Listen Live
Power 107.5 Featured Video
CLOSE

GlobalGrind got to catch up with a cast member of one of the most interesting reality series ever, Basketball Wives.

Meeka Claxton, wife of NBA champ Speedy Claxton, is officially “the new chick” and has had a little bit of trouble becoming acclimated in her first season.

Here’s what Meeka had to say about being independent, her relationship with Speedy, Royce Reed direct messaging Eric Williams on Twitter and more!

How has growing up in Queens affected your ability to do better?

I think a lot of the way I am now, my hustle, my grind, comes from being a Queens girl. I’m not in the streets trying to rob and steal or nothing like that, but Queens to me … all it is, is about grinding.

I think people always misunderstand that. They think Queens and you say you from a hood in Queens and they think ‘Aw man, they grimy.’

No, it’s not about being grimy, it’s about always wanting more and always wanting better. I think a lot also had to do with my family life. My parents were together, they’re still together, they’re celebrating 39 years tomorrow actually.

They definitely are supportive of each other and taught me at a very early age to want to stand on my own.

Even if I’m bringing in a dollar, the fact is, I’m bringing in a dollar. You want to be with your man, because you want to be with him, not because you need to.

So I think my environment and my parents completely shaped everything that I am right now.

[pagebreak]

You mentioned your parents. We want to know what’s the best part and the most difficult part about being a mother?

My kids are comedians, I have the most amazing kids. They are amazing. Both of them are clowns, they’re so funny and my 2-year-old, I think she picks it up from my 8-year-old.

[pagebreak]

We know Speedy wasn’t too happy about the show. We listened to that TT Torrez interview, what didn’t he like about it. What was it about the show?

Initially he of course had seen, I guess a few episodes like me and didn’t think that it would be positive, and I of course, I”m always thinking positively.

I’m like, you know what, it’s a great opportunity for us to be that.

We’ve been through things and we are so solid right now and I wanted to show that because I felt like the few episodes I did catch, it wasn’t capturing that.

So I was hoping to show that and I think after a couple of days, we thought about and he just woke up and was like, I think you’re right, I think the world is ready to see that, that would be a great look to show our cool ass family and all of that.

[pagebreak]

You mentioned your relationship is really strong and everybody notices a lot of the girls on Basketball Wives are not actually wives. They’re former wives or they’re wives to be. We wanted you to speak on what it is that makes your relationship stay strong and why you’re actually still the wife.

It’s so crazy because I have to say, and this is the honest to God answer, me and my husband … before we were married, he was young.

I was young too, but he was young and an NBA player (laughs) so it was different. I was young so I’m in the city, but he’s young and in the streets!

I had to respect myself, I said I think I get that from my mom. I had my own, so I may not be mega rich but I’m like, ‘I don’t need this’ and I left.

At that point, I think a man can only respect that if he really loves you and I honestly didn’t expect for us to ever be back together. Almost a year later he and I started talking again and being friends.

We had already had my first daughter, so that was what made us see each other as friends and I can tell you, he’s the one who came back and said, ‘I think I needed to see what was out there to appreciate what I had. I was really trippin.’

Somebody has to grow up to realize that. I think that’s all it was … that he grew up.

We’ve been back together six years, five years married. We have good friends that are in relationships and not all of them are married, but their relationship is a priority to them.

I think when you surround yourself with people like that, it’s cool.

[pagebreak]

You know the whole thing with Eric and Jen and Susie and Royce … the whole Twitter situation. If you and Speedy were to ever go through anything again, would you use Twitter as an avenue to set things straight? How do you feel about that?

I have no feelings I guess, because it’s not me. So I really could care less about that.

I know I wouldn’t like it … so if at one point it did falter my judgment, but then again I had to remember, who cares.

It’s not my husband. It’s not my ex that she’s contacting. I guess I wouldn’t go through Twitter to contact anybody’s ex if he and I weren’t initially cool.

But you know, it’s not my business so … I play my role. I don’t even care.

We know you were having a little bit of trouble with how they were portraying you. Do you think that the show gave a false portrayal of you? 

I’m myself 24/7 however, if we’re shooting for three months and you’re only going to see ten hours over the course of this one season broken down, you’re not going to get 100 percent of me at all.

I understand television now so I can’t be mad at it. I’m very secure in myself. I’m just very secure. It’s so funny to me to see this girl on TV. But it is what it is.

I say that everyone has that catiness in them … men included! Men included because these boys are coming at me on Twitter, it’s a lot of boys, it’s hardly girls.

So I think that everyone has that … I call it my 0.001 percent of what you’re seeing of me. I think everyone has that … that trouble, that catiness at some point.

You’re lying if you say that you don’t. I just wish that everyone could see the other 99.99 percent of me, which is the mommy, the wife, the fun.

[pagebreak]

We don’t know if you know, Shaunie O’ Neal told CNN that she thought Basketball Wives could be uplifting and empowering.

Wow.

We love the show, but there is a lot of arguing and fighting … at least that’s the way they portray it, so that’s the way the public sees it. Can you stand behind Shaunie’s statement?

I agree with her that this show has the ability to be uplifting. It’s what people do on the scene. I joke around and say it’s TV, it’s entertainment because of the drama … to excuse it.

Women especially are supposed to stand behind each other and have each others backs.

The girls I know within the league, we’re still cool. We’re still able to call each other and talk about any and everything.

Business opportunities and get each others feedback and support when they do open up businesses.

I’m a big, big supporter as are usually the other girls. I don’t care if you’re selling macrame, I’m gonna buy something to support you because I know you’re trying to build outside of your man.

That’s just the way we are. So, I definitely agree that Basketball Wives could be so uplifting, we just gotta do it.

[pagebreak]

What’s your favorite color? 

My favorite color is purple.

Favorite vacationing spot?

Turks & Caicos. And Belize too, that’s where I’m from.

Favorite TV show, besides your own?

What’s my favorite TV show? Big Brother! Big Brother starts tonight.

Who are you closest to on the show?

Hm, not enough time to get too close to anybody. I think I was more getting to know them so that’s a hard question for me. It’s my first season. I was say though, who would I want to hang out and party with? Susie for sure.

Susie?

Yeah, sounds weird, but yeah I’d love to party with her.

We’ve hung out on a couple of occasions out there in Miami and on and off camera, with just us and honestly her mentality is just like mine outside of her talking and things like that.

Her mentality is let’s just have a great time. Enjoy each other and I love it!

Meeka Claxton: “I Wish Everyone Could See The Other 99.99 Percent Of Me” (EXCLUSIVE)  was originally published on globalgrind.com