The Orlando Magic franchise finds itself at the center of an offseason controversy after making a donation to a super PAC that is supporting Ron DeSantis' presidential run.
Records from the Federal Elections Commission show that Never Back Down Inc., a super PAC associated with the Florida governor, received a $50,000 donation from the Magic on June 26.
The National Basketball Players Association reacted to the news on Aug. 3, calling the contribution "alarming" because of the "recent comments and policies of its beneficiary."
What have the Magic said about the donation? And why is the NBPA troubled by this decision? Here is what we know about the situation.
Orlando Magic's donation to Ron DeSantis
SFGATE's Alex Shultz asked a team spokesperson if the donation should have been attributed to the DeVos family, which owns the Magic, or the organization. On Aug. 1, the spokesperson responded, "We don't comment publicly on political contributions."
A day later, the franchise issued a clarification, saying that the "gift was given before Governor DeSantis entered the presidential race."
"It was given as a Florida business in support of a Florida governor for the continued prosperity of Central Florida," the statement said (via The New York Times' Sopan Deb).
The spokesperson noted that the donation check was dated May 19, days before DeSantis officially announced that he would run for the Republican nomination. However, there were multiple reports published before the announcement indicating that DeSantis would run for president.
The Magic have made three other donations, according to FEC records:
- $500 to Conservative Results (2016)
- $2,000 to Maverick PAC USA (2014)
- $500 to Linda Chapin for Congress (2000)
NBPA statement on Orlando Magic's donation
Here is the NBPA's full statement:
A political contribution from the Orlando Magic is alarming given recent comments and policies of its beneficiary.
NBA governors, players and personnel have the right to express their personal political views, including through donations and statements. However, if contributions are made on behalf of an entire team, using money earned through the labor of its employees, it is incumbent upon the team governors to consider the diverse values and perspectives of staff and players.
The Magic's donation does not represent player support for the recipient.
While the NBPA didn't offer specifics on how its values differ from those of DeSantis, some players have previously voiced their concerns.
Former Heat star Dwyane Wade moved out of Florida earlier this year because he did not feel his family would be "accepted or feel comfortable there." Wade's daughter, Zaya, came out as transgender in 2020, and DeSantis has "made anti-LGBTQ+ legislation a large part of his agenda."
Udonis Haslem, who recently retired after playing 20 seasons in Miami, ripped DeSantis in the middle of the Heat's run to the 2023 NBA Finals. He told The Boston Globe's Gary Washburn in June that not all citizens of the state are "down with what's going on in Florida," pointing to DeSantis' support of book bans and his push to defund diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
"I happen to live there and I was born there. It's not my fault. So please stop Florida-shaming us people," Haslem said. "We're not happy about what this man [DeSantis] is doing. Diversity and inclusion and taking the [books away]. We're not happy about that. I sit at home on the couch with my wife and raise hell."
More recently, Pelicans forward Larry Nance Jr. shared his thoughts about the Magic's donation on the platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
Nance referenced Florida's curriculum on Black history, which requires public school teachers to instruct middle-school students that enslaved people "developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit."
So the @OrlandoMagic who have a majority black roster, a black head coach, and a black GM decided it was a good idea to support a man that claims that slavery had personal benefits for the enslaved? https://t.co/LI3FAXbMxb
— Larry Nance (@Larrydn22) August 2, 2023
NBA, DeVos family reaction to Orlando Magic's donation
An NBA spokesperson said in a statement that team owners are free to "make their own decisions on the political contributions they make and we respect the right of members of the NBA family to express their political views."
In a statement to ABC News, a spokesperson for the DeVos family said that no member of the family has "endorsed or offered financial support to any 2024 Presidential candidate at this point."
An aide to Betsy DeVos, who served as the secretary of education under former President Donald Trump, released a separate statement to ABC News.
"The team made a corporate donation as a Florida business to the Florida governor," the statement said. "You should not read anything into [the donation] vis a vis the presidential race or the DeVos family."
