DeSantis slams NBA players union over Orlando Magic criticism

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is pushing back against the National Basketball Players Association’s (NBPA) recent criticism of the Orlando Magic’s donation to a pro-DeSantis super PAC.

“It appears the NBA took a break from protesting our anthem and bending the knee to Communist China to chirp about my policies,” DeSantis wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Orlando Magic Ltd. made a $50,000 donation to pro-DeSantis super PAC Never Back Down in late June, according to a Federal Election Commission (FEC) filing.

The NBPA released a statement Thursday calling the donation “alarming.”

“A political contribution from the Orlando Magic is alarming given recent comments and policies of its beneficiary,” the statement said.

The donation was first noted by an SFGate journalist.

A spokesperson for the Orlando Magic told The Hill earlier this week the contribution was dated and delivered May 19, days before DeSantis officially launched his presidential campaign.

“To clarify, this gift was given before Governor DeSantis entered the presidential race. It was given as a Florida business in support of a Florida governor for the continued prosperity of Central Florida,” Joe Glass, chief communications officer for the Orlando Magic, said.

At the time of the donation, DeSantis was widely expected to run for president, and Never Back Down has been reserving television time in early primary states since at least April.

The Orlando Magic is owned by RDV Sports Inc., controlled by the late billionaire and GOP donor Richard DeVos. The family also has ties to Trump, who selected Betsy DeVos as his education secretary.

In a statement shared with The Hill, a spokesperson for the DeVos family said none of the family members has offered financial support to a 2024 presidential candidate yet.

DeSantis’s presidential campaign came under fire in recent weeks when it laid off 38 staffers in an effort to revamp amid low polling numbers.

His team also fired a staffer last week who reportedly made a pro-DeSantis video featuring the Republican candidate at the center of a sonnenrad, an ancient European symbol used by the Nazis in their imagery and propaganda.

DeSantis continues to trail behind former President Trump, with a Morning Consult poll this week showing he has support from 15 percent of Republican primary votes compared to Trump’s 58 percent.

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