The Strange Relationship Between Kim Kardashian And Tristan Thompson

The Kardashian-Jenner clan is famous for being famous, but they're also quite well-known for mastering the science behind post-breakup diplomacy. Forget keeping friends close and enemies closer — they keep their exes the closest. They must have gotten it from their mama, Kris Jenner, who once said that she remained best friends with her ex-husband, Rob Kardashian, even after they called it quits. Playing nice with exes has been quite the family tradition since, with Kourtney Kardashian's ex, Scott Disick, even becoming a fixture in the incredibly close-knit group.

And then there's Tristan Thompson, who is known as much for his repeated cheating on Khloe Kardashian as he is for his skills on the court. Despite his problematic past, he somehow made it to Kim Kardashian's inner circle, which had many fans scratching their heads. Kim has been repeatedly spotted courtside at basketball games as an honorary Laker Girl, parties with him, and even dedicates prime Instagram real estate to wish him a happy birthday. What gives?

The KarJenners have mostly remained cordial with their former partners for co-parenting's sake, but many have been wondering why Kim would give Thompson, of all people, the time of day, let alone forge a close relationship with him. Per the Skims founder, however, Thompson had supported her when she split from her not-so-friendly ex, Kanye West.

But it's not like Kim Kardashian never condemned Tristan Thompson for his incessant infidelity. In 2018, when the world learned that the NBA star had cheated on Khloe Kardashian when she was pregnant with their daughter True, Kim expressed a desire to cut ties with him completely, especially after discovering that Thompson had blocked her on Instagram, as shown in an episode of "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" that aired in 2018. "He blocked me! What a f**king loser!" she exclaimed. "Oh, it's on... It just means when I see him, I'm going to spit on him."

It's not clear whether any spitting occurred, but what's clear is she changed her tune years later. It's not lost on her that many find their relationship bizarre, of course, but Kim said that Thompson got her back when she was going through a rough patch. "It's so crazy because he's such a good friend and he's such a good dad," she said in a "The Kardashians" episode, explaining that Thompson lent her a helping hand when she was finding her footing as a single parent post-Kanye split. "He started showing up to the games, he picks them up, takes them to dinner, and will always come to my defense, especially if it's stuff with me and my ex, and I never really forgot that," she shared. "I'll never really throw someone away and act like I don't feel like they can't grow and evolve."

Kim Kardashian and Tristan Thompson got close enough that she started referring to him as a member of the family. "I'm so proud to call you my brother!" she wrote in her dedication post for his 30th birthday. "I know we've been through it but we came out stronger and closer and I'm just grateful that Khloe has a bestie in you! You're a great dad, friend and dancer!"

Interestingly, while Kim showered the basketball player with compliments for being a model parent and a great friend, Kai Craig, sister of the mom of Thompson's eldest son, wrote in an Instagram post that he couldn't be more different when parenting Prince. He may be nice to the Kardashian kids, but he's practically an absentee father to his own children. "It's so painful to see how Tristan can find the time to do these nice things for others but can't seem to show up and be a real parent for my nephew Prince," she lamented in a since-deleted Instagram post. "The fact that he can take other children to school and activities in the same city, yet never sees or speaks to his own son, unless it's for a party or planned photo opportunity, is appalling and inexcusable." Kai even had a message for Kim, asking her to hit pause on the Thompson compliment party."That's nice if he's been a good friend to you, but let's consider our sisters before taking to global platforms to defend this man's character," she said.