The Orlando Magic’s decision to donate money to a Ron DeSantis super PAC was "difficult to stomach" for a CNN sports anchor on Friday.
Rachel Nichols, who previously anchored with ESPN, spoke about the recent news that Orlando Magic LTD donated $50,000 to Never Back Down Inc., which describes itself as a "grassroots movement to elect Governor Ron DeSantis for President in 2024."
From her 25 years of NBA experience, Nichols claimed to "CNN Tonight" host Jim Acosta that she had "never seen" a political donation like this that "was made on behalf of the team."
"And you have players and coaches and executives who have come out publicly with very different beliefs and opinions than DeSantis’s, and now their names are being used in association with this donation," Nichols said.
She continued, "And more importantly, as the Players Association statement pointed out, it’s their labor. Money for NBA teams, the Orlando Magic’s money that they donated to Ron DeSantis, doesn’t come from a magic tree elf. It came from the work of those players on the court. And the fact that their work has been turned into a contribution for someone running for president who has come out with statements that they think directly oppose who they are as people, that is very difficult to stomach."
Acosta agreed with Nichols’ perspective adding, "And I have to think, it’s not just the players, but the fans who get upset about this. I’m a little surprised that the league allows this sort of thing. Like you said, it doesn’t happen. So, I suppose this is maybe a bit of a test case."
"What does this do to the players? Does it put them in a position where they’re kind of in between a rock and a hard place? They can speak out through the players’ union, but not a whole lot they can do individually or publicly?" Acosta asked.
"I think the feeling throughout the league is they’ve said their peace, they’ve expressed their disappointment," Nichols responded.
The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) released a statement Thursday regarding the donation, calling the contribution "alarming."
"A political contribution from the Orlando Magic is alarming given recent comments and policies of its beneficiary," the NBPA statement read. "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.
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It concluded, "The Magic’s donation does not represent player support for the recipient."
DeSantis later responded to the statement on Twitter.
"It appears the NBA took a break from protesting our anthem and bending the knee to Communist China to chirp about my policies," DeSantis quipped on Friday.
Nichols then predicted in the future, the NBA would not "take the bait" regarding DeSantis’ campaign.
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"And now that Ron DeSantis has flipped this around, and he is publicly criticizing the NBA and the players' association for this statement, he’s actually using parts of the statement in fundraising text, I would not expect the NBA as a league or the players themselves to take the bait here," Nichols said. "They know exactly what this game is, and they’re not going to give him any more oxygen on this, is my prediction."
