NBA: How real is the Kardashian curse?

Tristan Thompson and Khloe Kardashian (Screen-grabbed from Khloe Kardashian's Instagram) By Rafael Bandayrel Members of the Kardashian family are known for their glamorous lifestyle, their fabulous fashion, and dating NBA players. Unfortunately, most players who dated Kardashians find their careers nose-diving after garnering the attention that comes with being part of America’s most famous family. An NBA fan’s worst nightmare is to find out that a player of their favorite team is the latest member of the K’s. With that, let us try and keep up with the stats and find out how real the Kardashian curse is. 5. Tristan Thompson (Dating Khloe Kardashian) Tristan Thompson (David Liam Kyle / NBAE / Getty Images / AFP) Tristan Thompson and Khloe Kardashian started dating in Aug. 2016 and are now expecting their first child. Congratulations! But in terms of the on-court aspects of things for Tristan, there is not much to congratulate. Thompson was an integral part of the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers championship team. He injected energy and provided reliable rebounding on both ends of the floor. And in June, it seemed like the forward was Kardashian-curse-resistant as the Cavs ended up winning the Larry O’Brien trophy by coming back from a 3-1 deficit. It all changed, however, this season for the big-man. Thompson was averaging 8.1 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks last season. His currents stats dropped to an average of 6.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 0.4 blocks. Also, Thompson missed significant time this year due to an ankle sprain. Even worse, Kyrie Irving requested for a trade that sent him to Boston. Since then, Thompson and the Cavaliers have never been the same. 4. Kris Humphries (Married Kim Kardashian) Kris Humphries (From Wikimedia) In 2011, Kris Humphries felt like the luckiest man in the world as he could then claim that he is married to the most popular member of the most popular family in America. As a member of the New Jersey Nets in the 2011-12 season, Humphries had a solid average of 13.8 points and 11 rebounds. His marriage with Kim only lasted for 72 days but K-curse impacted his career in a massive way. He averaged 5.8 points and 5.6 rebounds the following season in a reduced role with the Nets. Humphries played for the Atlanta Hawks last year for his final season. His best days are clearly behind him as he only had a lowly average of 4.6 points 3.7 rebounds. 3. Chandler Parsons (Supposedly dated Kendall Jenner) Portland Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts, left, and Memphis Grizzlies forward Chandler Parsons, right. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill) Chandler Parsons and Kendall Jenner supposedly dated back in 2014 and last year, they were photographed together at a Bentley dealership. While the relationship was just a rumour, Parsons felt the entirety of the curse. Parsons was once a promising young prospect in Houston as he averaged 16.6 points, 5.5 assists, and 4.0 rebounds in his third season for the Rockets. Until recently, the NBA community had no idea where Parsons was. He missed 40 games this season as a member of the Memphis Grizzlies due to soreness on his knees. Currently, Parsons averages 7.9 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.9 assists. 2. Lamar Odom (Married Khloe Kardashian) Lamar Odom arrives at the Kids' Choice Awards. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP) What happened to Lamar Odom’s career was dark and it is not even funny. But since Odom’s case was the most high-profile instance of the supposed curse, he needs to be talked about. Odom won two championships with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2009 and 2010. In 2011, Odom was selected hailed sixth man of the year. On Dec. 2011, Odom was traded to the defending champion Dallas Mavericks where his numbers plunged to 6.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.7 assists a game. But form there, things just got bleaker for the former star forward. On Aug 2013, Odom was arrested on charges of driving under the influence (DUI). He then pleaded no contest to the charges and accepted a three-year probation sentence plus three months of treatment for alcohol abuse. 1. Blake Griffin (Dating Kendall Jenner) FILE - In this March 22, 2018, file photo, Detroit Pistons' Blake Griffin. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File) Numbers-wise, Blake took minimal damage from the curse. He still averages 19.8 points, 6.6 boards, and 6.2 assists in his new team. What’s disappointing for Griffin, however, is being traded from Los Angeles to Detroit. Yes, Detroit is a borderline playoff contender in the East just as the Clippers is to the West. But since his rookie season, Blake has been the face of the Clippers franchise Currently, he plays second fiddle to Pistons star Andre Drummond which could be the reason for his reduced stat-line. Also, Detroit is not a first-class city like LA. Losing with the Pistons isn’t as fun as staying in the middle of the standings in a glamorous city with the Clips. But recent reports suggest that Griffin and Jenner were cooling-off ever since the rim-rattler was shipped to Motor City. If this leads to a full-on break-up, maybe all is not lost for the five-time all-star. Disclaimer: There is no scientific explanation for the phenomenon known as the “Kardashian curse”. This piece was written just for fun, and we at Manila Bulletin do not believe in curses. Or do we?