Kim Kardashian was among the many stars who came out to watch the Los Angeles Lakers claim a Game 4 playoffs victory over the Golden State Warriors.
Others on hand included Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 star Chris Pratt and Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea. Actor Jack Nicholson even made a rare appearance, as he’s recently been reclusive.
While Kim likely knows LeBron and is a fan of her home area’s team, she also was there to support another member of the popular basketball squad.
Tristan Thompson, who famously dated Kim’s sister Khloe Kardashian, and is the father of two of Khloe’s children, is currently a member of the Lakers’ roster.
Kim showed her support for Thompson by sharing a courtside photo of him, but as of this writing, that image no longer appears on her Instagram Story.
It still appeared elsewhere, and the reality TV star and entrepreneur faced criticism as individuals on social media expressed their displeasure with her support for Khloe’s ex.
Kim Kardashian attends Lakers game, shares photo of Tristan Thompson
As one might expect, reality TV star Kim K was recorded and snapped courtside as she sat in a front-row seat briefly with her friend, Sarah Staudinger.
Kim rocked a pair of distressed jeans and an “I LOVE NERDS” t-shirt with open-toe heel sandals. She held a small pink purse, wearing her dark locks pulled back into a ponytail.
The Kardashians star may have deleted a photo she posted on her IG Story from Monday’s game. The image (below), shared from inside Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena, featured Thompson in his warmup gear, standing courtside with hands on hips and smiling for the shot.
“YESSSSS GOOOOO LAKERS,” Kim wrote on her photo of the smiling Lakers center.
While the photo has disappeared from Kim’s Story, it still lives on through other social media. A Reddit user shared the image (below) on a forum called Kar-Jenner Cinematic Universe, and critics expressed their displeasure with the reality TV star.
Based on a report from SFGate, Kim’s mom Kris Jenner also attended the event and sat with Kim to watch a close-up view of the game.
The Lakers recorded a close victory over their opponents, seizing a 3-1 series lead in their Western Conference Semifinals matchup. However, Thompson didn’t enter the lineup because the game remained so close.
The backup was part of the Lakers’ blowout win in Game 3, getting six minutes on the court. Now on his sixth team, Thompson finished with two points, three rebounds, and one turnover in the team’s 127-97 win.
Critics blasted Kim K for showing Tristan support despite his history with Khloe
With Kim’s photo posted in a few Reddit subforums of a larger KUWTK forum, it brought quite a few critical comments reacting to her appearance at the game in support of Thompson.
One commenter said Kim’s posts about Khloe’s ex “seems so forced” and that the new season of the Kardashians series on Hulu will feature “some Tristan redemption arch.”
“It’s giving Khloe is too embarrassed to claim her man so I’m helping her,” the commenter wrote.
“Anything for a family promotion I guess. Plus they prob have to make him look like a good guy for the children,” another individual remarked.
Yet another popular comment on the Reddit subforum questioned why it’s “always Kim tho showing the most support for this cesspool of a man” after he “trashed and disrespected Khloe.”
It’s not the first time there has been backlash toward Kim involving her support of Thompson. The reality TV star previously hung out with him at a Friendsgiving event in 2022, unleashing the critics.
Tristan and Khloe’s off-and-on relationship
Thompson and Khloe have had an off-and-on relationship that extends back to 2016. In addition, to daughter True Thompson, they also have a son Tatum Robert, whose name was revealed in the past week. Thompson also has two other sons, Prince Oliver from a previous relationship and Theo from a relationship in the past several years.
Thompson’s other relationships and cheating scandals have caused issues between Khloe and the NBA player.
In 2018, there were rumors that Thompson cheated on the Kardashians star with ex-girlfriend Jordyn Woods, leading to Thompson and Khloe’s split in 2019. The couple reconciled by the summer of 2020, but another cheating scandal would arrive.
Along with the children mentioned above, Thompson fathered another son, one-year-old Theo, whom he had with fitness model Maralee Nichols. The basketball star conceived this child with Nichols while he and Khloe were in a relationship.
That situation prompted Thompson to publicly apologize to Khloe in January 2022 after the paternity results officially revealed that he was Theo’s father.
As of this writing, it doesn’t appear that Khloe and Thompson are in a relationship, despite previous speculation suggesting another reconciliation. In April, Monsters and Critics reported that Khloe appeared on The Jennifer Hudson Show, telling the host she was “single.”
However, a third season of The Kardashians is coming to Hulu later this month, which could always bring a surprise update about their situation.
The Kardashians Season 3 premieres on May 25 on Hulu.