What started as a harmless NBA X joke quickly crossed into uncomfortable territory, and A’ja Wilson and Bam Adebayo were not shy about saying so.

“Yall don’t think this a lil strange orrrr weird..??? But I guess it’s a slow day in the office 😐,” Wilson hit back on X, to a video post showing the exchange between Fox Sports 1 analyst Rachel Nichols and Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Notably, during a recent episode of All the Smoke, Nichols had reportedly asked the Thunder MVP if team general manager Sam Presti would be at Wilson and Adebayo’s sonogram.

“[Wilson] was like, ‘We want to have kids together.’ And someone joked that [Thunder GM] Sam Presti would be at the sonogram if they had kids together. Is he that much of a scout?” Nichols asked SGA.

“Sam takes his job very serious and whatever it takes to be great, he will do,” Gilgeous-Alexander responded. “So if that’s what it takes, that’s what it takes.”

“Bam Adebayo, A’ja Wilson watch out,” Nichols then joked. “If you guys ever decide to have kids Sam Presti’s gonna knock on your door.”

The irony is that the joke grew out of something genuine. Earlier this month, Wilson was named TIME’s 2025 Athlete of the Year and gave a rare, heartfelt look into her personal life. The feature article stated how the couple “are excited about starting a family” and how that is “always a dream.”

However, fans took that quote and ran with it. Given how Presti is known for hoarding draft picks and planning years ahead, the internet joked that he would be scouting Wilson and Adebayo’s future child before the child even existed. The implication from Nichols is that Presti is such a great scout of players, he would be interested in a potential baby between a WNBA superstar and an NBA 3× NBA All-Star.

Yet, what began as exaggerated fan humor eventually made its way into a media setting. Expectedly, soon after his girlfriend, Adebayo hit back.

“This why privacy matters,” he simply wrote, the tweet exuding seriousness.

The tone was calm, but the message was unmistakable. Together, the two statements reflected a shared frustration.

It was more than just a meme

That jump, from timeline joke to interview question, is where the line blurred. To be clear, there has been no formal backlash against Nichols, and no response from her or Presti since the clip circulated. Many fans defended the moment as harmless fun, arguing it was obviously not meant to be taken literally.

But Wilson and Adebayo’s reactions highlight a bigger issue that keeps resurfacing across the NBA and WNBA. Athletes are expected to be open, relatable, and authentic. Yet when they share something personal, it often becomes fair game for jokes, speculation, and viral bits. The intention may be humor, but the impact can still feel intrusive.

Wilson has long been vocal about protecting her mental space while navigating fame. Adebayo is famously reserved off the court. Their responses were not about canceling anyone. They were about reminding people that access has limits.

What made this moment resonate was how measured it was. Wilson did not shut down humor. She questioned the framing. Adebayo did not escalate the situation. He reinforced a boundary. In a media environment that often rewards louder reactions, their restraint stood out. It turned the conversation away from the joke itself and toward a broader point about respect.

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At a time when both athletes are at the top of their respective leagues, their message was simple. Success does not erase the right to privacy.

And sometimes, even a joke can be a step too far.