If you follow NBA Twitter or spend any time in the chaotic world of Sacramento Kings Reddit, you've probably heard the names Anjali Ranadive and Jeremy Lamb tossed around like a hot potato. Usually, it's accompanied by a heavy dose of side-eye or a "wait, they’re still together?"
Honestly, the timeline of their relationship is wilder than a double-overtime game in March. On one side, you have Anjali, the daughter of Kings owner Vivek Ranadive, a woman who has hopped from a pop music career to running a G-League team to wolf conservation. On the other, you have Jeremy Lamb, a guy who went from being a 2011 NCAA champion at UConn and a lottery pick to quietly retiring in 2024.
But their story isn't just about a retired athlete and a billionaire's daughter. It’s actually a pretty messy case study in power dynamics, nepotism accusations, and a franchise that can't seem to stay out of its own way.
Why the Anjali Ranadive and Jeremy Lamb romance actually mattered
Most people think this is just some harmless "wolf-puppy love," as TMZ once called it. But in the context of professional basketball, it was a HR nightmare waiting to happen.
Basically, while Anjali was serving as the General Manager of the Stockton Kings (Sacramento's G-League affiliate), Jeremy Lamb was actually on the roster. Let that sink in for a second. The person in charge of the team's roster, contracts, and daily operations was dating a player she was technically managing.
When they went "Instagram official" in October 2024—sharing a photo of them kissing alongside leashed wolves from Anjali's Jaws and Paws sanctuary—the internet collectively lost its mind. People started connecting dots that weren't even there yet.
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- Did he get his spot on the team because of her?
- Did her resignation in January 2024 have anything to do with their secret relationship?
- How much did this "internal fraternization" affect the locker room?
Look, NBA teams have strict rules about this stuff. When Ime Udoka had an affair with a Celtics staffer, he was suspended for a year. But when you’re the owner’s daughter, the rules seem to get a bit... flexible.
The Stockton Kings mess and the Chance Comanche shadow
You can't talk about Anjali Ranadive and Jeremy Lamb without mentioning the absolute disaster that was the 2023-24 Stockton Kings season. It wasn't just about Lamb.
During Anjali's six-month tenure as GM, a player named Chance Comanche was arrested and later charged with murder. It was a horrific story that shocked the league. According to reports from The New York Times, Anjali had been "romantically involved" with Comanche as well before or during her time with the team.
This is where the expert nuance comes in: while the Lamb relationship became the public face of her personal life, the internal reports suggested a pattern of boundary-crossing that made the organization look incredibly unprofessional. By the time Lamb and Anjali were posting about their "pack" on social media, she had already stepped down to pursue a Ph.D. and focus on her non-profit.
Jeremy Lamb's "shadow influence" in 2025
By early 2025, the rumors got even weirder. There were reports—mostly from outlets like The Athletic and Sports Illustrated—suggesting that Lamb and Anjali were still heavily involved in Vivek's inner circle.
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Speculation ran wild that they were present in Mexico when the decision was made to fire head coach Mike Brown in late 2024. Then came the De’Aaron Fox trade to San Antonio at the 2025 deadline. Many Kings insiders believe that Lamb, despite being retired, had become a "whisperer" to the ownership, influencing massive moves that fundamentally changed the team's trajectory.
Is it true? It’s hard to say for sure without being in the room. But when a retired player who never quite reached superstar status is suddenly courtside at every game next to the owner, people are going to talk.
The "Jaws and Paws" of it all
If you look at Anjali’s social media today, it’s less about basketball and more about wolves. Her non-profit, now often referred to as Women for Wolves, is where she spends most of her energy.
Jeremy Lamb seems to have fully embraced the "wolf dad" lifestyle. It’s a bizarre pivot for a guy who once hit one of the most iconic game-winning half-court shots in NBA history. He’s traded the hardwood for the sanctuary, appearing in content promoting wolf conservation and animal healing.
What you should take away from this
The saga of Anjali Ranadive and Jeremy Lamb is a perfect example of how personal relationships can destabilize professional environments, especially in high-stakes sports. If you're looking for a takeaway, here's the reality:
- Nepotism has consequences: Whether Anjali was qualified for the GM role or not, her personal ties to players created a conflict of interest that eventually led to her resignation.
- Reputation is hard to rebuild: For Lamb, he went from being a respected veteran to being seen as a "power behind the throne" figure in Sacramento. That’s a tough label to shake.
- Privacy is a choice: They chose to go public when they did, likely because they knew the rumors were already out there. Going "official" was an attempt to control a narrative that had already spiraled.
If you’re interested in the business side of the NBA, keep a close eye on how the Kings handle front-office hires moving forward. The "Ranadive era" has been defined by a lack of traditional boundaries, and the Lamb situation is just the latest chapter in that book.
To stay informed on how this impacts the Kings' 2026 season, you might want to look into the team's current front-office structure to see if any new "buffers" have been put in place between ownership and operations. Understanding the history of Vivek’s decision-making is the only way to make sense of where the team is heading next.
Next Steps for You: Check out the latest Sacramento Kings roster moves for the 2026 season to see if the "Lamb influence" is still visible in their draft picks or free-agent signings. You can also follow the Jaws and Paws Foundation's latest rescue updates if you're curious about their life outside the arena.