DALLAS (NewsNation) — As basketball fans are gearing up for Game 3 of the NBA Finals in Dallas, where the Boston Celtics will take a 2-0 best-of-seven-series lead into Wednesday night’s game against the Dallas Mavericks, a spotlight is being shone on the Mavericks’ new owner.
The NBA reportedly blocked GOP megadonor Miriam Adelson from being named the Mavericks’ primary governor after she bought a majority stake in the team last year due to her political views.
According to a recent report from podcaster Pablo Torre, formerly of ESPN, the NBA has kept Adelson from having a more visible role with the team because of her support for former President Donald Trump.
In 2020, nobody donated more to Trump’s reelection campaign than Adelson. Torre reports that’s one of the reasons the league wouldn’t let her have the official title of governor as head of the Mavericks franchise. That role went to her son-in-law, Patrick Dumont.
However, both the NBA and the Adelson family told NewsNation that Torre’s characterization is incorrect.
Who are the Adelsons?
Miriam Adelson and her late husband Sheldon Adelson built an international casino empire that began in Las Vegas and donated hundreds of millions to republican causes. Mark Cuban sold the Mavericks to the Adelson family last year.
According to New York Magazine, the reason Adelson wanted to buy the Mavericks was so she could have a better means of trying to bring gambling and casinos to the state of Texas.
In 2018, Trump awarded Adelson, a doctor specializing in drug addiction treatment, the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her philanthropy work.
But even before that, the Adelson’s sat on stage with the former president’s family during his 2017 inauguration.
Miriam Adelson at odds with Kyrie Irving?
Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving was suspended by the NBA for sharing antisemitic content while playing for the Brooklyn Nets in 2022.
He was reinstated after apologizing and completing five other “action items” including going through sensitivity and antisemitism training. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver recently said that Irving is “very remorseful” for what happened.
Adelson, a native of Israel and an ardent supporter of Israeli security, has become increasingly outspoken in recent months following the Oct. 7 attacks.
Irving, who is known for his support of Palestinian causes, has reportedly focused more on basketball and less on events happening off the court.