Miami Heat tell players, their wives and girlfriends to stay away from VH1’s “Basketball Wives.”

First the disclaimer: I have not watched Basketball Wives on VH1. Don’t plan to. Could not care less that the show exists. Just know I am not coming from a place of knowledge about the show.

However, I do find it interesting what a reporter for the NBC affiliate in Miami found out -- the Heat have banned WAGS (wives and girlfriends) of Heat players from being on the show, according to show star Suzie Ketcham.

The NBA hates it. I heard that the Miami Heat has put restrictions on the players and their wives: they are not allowed to do it. The wives are not allowed to be apart of the show at ALL. And I personally think that the entire NBA may put restrictions on any wife, girlfriend or player from being apart of the show. You know obviously, if the players are not allowed to do it, then they are NOT going to allow their women to do it.

I’m not sure if the NBA can actually ban people from the show, but then again you may not want to be the guy whose wife does it. For example, Matt Barnes.

What is interesting is the background about the show over at Sports By Brooks:

Ketchum’s boss and creator of the show’s original concept, Executive Producer Shaunie O’Neal, apparently feels the same as the Heat do about the show.

O’Neal came up with the initial idea for the VH1 reality show, but it was to be centered on her and her husband at the time, Shaq. The theme of that show was no more than a public relations vehicle for the O’Neals and the NBA. But when the couple divorced, VH1 was suddenly left groping for a new concept Enter women like Ketchum, the ex-wife of (former NBA player Michael) Olowokandi.

So where is Shaunie O’Neal in all of this? Nowhere. She’s rarely seen on the show now and doesn’t participate in the production’s inane, staged bits.

Now I will go back to blissfully ignoring this show.