…Let’s hope nothing bad happens, like Christen Press and Tobin Heath taking a page out of Paige and Azzi’s book. Christen and Tobin, our preeminent soccer wives, knew (like me) about their breakup ages ago. On Casuals with Katie Nolan, Christen said she “can’t comment” before commenting a lot. Stars, they’re just like us. 

Ask the British (or Real Madrid fans), and Paul McCartney may as well have written “Hey Jude” about Jude Bellingham. The rest of the world fell in love with him during this summer’s World Cup, and now, he’s a Calvin Klein underwear model. Humility, however, comes for us all, and The Athletic’s Hannah Vanbiber served a dose by asking New Yorkers whether they recognized the man lording over them on the iconic SoHo CK billboard. Watch and enjoy. 

Karlie Kloss might save us all? Or at least us magazine and media lovers. The supermodel-turned-girl boss has made it her life’s mission (literally) to revive magazine publishing. Bringing LIFE back from the dead is a great start, and this Alysa Liu cover, photographed by Spike Jonze, is an instant collector’s item. Feel free to order me a copy. 

You all know by now, whether you like it or not, that the Blazers are the only NBA team I recognize. But that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate good NBA merch when I see it, and Hypebae rounded up all the brands you should sport this season. From DANNIJOPRO to Damecore, this list is a goodie. 

Hopefully the brilliant Jessica Black can forgive me, as I’m way past due on welcoming her as an OffBall™ collaborator. So far, her weekly trend reports have significantly lowered that odds the one day, that one day I might become cool. If you’ve been wondering why everyone runs now or what beauty brands to take seriously in sports, Jessica’s got you covered. 

I’m the proud owner of a New York Liberty GLD pendant and chain. Since I purchased the set, I’ve suggested all my friends do the same. Because it rocks. 

So, when we saw Malik Nabers was doing a collab with the jewelry brand (which you can shop here), we knew we had to talk to him about it — because one of the best jewelry retailers and one of the best NFL receivers is a no-brainer. And while talking about the collection, and jewelry in general, we got into a bunch of other topics, too. In a single video call, I got an inside look at the many characters that make up Malik Nabers. Read on. 

Ashtyn Butuso: Have you always been a jewelry guy? As a kid, were you wearing chains that turned your skin green? 

Malik Nabers: I ain't go that far. But when my mom would give me some money to go to the mall, I would go to the kiosks. At first, I had bought a grill, when I was eight or nine. And I was like, "Is this a pullout grill or will it stay in my mouth?" He was like, "Put it in some hot water, and then after that, place it on your mouth." I was like, "Is it gonna get stuck?" And he was like, "Yeah." I was like, "I don't need this." And he was like, "I'm sorry, but you already bought it."

AB: As much as we use the term authentic or authenticity these days, you actually seem to embody it. You can tell you are exactly who you say you are. What do you attribute that to?

MN: I think it's just my characters that I kind of just run into along the way. I call myself “Leek” all the time in third person. I always have something that catches my attention that I'm like, "Okay, I'm gonna call myself this.” Some days I feel like I get into a different character. 

AB: When you're putting on those other characters, are you checking yourself? Are you like, "Hey, Leek, what are you doing right now, man? Get it together." Or is it to hype yourself up?

MN: I probably say it's in the moment. You just jump into character, just like what everybody wants to see. It's like when the helmet come on, it's a whole different person. Or when my black shades come on, I'm a whole different person. Or when my grill is in, I'm a whole different person. You gotta fit into what character you're putting on.

AB: Speaking of characters, I've noticed your Instagram photo is [The Void] from Thunderbolts. 

MN: 'Cause I think he had three different characters on him. He was so misunderstood. When they first found him, he was so nice, lost, didn't know anything. Then after that…he was dark. And then after that, they had to go find him to get him back to where he was centered at. So it's like a whole different thing. All three different people. 

AB: What character are you right now in this moment with me on this call?

MN: I'm Malik right now.

AB: Do you have a favorite gemstone?

MN: My favorite gemstone is blue.

AB: Do you know anything about your birth gemstone?

MN: I do not. 

AB: I think it's ruby, which is a banger, honestly. There are only a few gemstones that can be worn every day without the worry of whether they're gonna crack. Ruby, sapphire, diamond, and emerald. So ruby's a strong one.

MN: Ruby's hot. Ruby's expensive. [laughs]

AB: Something very random that I've wondered about, because I know you're so multifaceted. What's the last thing you learned? 

MN: I’d probably say a different genre of music. Everybody thinks I listen to a lot of YoungBoy, and a lot of rap music, but I really got country music in my phone…I don't play [it] around a lot of people. I play it around myself just because it keeps me mellow.

AB: Those are your different characters. Who are a couple of those artists? 

MN: Morgan Wallen, Luke Combs. Shaboozey, Miley Cyrus is in there. Zach Bryan. Is it Zach Bryan or Luke Bryan?

AB: I think there's both actually.

MN: Both of them? Yeah, there's two of them.

AB: [laughs] Country music artists are just two first names put together. How do you decide what jewelry you're gonna wear when you're playing? 

MN: I think the tennis chains became a trend to wear in the game, so I didn't want to take that route because everybody's doing it. So I just made a Cuban with “Leek” in the front of it and “Him” in the back, and I just switch it around so everybody thinks it's a different chain. Or if I play good with something on, then I'll be like, "Okay, cool, we got to keep it the same."

AB: Superstitious! What's the journey of creating jewelry like? 

MN: It was really good. I think I had a chance to showcase creativity. Also just establishing different colors, letting it come out right, and establishing authenticity with the jeweler, asking what he thinks. I think that's the best thing when two people can come together and make something good, not just one person coming up with everything by himself. 

AB: Ok, I have an idea for you. You're obsessed with smelling good, too. I think something you should do is scented jewelry, and feed two birds with one scone.

MN: Scented jewelry? The scent is coming out of the jewelry?

AB: You wear something on your neck or your wrist, but that's also where you're putting cologne a lot of times. So it's scented, and bam, you don't even need cologne.

MN: [laughs] That's gonna be a little rocky. Just depending on what kind of fragrance you use might rough up something on the jewelry.

According to Mina Kimes, I need to update my Wife Guy rankings.  

If you’re new here, for a while now, I’ve held a list of the most endearing Wife Guys in the NBA. Wife Guys are something I’ve spoken about often. Maybe too much, who knows! 

Unfortunately, I won’t be stopping anytime soon. Especially now that a new (but also old) Wife Guy has entered the chat. Stephen Curry posted this video in defense of his wife’s leading role in a romcom, after his peers and former teammates (all single, might I add), criticized his Ayesha. 

Let me first just say that his, “Kind of speaks to a bigger conversation on how you view women in this world and what they’re allowed and what they’re not allowed to do,” is a bar. 

He also made sure to send out a very thoughtful PSA making sure we all know you do not have to subscribe to every podcast. Notice how he didn’t instruct you not to subscribe to the OffBall newsletter…

The haters apologized (kind of, and not to Ayesha, rather only to Stephen, for some reason), but the point still stands: We have a new #1 Wife Guy. 

Congratulations to Stephen Curry for being GOATed once again. 

Learn a new song on the guitar, like Mookie Betts and Roy Wood Jr.

Do not challenge Serena Williams. IShowSpeed already offered himself as tribute.

Start planning your second act. Maybe you’ll produce a fancy TV show like Ronaldo.