The Orlando Magic may have a hard time attracting top players right now, but they can certainly attract criticisms unrelated to basketball.
The Florida-based organization recently announced that it donated to aspiring presidential candidate Ron DeSantis who made controversial comments in the past years.
The NBA Players Association said the donation to the Republican and conservative candidate is alarming.
It also called out Magic for representing the whole team, including players and staff, in its donation instead of the DeVos family, who owns the Magic.
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"NBA governors, players, and personnel have the right to express their personal political views, including through donations and statements," the NBPA stated.
"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."
NBA reaction to Magic's link to DeSantis
There is considerable silence among NBA players on the controversial donation.
New Orleans Pelicans forward Larry Nance was one of the few who reacted and pointed out how the beneficiary of the donation endorsed slavery, saying it has positive impacts on Africans.
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
"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," he tweeted.
Stephen A. Smith is also critical of the donation saying black athletes should learn to take a stance before they see another George Floyd in the news.
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