Professional athletes are prideful in their causes, often using their platforms to uplift their beliefs socially, and mainly, politically. Among these athletes are NBA players, who fight to support and raise awareness about their political causes in numerous ways in today’s NBA.
With players in the NBA being more vocal than ever before, these players can use their resources to promote political candidates, parties and beliefs. Though the league is considered to be widely Democratic, a number of notable players have publically stepped forward as supporters of the Republican party.
Here are three notable Republican NBA players.
3 notable Republican NBA players1. Spencer Hawes
One of the proudest Republicans in the modern NBA, Spencer Hawes was very vocal about his support of the Republican Party throughout his NBA career.
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In an interview back in 2016, Spencer Hawes stated,
“I wouldn’t say I’m the only conservative. I’m the only vocal one. There are others but they’re afraid to step forward.”
Spencer Hawes played 10 years in the NBA, averaging 8.7 points, 1.9 assists and 5.7 rebounds. In his 10-year career, Hawes played for the Sacramento Kings, Philadelphia 76ers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Clippers, Charlotte Hornets and Milwaukee Bucks.
2. Royce White
Arguably the most prominent NBA player-turned-political figure in recent NBA history, Royce White played professional basketball from 2012 to 2018. He played for four different teams in the NBA, NBA G League and NBL.
White announced his candidacy as a Republican for the United States House of Representatives back in 2022. This year, he earned the Republican nomination in the 2024 United States Senate election in Minnesota.
White was selected by the Houston Rockets with the No.16 pick in the 2012 NBA draft, ahead of players like Draymond Green, Khris Middleton, Evan Fournier and Will Barton.
He played for the Rio Grande Vipers, the Rockets’ G League affiliate, the Sacramento Kings, the Reno Bighorns, now the Stockton Kings, and the London Lightning of the NBL in Canada.
In the NBL, won two championships in 2017 and 2018, league MVP in 2017, and was the league’s leading scorer in 2018.
3. Enes Freedom
One of the most politically involved NBA players in history, Enes Freedom, formerly Enes Kanter, has been very public about his conservative views.
Since being out of the NBA, Freedom has spoken out against trans athletes’ integration into sports, as well as the NBA’s investment in China to expand basketball popularity.
Along with his Republican views, Freedom was also a guest on a podcast hosted by Tucker Carlson, a prominent figure in the Republican party.
In 11 NBA seasons, Freedom played for six teams, averaging 11.2 points, and 7.8 rebounds for his career.
