Rachel Nichols argued that NBA players’ work “on the court” contributed to money that the Orlando Magic used to make its $50,000 donation to a super PAC backing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in May.
The Showtime host, in an interview with CNN’s Jim Acosta on Friday, explained that the contribution to DeSantis is “very difficult to stomach” just days after the National Basketball Players Association union called the donation to Never Back Down Inc. “alarming” due to the Florida governor’s comments and policies.
“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,” Nichols said.
“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.”
An Orlando Magic spokesperson told HuffPost that the donation was made on May 19, days before DeSantis announced his presidential campaign, and it was made as a Florida business supporting him “for the continued prosperity” of the region.
Nichols noted that individual members of the NBA community have backed politicians but she hadn’t seen a franchise donating directly to a super PAC in her 25-plus years covering the league.
She went on to pick apart the Magic’s statement on the donation, declaring that “everyone’s mother’s pets” knew of DeSantis’ presidential run at the time.
DeSantis, in comments on X (Twitter’s rebrand), responded to the NBA players union statement and took broader aim at the league on Friday.
“It appears the NBA took a break from protesting our anthem and bending the knee to Communist China to chirp about my policies,” wrote DeSantis in a nod to social justice protests and LeBron James’ remarks on a Houston Rockets executive’s support of anti-government protesters in Hong Kong.
Nichols said the feeling around the league is that players have “said their piece” and expressed their disappointment over the donation.
“He’s actually using parts of the [players union] 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.”