From there, Morey made real news by saying that, in addition to “a couple of NBA teams,” he was contacted by an NFL team and a baseball team. Though the baseball topic wasn’t broached any further, Eisen did ask Morey for more information on the NFL conversation. Morey did indicate that the team that contacted him “didn’t offer it, and they just reached out to talk,” but he wasn’t quite ready to make that jump.”
MLB Rumors
Ohm Youngmisuk: LeBron James said winning for the Lakers and a historical franchise means so much to him. “It’s like playing for the Yankees and winning. It’s like playing for the Cowboys and winning the Super Bowl. Like playing for the New England Patriots and winning… the Boston Red Sox.”
USA TODAY Sports reviewed the political contributions of 183 owners from 161 teams across MLB, MLS, the NBA, the NFL, the NHL and the WNBA. The filings show that owners have collectively given at least $14.6 million to federal candidates during the 2019-20 election cycle so far – with nearly 86% of those funds going to Republican candidates and causes. USA TODAY Sports found that owners have directed more than $3.7 million to political action committees directly aligned with President Donald Trump, who has said he does not support the Black Lives Matter movement and does not believe that systemic racism exists. Other Republican candidates have echoed Trump’s positions or declined to contradict them.
In contrast, owners have given a combined $1.35 million to Democratic candidates and causes during this election cycle, including roughly $334,000 to presidential nominee Joe Biden. While more owners have given directly to Biden than to Trump, the donations generally have been in much smaller amounts. Owners have also donated $718,965 to industry- or issue-based PACs, including those operated by the NFL and MLB. “I’m not going to give my energy to that, because it’s not surprising,” Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James said Tuesday, when asked about the partisan trends of owner contributions. “My mom has always told me control what you can control. And I can’t control that. What I can control is what I’m doing on my side.”
Sociologist Harry Edwards said the political donations exemplify the “ideological disconnect” that remains between predominantly white owners and their Black players, despite steps that have been taken in recent months. “These owners standing up and saying ‘Black Lives Matter,’ and even taking a knee, doesn’t mean that they get it,” Edwards said. “What shows what they get is where they put their money.”
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, meanwhile, has intentionally not made any political donations during this election cycle. In response to a series of questions from USA TODAY Sports, he wrote in an email only that “every owner and every player has to make their own choices.” “I can’t speak to anyone else. But for myself I do what I think is right,” Cuban wrote. “There are many things much bigger than basketball.”
Kerr and his Palisades Charter High School team advanced to the city final in 1982, where they ran into Cleveland High School and future MLB Hall of Fame pitcher Bret Saberhagen, who threw the one and only no-hitter in the history of the championship. Nevertheless, Kerr emphasized his passion for the game, and discussed his controversial love for the Los Angeles Dodgers while working within their rival market. “I grew up a Dodger fan, I’m still a Dodger fan, which I hesitate to admit up in the Bay Area,” Kerr continued. “It was especially tough early on, and then it was a little easier after we won a couple championships. It’s like OK, I’ve got a little rope now.”
