DeSantis seeks to fundraise off Orlando Magic donation controversy and criticism from NBA players’ union

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ campaign is seeking to raise money off criticism by the NBA players’ union of an Orlando Magic donation to a super PAC that supports his presidential bid.

In a text message Friday, the Republican’s presidential campaign said it appeared that the NBA had taken a “break from protesting our anthem and bending the knee to Communist China to chirp about Gov. DeSantis.”

“Under his presidency, America will NEVER bend the knee to China,” it added. The fundraising text included the National Basketball Players’ Association statement Thursday that slammed the team’s financial support for the pro-DeSantis super PAC.

The association called the $50,000 donation from the team to the DeSantis-aligned super PAC Never Back Down “alarming given recent comments and policies of its beneficiary.”

“NBA governors, players and personnel have the right to express their personal political views, including through donations and statements,” the players’ association said in a statement. “However, if contributions are made on behalf of an entire team, using money earned through the labor of its employees, it is incumbent on team governors to consider the diverse values and perspectives of staff and players.”

The association said the team’s donation “does not represent player support for the recipient.”

As CNN previously reported, the team’s contribution has stirred attention and controversy since it was publicly disclosed in federal filings this week.

Orlando Magic is owned by members of the DeVos family, a wealthy Michigan clan active in Republican politics. But a family spokesperson told CNN earlier this week that the team’s donation does not mean the family is endorsing DeSantis’ bid for the 2024 GOP nomination.

“No member of the DeVos family has endorsed or offered financial support to any 2024 Presidential candidate at this point,” Nick Wasmiller, a DeVos family spokesperson, said in an email to CNN. “They are undecided.”

And Orlando Magic spokesperson Joel Glass described the check as supporting DeSantis in his role as governor because it was written on May 19, days before he formally launched his presidential candidacy on May 24. “This gift was given before Governor DeSantis entered the presidential race,” Glass said in a statement. “It was given as a Florida business in support of a Florida governor for the continued prosperity of Central Florida.”

DeSantis’ plans to run for the presidency in 2024, however, had been telegraphed months before he officially entered the race.

It is rare for a professional sports franchise to give directly to a candidate-specific super PAC, experts say – although team owners often contribute to candidates. Unlike presidential candidates, super PACs can accept money directly from corporations but technically are barred from coordinating their spending decisions with the politicians they back.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com