Napheesa Collier's husband Alex Bazzell makes feelings clear on Unrivaled's comparisons to Reality TV shows

Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart came up with an idea almost two years ago, that might change the life of many women basketball players. They co-founded the "Unrivaled" league which might eventually become an answer for so many players not wanting to go abroad to earn additional money.

However, the outside noise before the inaugural season has also been something that the league has had to deal with. Napheesa Collier's husband Alex Bazzell, who is also the president of "Unrivaled" basketball, spoke to Sports Illustrated regarding many issues surrounding the league.

When asked about the 'Reality TV' allegations against the Unrivaled, Bazzell said that irrespective of everything, false narratives always exist. However, he made it clear that Unrivaled wasn't a "gimmick" because so many world-class athletes had joined the league to play serious basketball.

"At the end of the day there's going to be narratives of what it is and what it isn't until people see the product, all it's going to be is just kind of assumptions," Bazzell said.

"If you're inside the building, you're seeing that the number one focus here is player development. That is our background. It's what we want from our athletes. It's a lot more basketball-oriented. There's a balance. You have to entertain."

"Sports is an entertainment environment," he added. "This isn't a gimmick. We're not here just trying to do clickbait stuff. Our influence and our entertainment come because it's a lot of the top women in the world who play basketball at the highest level."

Unrivaled will start from Jan. 17. Napheesa Collier and the Lunar Owls will go against Breanna Stewart and the Mist in the season opener at 7:00 PM ET.

Napheesa Collier's husband Alex Bazzell reveals how Sabrina Ionescu came to join Unrivaled

Sabrina Ionescu was the last addition in the Unrivaled that perhaps took people by surprise. After Kelsey Plum pulled out of the league at the last moment, Ionescu's addition became even bigger for the league. Napheesa Collier's husband Alex Bazzell opened up about what went behind before the league landed the New York Liberty star.

Bazzell told SI that when he used to work with Kobe Bryant, he used to see Ionescu a lot. He also said that he had known her since Ionescu's early college years and his wife Napheesa Collier and Ionescu got close during the Paris Olympics.

However, Bazzell revealed the biggest reason that Ionescu took her time to sign with the league.

"Players as high caliber as that want to make sure they're getting into the right thing for their own brand," Bazzell said. "You don't want to attach yourself to a circus. You don't want to attach yourself to a gimmick."

Napheesa Collier's husband also added that the main drive for Ionescu this offseason was to get better. With a chance to work with Adam Harrington, who is Ionescu's head coach for the Phantom team, the Liberty star had one more reason to join the Unrivaled.

Interestingly, Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart won the first title for the New York Liberty against Napheesa Collier and the Minnesota Lynx.