It’s wedding season for NBA players Joel Embiid and Trae Young

NBA MVP Joel Embiid wed Sports Illustrated model Anne de Paula, while Trae Young married his college sweetheart in glamorous weekend weddings.

The 2023 wedding season continues with assists from NBA stars Joel Embiid and Trae Young. 

Over the weekend, the Philadelphia 76ers’ Embiid married his longtime girlfriend, Sports Illustrated model Anne de Paula, in the Long Island, N.Y., enclave of the Hamptons. According to People, the couple, who share a 2-year-old son, exchanged vows in a church ceremony followed by a reception on Cryder Beach.  

The NBA MVP donned an ivory tuxedo jacket with black pants and a bowtie for the big day. Bride de Paula wore a long-sleeved lace gown and veil to the ceremony before changing into a sultry strapless white dress for the reception. 

In a 2021 profile on ESPN, the pair revealed they met through a mutual friend. While there were no initial fireworks, their commonalities drew them closer, especially the fact that each emigrated to the United States at a young age to pursue their dreams. (Embiid is originally from Cameroon, while de Paula hails from Brazil.)

“We FaceTimed every day for a while,” de Paula told ESPN. “He just has this personality where he wants to motivate you. His friends, his family, and now with [their son] — he pushes all of us to be the best of ourselves.”

She added, “That’s the type of person you want to have around.”

According to People, Embiid wasn’t the only baller to put a ring on it in recent days. Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young also held his nuptials over the weekend in the Bahamas, marrying college sweetheart Shelby Miller at the Ocean Club on Parade Island. 

Young’s destination wedding was awash in white florals and featured Quavo and Jacquees as performing acts. Matching in white, the longtime couple walked down the aisle hand-in-hand with their 1-year-old son, Tydus Reign. 

“What a surreal day, with an unbelievable bride,” Young captioned an Instagram carousel of wedding photos.  

The Young family is expected to expand following their wedding. Ahead of their nuptials, Young announced they were expecting for the second time; Miller’s burgeoning baby bump was visible in her wedding gown. This time, they are expecting a daughter. 

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