In case the latest round of Kardashian news has bypassed your radar – which would be fair, on the assumption you have a life outside the reality stars’ glossy, headline-grabbing lives – Kendall Jenner is dating Australian basketball star Ben Simmons.

This is a problem, apparently, because Kendall Jenner and her sisters cast a dark curse on the basketballers they date, leading them to play badly and their team to lose and yes, of course,it’s definitely the fault of the

witches

women.

In the weeks since news of Jenner and Simmons’ relationship was made public, headlines looked like this:

‘He could have been the next LeBron’: Fans fear NBA star Ben Simmons will be hit with the ‘Kardashian curse’ after he reunites with rumoured flame Kendall Jenner

Fans worry for Ben Simmons over the ‘Kardashian curse’

And social media a little like this:

The Cavaliers haven’t won any games because Tristan cheated on Khloé Kardashian and the Kardashian curse has officially affected his whole team lol

— pitaaa (@MiraPitaaa) June 9, 2018

@BenSimmons25 stay away from Kardashian curse or RIP to your career. ????????

— Danica Genobes 다니가 (@sushixo) June 15, 2018

Well you can take Philadelphia off the list for potential landing spots for Lebron. Ben Simmons is back with Kendall Jenner. I wish him the best, but I give his career 2 more years. The Kardashian curse is real!

— Waxin’s World (@WaxinsWorld) June 15, 2018

The Kardashian curse is REAL. No wonder cavs lost.

— Benton ???? (@saaamrivera) June 9, 2018

That Kardashian curse kicking in ????

— Famouslos32 (@famouslos32) June 1, 2018

The Kardashian curse is real. #NBAFinals pic.twitter.com/gsiTsZbuKk

— Vasu Kulkarni (@Vasu) June 1, 2018

The concept was born when Kylie Jenner raised it in a June 2016 episode ofKeep Up With The Kardashians:

“The Kardashian curse is every male figure that comes and dates a Kardashian. Their life kind of just goes down hill after that,” she joked.

The concept, from there, has taken on a life of its own, particularly regarding the sisters’ penchant for dating athletes. For example, Khloe Kardashian has dated Tristan Thompson and Lamar Odom – one of whom has a history of drugs and another a history of cheating. But, naturally, their poor performance is a result of the relationships they choose. Obviously.

And so, when rumours of a relationship between Simmons and Jenner flared, so too did speculation of the curse re-emerging.

A funny joke, until you consider the insidious insinuation that women have that much hold over their partner’s performance in his job.

Heaven forbid a man be held accountable for his own free throws, eh?