In sports, it's not always about male athletes running off with groupies, hookers or D-list celebrities that look like hookers. Some athletes look for someone who can be a match for them both off and on the court.
Last week, Lakers' best bench boy Sasha Vujacic scored major points off the court by dating Russian tennis beauty Maria Sharapova,, so we decided to look at athlete couples of the past and present. We ranked these couples based on relationship endurance, success in their sports, and of course the hotness of the female athlete in each couple. You know the saying: Behind every great (or even just middling) male athlete stands a way hotter (and often more accomplished) female athlete...
10. MARIA SHARAPOVA (TENNIS) AND SAHSA VUJACIC (NBA)
CURRENT STATUS: Just started dating.
OVERALL: Even if you're the Lakers' bitchboy, this year has been good to you. You got a ring despite riding the bench, and you're now with one of the hottest female athletes of the decade, who's one of the top tennis players in the world with three Grand Slams to her name. Sure, Maria's wearing the pants in this relationship; at least Sash gets to watch her take 'em off, too.
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9. MIA HAMM (SOCCER) AND NOMAR GARCIAPARRA (BASEBALL)
CURRENT STATUS: Married since 2003.
OVERALL: Nomar left the Red Sox right before they won it all in 2004; it's OK he can always look at Mia's two gold medals.
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8. HEATHER MITTS (SOCCER) AND AJ FEELEY (NFL)
CURRENT STATUS: Engaged.
OVERALL: Being backup QB isn't so bad when your fiancée has been named ESPN.com's sexiest female athlete of the year and has a couple Olympic soccer gold medals. Our advice to Feeley: Stay in the pocket and you should be good.
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7. CANDACE PARKER (WNBA) AND SHELDEN WILLIAMS (NBA)
CURRENT STATUS: Married since Nov. 2008
OVERALL: As with other celebrity couples, sometimes you look at them and think how the fuck did this happen? But we're not mad at Shelden... just confused. This love and basketball couple had their first baby girl back in May of this year... hopefully she has her mother's looks and skills on the court.
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6. MISTY MAY-TREANOR (VOLLYEBALL) AND MATT TREANOR (MLB)
CURRENT STATUS: Married since 2004.
OVERALL: Your wifey goes to work in a bikini, wins gold medals, and is half of the winningest female volleyball duo of all time (not to mention caked up off endorsements). And you have a total of eight career home runs and 70 RBIs in five years. Yeah buddy, you won.
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5. AMANDA BEARD (SWIMMING) AND CARL EDWARDS (RACING)
CURRENT STATUS: Broke up in 2006.
OVERALL: These two were only together for a little while but with Beard's seven gold medals and Edwards' 40 Nascar wins they could have been one of the most successful athlete couples of all time. Oh well, we'll still practice our breast stroke to AB's Playboy pictorial.
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4. ANDRE AGASSI (TENNIS) AND STEFFI GRAF (TENNIS)
CURRENT STATUS: Married since 2001.
OVERALL: This couple has combined for over 150 titles in their sport and over 30 Grand Slams. If you take Graf's 22 grand slams x Agassi's eight, their son and daughter should combine for something like 170. If Agassi lays off the crank that is.
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3. MALIA JONES (SURFER) AND LUKE STEDMAN (SURFER)
CURRENT STATUS: Married since 2007
OVERALL: As we mentioned last week, we wouldn't mind having Malia ride our long board, but she's been wife'd up to fellow surfer Luke Stedman for a couple years now.
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2. ANNA KOURNIKOVA (TENNIS) AND SERGEI FEDOROV (HOCKEY)
CURRENT STATUS: "Divorced" in 2003.
OVERALL: These two haven't been current in a minute, but one look at Kournikova is a good enough excuse to squeeze this couple on the list. Sergei says they were married in 2001, but Kournikova says vows were never exchanged. Though as long as other things were exchanged, we're sure he has fond memories.
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1. GABRIELLE REECE (VOLLEYBALL) AND LAIRD HAMILTON (SURFING)
CURRENT STATUS: Married since 1997.
OVERALL: If you win the Beach Volleyball World Championship, like Reece, you have to be hot. Being featured in Playboy just reassures it. Hamilton's one of the baddest dudes on the planet. Which probably explains why he gets to see all of Reece's pieces.
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