The NBA and WNBA have been two of the most progressive leagues in the world fighting for social justice and racial equality. Both NBA and WNBA players like LeBron James and Maya Moore have been using their platforms in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and the shooting of Jacob Blake.
The WNBA dedicated their opening weekend to the “Black Lives Matter” and “Say Her Name” campaigns, once again paving the way for the rest of the sports leagues to do the right thing. However, one person wasn’t a fan of the WNBA’s decision and that was Atlanta Dream co-owner, Kelly Loeffler. The Republican Senator from Georgia wrote a letter to WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert asking her not to mix politics with sports.
Needless to say, the Dream players were not happy about their owner’s lack of awareness regarding this issue and began to wear “Vote Warnock” shirts in protest of Loeffler. Today, Raphael Warnock defeated Loeffler in the Georgia Runoff for one of the Senate seats, but before the decision was official, one prominent member of the Los Angeles Lakers had an interesting idea. The four-time NBA champion James tweeted a picture of the Atlanta Dream with their Warnock shirts and suggested he should start an ownership group to give the Dream a new owner.
Think I’m gone put together an ownership group for the The Dream. Whose in? #BlackVotesMatter✊🏾 pic.twitter.com/9wclgdED2w
— LeBron James (@KingJames) January 6, 2021
Like the WNBA, James has been very vocal about social injustice and unlike his predecessors, he has not been afraid to speak up regarding these matters. We all know LeBron is incredibly successful outside the NBA court, so it would make complete sense for him to become an owner of a WNBA franchise. It’s the perfect marriage between a progressive league like the WNBA to team up with one of the more vocal athletes for social justice we have today.
James not only suggested to join the ownership group, but he also framed the tweet as an invitation to others who are interested in coming on board. Notable athletes like Mookie Betts and comedian Kevin Hart were quick to express their interest, so there should be no problem for James to put together a viable offer for the team.
Loeffler has not expressed interest in selling the team, but the King has generated enough interest amongst his very successful peers that they should be able to put together an offer she can’t refuse. On top of that, Loeffler opposes what the WNBA stands for, so why would she stick around?
