Controversy Surrounds Orlando Magic’s Donation to Republican Politician

For NBA team owners or players to donate money to political parties or certain causes is not entirely unusual. That a franchise as such does it is something else. And hence, the recent controversy unleashed in the league.

The Orlando Magic have donated $50,000 to Never Back Down, the support association for Republican Party politician Ron Desantis, who seeks to become the presidential candidate for the 2024 elections. The franchise wanted to clarify that this donation was made held on May 19, five days before Desantis made public his intentions to run in the primaries, assuring that it was done to allow him, as governor of Florida (the state in which Orlando is located) to continue to ensure the prosperity of the region. But this explanation has not avoided an important controversy in this regard.

Some players reacted unfriendly to the news, as was the case with Larry Nance Jr., who was quite direct on his Twitter account: “So the Orlando Magic, who have a roster made up mostly of black players? , a black coach and a general manager black, have you decided it’s a good idea to support a man who said that slavery had personal benefits for slaves?” he wrote he. The player refers to recent statements, in which Desantis implied that in Florida schools students would be taught that slaves acquired skills that he could later use to do other things in his life.

“It will probably be taught that some people thrived, for example, from being a blacksmith to doing things later in life,” he said, speaking about slavery and how to bring it into the classroom.

The NBPA enters the matter

Everything has escalated, however, with the entry of the Players Union, which has not given the go-ahead to this operation either. In a statement, the association has ensured that it respects the freedom of each individual to support the causes they consider, but that, when it is done on behalf of an institution such as a team, all parties must be taken into account on behalf of the which is being acted on.