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Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian backed the credibility of the NBA and the WNBA amid reports of a new international league. The renowned tech entrepreneur claimed that entry of any other international basketball league could not replace the 'aura' of the current ones.
Ohanian is a big NBA fan, especially of Giannis Antetokounmpo and had expressed excitement for the power forward joining the Slam Dunk Contest. The Reddit co-founder even got a special collectible of him at the 2025 NBA All-Star Weekend.
On Thursday, Ohanian took to his X (formerly Twitter) handle to back the NBA and WNBA as reports of a rival league sparked discussions. While discussing the idea of a new league, Ohanian explained why it wasn't easy to replace the NBA or the WNBA.
"So there's a new international basketball league trying to compete with the @NBA? Cool, but here’s the thing—when little kids close their eyes and dream about becoming a basketball player, it's about *so* much more than the sport or even the salary. It's about LEGACY. Aura matters. History matters. And the NBA’s got decades of great players fueling the dream of playing for them," he captioned the post.
In the video, Ohanian gave an in-depth explanation, saying young basketball players grew up watching legends that the existing league has created.
"The reason I would not underwrite it out of the gate is because a young boy today who is playing basketball aspires to be up there with the legends - Jordan, Kobe, Kareem - holding that Larry O'Brien Trophy. The importance, the aura, the brand of the NBA is so great that he will spend decades of his life to focus on being so great that he can one day hold that trophy up," he said.
It has been nearly 76 years since the NBA was created, and since then, it has blessed the sport with notable legends like LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and others.
Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian congratulates Giannis Antetokounmpo over massive achievement
Alexis Ohanian at the Fanatics Super Bowl Party - Source: Getty" srcset="https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/03/420ea-17413348754973-1920.jpg?w=190 190w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/03/420ea-17413348754973-1920.jpg?w=720 720w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/03/420ea-17413348754973-1920.jpg?w=640 640w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/03/420ea-17413348754973-1920.jpg?w=1045 1045w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/03/420ea-17413348754973-1920.jpg?w=1200 1200w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/03/420ea-17413348754973-1920.jpg?w=1460 1460w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/03/420ea-17413348754973-1920.jpg?w=1600 1600w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/03/420ea-17413348754973-1920.jpg 1920w">
Alexis Ohanian at the Fanatics Super Bowl Party - Source: Getty
Alexis Ohanian was elated as his favorite NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo attained a massive milestone of surpassing 20,000-points on Wednesday night with a driving layup. He scored 32 points in Bucks' 137-107 win against the Mavericks. With this, Antetokounmpo became the sixth-youngest player and the 52nd player in NBA history to do so.
Williams' husband Ohanian shared NBA's post about Antetokounmpo's milestone and extended positive wishes to the NBA star, writing:
"Onward to 30,000, Get em Giannis Anteokounmpo."
Earlier this week, Serena Williams announced her decision to acquire part-ownership of the WNBA team, Toronto Tempo. Alexis Ohanian expressed gratitude to the 23-time Grand Slam winner for extending her legacy by backing women in sports.
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Edited by Shirsh