ORLANDO, Fla. — The National Basketball Players Association, an NBA players' union, issued a statement distancing the Orlando Magic's players from a political donation the franchise made to Never Back Down Inc., the super PAC that supports Gov. Ron DeSantis's 2024 presidential campaign.
"A political contribution from the Orlando Magic is alarming given recent comments and policies of its beneficiary," the statement from the NBPA said. "(I)f 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 is currently chaired by Dan DeVos, who is also on the NBA's board of governors. Dan's sister-in-law, Betsy DeVos, was the U.S. Secretary of Education under former President Donald Trump from 2017-2021.
Although the franchise initially refused to comment on the contribution, a spokesperson later claimed the donation was given before DeSantis formally announced his attention to run for president and was given "as a Florida business in support of a Florida governor for the continued prosperity of Central Florida."
The check the Magic sent DeSantis' PAC was dated May 19, five days before DeSantis formally declared his candidacy. However, by that point, there had already been multiple reports that DeSantis would run for president and was preparing to file official paperwork with the FEC.
According to research done by USA Today, Dan DeVos made over $1.2 million in political donations from 2019 to late 2020, primarily to Republican PACs.
