A surprising courtside pairing turned heads at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Wednesday night, as WWE Superstar Charlotte Flair was seen attending Game 5 of the NBA playoff series between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Minnesota Timberwolves alongside MLB legend Alex Rodriguez. The sighting was first reported on X by sports journalist Arash Markazi, who also noted that former WWE executive Shane McMahon was present at the same high-profile game.
Alex Rodriguez is at tonight’s Lakers-Wolves game with Charlotte Flair. Oh, and Shane McMahon is here as well. pic.twitter.com/sNZzmAUnnq
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) May 1, 2025
Subsequent reports and photos confirmed Flair and Rodriguez were seated together courtside and were seen chatting before the game commenced. The appearance of the multi-time WWE Women’s Champion alongside the iconic baseball player and broadcaster immediately sparked conversation online, bringing together two major figures from distinctly different corners of the sports and entertainment worlds.
Adding context to Rodriguez’s presence, he is a new majority co-owner of the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves, having recently finalized the purchase alongside business partner Marc Lore after a lengthy dispute with previous owner Glen Taylor earlier in April 2025. A-Rod was watching his team secure a crucial 84-82 victory over the Lakers, forcing a Game 6 in the playoff series.
Charlotte Flair, a top star on WWE’s SmackDown brand and daughter of Hall of Famer Ric Flair, recently returned to action following an injury absence and competed at WrestleMania 41 earlier this month against Tiffany Stratton. The separate attendance of Shane McMahon, son of former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, added another prominent wrestling-connected name seen taking in the NBA playoff action in Los Angeles. While the joint appearance of Flair and Rodriguez certainly generated buzz, no information has been reported regarding the specific reason for them attending the game together beyond spectating the event.
