NBA Partnership With Kim Kardashian's Skims Brand Sparks Backlash
Kim Kardashian's Skims clothing brand broke the internet (in classic Kardashian fashion) with the recent announcement that it would begin carrying men's products. Right off the bat, Skims showed just how comfortable and appealing the offerings were to athletes as soccer icon Neymar Jr., NBA player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and NFL player Nick Bosa posed in the launch campaign wearing the new underwear.
Skims is further cementing its place in the sports world with a new partnership with the NBA. With the move, Skims is now the official underwear sponsor of the NBA. But not everyone was rejoicing at the news, as some basketball fans online aired out their thoughts on the link-up.
"We gotta boycott the NBA," one person wrote. "Imagine Steph Curry wearing Skims," another said. One fan simply mourned the loss of the league they once knew, lamenting, "What happened to the sport I love?"
Meanwhile, some detractors remarked that the partnership will be the perfect opportunity to show off Skims' new nipple push-up bra for women that similarly sparked backlash recently after its unveiling.
"Will be awesome seeing Lebron James' hard nipples on the court. Very glad [the] NBA got this deal done," one person said. Another echoed a similar sentiment, commenting "Never thought [the] NBA would fall this low. What’s next, Skims bikini shoot with LeBron?" One person even predicted what upcoming games will look like: "All the players are required to wear the one that just came out that has the permanent nipple showing."
Many people, some begrudgingly, admitted that the partnership speaks to Kardashian's business acumen and dedication to her work. It may seem like an unlikely deal, but it's not totally unprecedented for Skims. In 2021, the brand supplied undergarments and loungewear for Team USA athletes at the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.
More Skims products for men are on the way to accompany the underwear, tees, and socks already available to customers. With her romantic history including NBA and NFL players, it only makes sense for Kardashian's presence in the sports world to grow in the coming years.