Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts pledged to join L.A. Lakers star LeBron James in potentially assembling an ownership group that would look to purchase the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream.
James proposed the idea following the Lakers’ win over the Memphis Grizzlies to complete a 4-0 road trip. That came on the same night Dream co-owner Kelly Loeffler lost her U.S. Senate runoff race in Georgia to Democratic candidate Raphael Warnock, who had strong support from the Dream and other WNBA players.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp appointed Loeffler to a U.S. Senate seat in January of last year as a replacement to Johnny Isakson, who stepped aside for health reasons.
Loeffler co-owns the Dream with Mary Brock, and there has not been any indication she would sell the team. Loeffler became part owner of the franchise in 2011, though she isn’t involved in daily operations and stepped down from her seat on the WNBA board of governors in October 2019.
COUNT ME IN!!!!! https://t.co/GYZVFhyJt8
— Mookie Betts (@mookiebetts) January 6, 2021
Loeffler has faced criticism since writing a letter to WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert in July in which she criticized the league’s support of the Black Lives Matter movement. That fractured Loeffler’s relationship with Dream players, who began to strongly support Warnock.
The summer months saw civil unrest throughout the United States, and the Dodgers found themselves involved in a historic day. They, along with the San Francisco Giants, boycotted an August game at Oracle Park.
It followed in the footsteps of the Milwaukee Bucks boycotting a matchup against the Orlando Magic in Game 5 of their playoff series. The Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets followed suit, and they were joined by the Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers.
Within MLB, the Milwaukee Brewers were first to act, and the Cincinnati Reds agreed to sit out and thus avoid a forfeit situation. Shortly after, the Seattle Mariners and San Diego Padres decided to not play their game.
Betts provides for those in need
To help erase what has been a challenging year, Betts surprised children and families in Nashville, Tenn., with Christmas gifts, including the coveted PlayStation 5.
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