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It is a well-known fact that most, if not all, NBA owners are significantly influential people. With immense reserves of money to back this up, team owners have power to effect real change. However, as per a report by The Ringer in 2020, this may not always be in the most inclusive direction.
The 2019-20 season was a campaign filled with turmoil. In light of the lockdown, the NBA had stopped all basketball activity for a significant period of time. However, the NBA Restart in Orlando was a positive sign for change as it also gave a standalone platform for several political movements.
The 'Black Lives Matter' was one of the most widely spoken about topics in the Orlando bubble. The movement sparked a lot of conversations regarding inclusivity and to this extent teams and players came forward in support of the movement. The league as a whole united against racism.
However, this simply came across as performative inclusivity following a shocking revelation by The Ringer in 2020. As per a report, over 80% of political donation by NBA Owners had been made in support of the Republican party. Meanwhile, roughly 18.4% had been in support of Democratic causes.
The report further referred to a statistic from the Federal Election Commission that roughly $14.9 million had been donated to support Republican causes. Five NBA owners, including the Lakers' Jim Buss and Knicks' James Dolan, were directly donating to Donald Trump's re-election campaign, as per the report.
Meanwhile, Jeanie Buss, along with the Kings' Vivek Ranadive, Celtics' Wyc Grousbeck and Wizards' Ted Leonsis among others, have stuck to supporting Democratic causes.
Regardless of their political stance, the NBA has acted as an independent entity. While also focusing on basketball, there is a clear understanding among teams and players that the platform is one that will continue to promote the right causes.
Although controversy is inevitable, the league attempts to hold those in question accountable for their actions and deals with the situations promptly.
Read: Top 5 most controversial owners in NBA history
Mark Cuban explains the reason behind the NBA Owners' political decisions
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has always been fairly straightforward about his stance on matters. In this context, Cuban also expressed why and how NBA owners make political decisions. He said:
"I talk to owners and players who are 'conservative' when it comes to financial issues but simultaneously very 'liberal' when it comes to social issues."
This simply expresses that owners only decide and donate on the basis of what benefits them. While Cuban himself doesn't partake in such activities, he may have hit on something relevant all the same.
