the sport.

• Fashion: Francesca Aiello, Paije Speights, Jordyn Woods and Draya Michele have built fashion-focused ventures.
• Beauty: La La Anthony, Winnie Harlow, Gabrielle Union and Savannah James have entered the beauty and personal-care markets.
• Food: Ayesha Curry and Savannah James have developed businesses connected to food and beverages.
• Children and family: Nina Westbrook and Gabrielle Union have created products aimed at parents and children.
• Media: Ayesha Curry, Savannah James and several others have expanded their brands through media and entertainment.

Entrepreneurship Beyond the NBA Spotlight

Being connected to an NBA player can provide visibility, but building a sustainable business requires more than public recognition. These entrepreneurs have entered competitive industries where branding, product development and customer relationships are important.

Their careers also show that there is no single path to entrepreneurship. Some began with fashion, others with television or modeling, while others entered business through food, family products or beauty.

Several of these ventures have also evolved over time. Companies have been relaunched, expanded into new categories or closed after operating for years. Such changes are a normal part of building businesses in competitive consumer markets.

Final Thoughts

The NBA is often associated with elite athletes, championships and major contracts, but the professional lives of players’ partners can extend well beyond basketball.

From Francesca Aiello building Frankies Bikinis as a teenager to Savannah James expanding across food, investments, skincare and media, these entrepreneurs have created identities through their own professional ventures.

Ayesha Curry, Gabrielle Union, Winnie Harlow, Jordyn Woods, Draya Michele, Nina Westbrook, Paije Speights and La La Anthony have similarly developed businesses across fashion, beauty, food, children’s products and lifestyle.

Their stories highlight a broader trend in sports culture: successful business careers can exist alongside the NBA, with entrepreneurship becoming an important part of the public and professional identities of many athletes’ partners.