Why did the Cavinder twins quit basketball?

By Justin Rubin May 29, 2023 22:03

Photo by Jeremy Hogan / Getty Images

Twins Haley and Hanna Cavinder applied innovative moves on the basketball court. Then they came to Fresno State and became fast fan favorites. However, in a rather unexpected twist of events, the twins revealed that they were stepping away from basketball to pursue their social media careers. This was a shock to plenty, who even took umbrage at the twins quitting their callings as athletes.

Before airing any concerns, however, it's worth emphasizing that the Cavinder twins didn't depart basketball due to an absence of love for the sport. Actually, they both played middle school basketball and dreamed of playing in the WNBA. But as their social media following caught up, they started to see new avenues open outside the hoops. They also saw the opportunity to take their social following and turn it into a viable business of generating income.

The twins have an enormous TikTok following, sharing videos of their basketball games on the court or casual moments around town. The videos were fun, and people loved the twins being their adorable selves. The more they grew their following, the more sponsorship deals and collaboration requests began to come in. They saw the money they could potentially earn through social media and went for it.

They also took into account the hours involved in playing competitive basketball. Basketball in college is literally a full-time job between classes, practices, and games, on top of their travel schedule. They were also building a social media presence. It had started to get overwhelming, and everyone felt overextended. So, essentially, they quit basketball to get high on their own social media identities.

The COVID-19 outbreak was certainly another factor in their determination as well. The 2020-21 basketball season was disrupted by the pandemic and came with fluctuating schedules for the twins. They did not know when games would be called off or when they'd have to go into quarantine. It had been challenging for them to coordinate how to share their social media posts and execute some of the sponsor features. If they quit basketball, they would be able to maintain a better grip on their schedules and have no issue with running into any roadblocks due to social media demands.

Critics have accused the twins of turning their backs on athletics and being poor role models for young athletes. However, the one thing we do know is that there will be grown adults who are entitled to make a choice. Just because they're good at basketball doesn't mean their calling is in that sport. They are entitled to new opportunities and interests.

The twins also noted they're not exactly shutting the door on basketball completely just yet. They are still very passionate about the game, and who knows if they end up in competitive gaming down the line. But they didn't care to keep playing in college, opposite Instagram ambitions.

So, miserable as that could have been, at least it was concluded there as well — in other words, this is a fancy way of saying those Cavinder twins calling quits on Basketball to focus and raise some money from their Social Media Lives. This is not to say that they decided it easily and walked away from their emotions of the sport. Some may not agree with how they chose to leave, and that is okay, but at the end of the day, we must let them do their own thing.