Earlier this week, the New York Times' Sopan Deb reported — ahem, "reported" — on some NBA team owners who have donated money to Republican candidates and causes, despite the fact that their players might not support those candidates and causes. How rude of those team owners, not consulting their players before deciding what to do with their own money!
One of the examples Deb cited was a recent donation to a pro-DeSantis super PAC from the Orlando Magic.
The Orlando Magic wrote a $50,000 check to a super PAC supporting Ron DeSantis. It's a reminder that for all of the NBA’s professions of support for progressive causes, some billionaire team owners have deployed their own power to fight those very causes. https://t.co/SZRhuaplzz
— The New York Times (@nytimes) August 3, 2023
Well, you guys, the National Basketball Players Association has something to say about that, and what they have to say is that they're not happy. Not one little bit:
A statement from the NBPA on the Orlando Magic’s recent political donations.
— NBPA (@TheNBPA) August 3, 2023
Official statement: https://t.co/6fmRZCxVzG pic.twitter.com/JQEk0V4Ztl
Lots to unpack there. First of all, the use of "alarming" to describe a donation to a pro-DeSantis super PAC seems a bit — shall we say? — melodramatic. And there's the bit about everyone affiliated with an NBA team having a right to express their opinions and make donations, when clearly the Players Association doesn't actually believe that. Finally, there's the part of the statement that says "it is incumbent upon the team governors to consider the diverse values and perspectives of staff and players." Except what the players are communicating through their statement is that they don't have diverse values and perspectives among them, only between them and their owners. And they seem to be under the mistaken impression that their values and perspectives trump those of the owners.
What this basically boils down to is that the players are pissy that they weren't consulted first so they could stage a pre-emptive protest or tantrum.
Anyway, the man at the center of this controversy that should be a nothingburger, got wind of the statement and has some thoughts of his own to share:
It appears the NBA took a break from protesting our anthem and bending the knee to Communist China to chirp about my policies. https://t.co/j8uH4AmAx7
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) August 4, 2023
Ouch.
Yeah, you've gotta laugh — or at least roll your eyes — at the notion of NBA players getting bees in their bonnets over a donation in support of Ron DeSantis when these are the same people who refuse to tell China to go to hell for cracking down on free speech in Hong Kong and threatening to come down on Hong Kong and Taiwan and, oh yeah, still engaged in a genocidal campaign against Uyghur Muslims. Last time we checked, Ron DeSantis wasn't doing any of those things. But then, he also wasn't throwing money and shoes at the NBA and feeding players' massive egos either, so.
aww, they're upset that they didn't donate to their Comrades.
— Pete the Cat (@PeteCatMN) August 4, 2023
— YeOldeHippie 🇺🇸🇺🇦🇩🇪 (@MausMasher) August 4, 2023
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