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[Saba Sports News] The Dallas Mavericks underwent a mid-season ownership change when Mark Cuban sold a majority stake for $3.5 billion to Miriam Adelson and the Las Vegas Sands. However, Adelson was not named the team’s Governor; the role went to her son-in-law Patrick Dumont. Analyst Pablo Torre revealed that the NBA allegedly blocked Adelson from the position due to her political history.
“Her political reputation was so radioactive that the NBA and Commissioner Adam Silver would not let her be the Governor of the team. Instead, her son-in-law, Patrick Dumont, an executive at her casino company, was appointed,” Torre stated. He suggested that the NBA’s left-leaning ideology led to blocking Adelson, a major contributor to former President Donald Trump’s 2020 campaign, from the governor role.
“The reason the left-leaning NBA insisted on this is clear: nobody donated more money to Donald Trump in 2020 than Miriam Adelson. Few in right-wing politics are as powerful as she is,” Torre added.
Interestingly, Kyrie Irving, known for his contrasting political views, has remained silent on the matter. “Adelson is one of the most pro-Israel activists alive, yet everyone in sports, including Irving, is ignoring her,” Torre noted.
Despite Adelson’s known political stance, the NBA’s Board of Governors approved the sale, making the allegations of a conspiracy seem unlikely. Adelson still holds significant influence as the owner, regardless of not being the public-facing governor.
If true, blocking Adelson from being governor appears to be performative activism by the NBA. Patrick Dumont likely assumed the role due to Adelson’s age, as she is turning 79 this year. Both Dumont and Adelson have retained Cuban to manage basketball operations.
Adelson and Dumont inherited a winning project, having acquired the team after their failure to make the 2023 Playoffs and amidst an unexpected Finals run. They have emphasized continuity by extending the contracts of head coach Jason Kidd and GM Nico Harrison.
Miriam Adelson is now the third-richest owner in the NBA, behind Steve Ballmer (Los Angeles Clippers) and Ann Walton (Denver Nuggets).