#NotBuyingIt: The Bikini Basketball League

by Imran Siddiquee

The Bikini Basketball League is a real sports organization with teams developing from Miami to Chicago, according to NBC Sports:

“Considering the success of the Lingerie Football League (success being defined as rapid expansion in the U.S. and, excuse me, abroad), it’s no wonder that someone would try a league with hot girls playing basketball.”

It actually would be shocking that anyone would think this was a good idea, except that this isn’t even the only “women in not that much clothing” basketball league in existence right now. The Lingerie Basketball League (whose slogan is actually “where beauty meets the hardwood”) is currently in its second season, and has at least 4 teams in the US. Can there possibly be this much demand for bikini basketball in America? It’s even more upsetting when you consider the lack of attention given to the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) – around since 1996, and currently amidst postseason – where you can actually watch women play basketball at a very high level. So this is not about giving women an opportunity to play a popular sport professionally (a defense the Lingerie Football League often employs). Hyper-sexualization, objectification and the devaluing of women are the central concepts behind the Bikini Basketball League and Lingerie Basketball. In fact, both of these leagues have the reverse effect on professional women’s basketball – they negatively impact the WNBA’s efforts to increase viewership and attendance (which has slowly been improving over time, but still pales in comparison to any major men’s league). Obviously, we’re #NotBuyingIt. And since the Bikini Basketball League has yet to play any official games, maybe we can stop this before it starts by drawing more attention to its absurdity. Click the button below and let the league (and Twitter) know you won’t be watching or attending any of their games: