Grant Hill And Dwyane Wade As US Senate Candidates: Which State Might Witness This NBA-Politics Crossover?

It's not uncommon for athletes to pursue careers after retiring from sports, including entering the political arena as members of Congress. Several retired NBA players have transitioned to politics, and now one political party is hoping to recruit a former NBA star to boost their odds in contesting a Republican U.S. Senator representing Florida.

What Happened: Former National Basketball Association stars and NBA Hall of Famers Grant Hill and Dwyane Wade are names being discussed as potential candidates for the U.S. Senate for the state of Florida. The report comes after Wade recently shared that he moved his family out of the state of Florida due to political ideology.

A report from NBC News highlights Wade and Hill as names being considered to run as Democrats against Senator Rick Scott (R-FL). While neither Wade nor Hill has made any indication that they plan on running, Democrat donors think the star power associated with the athletes could help them win a Congressional seat.

The report says that both former NBA players have been actively targeted by donors to dive into the world of politics.

“Grant Hill has great name ID. He would raise a boatload of money and is one of the smartest guys you will ever meet,” Orlando-based trial attorney John Morgan said.

Morgan, a Democratic donor, sees Hill fairing well against Scott in a potential head-to-head matchup and said he has spoken directly to Hill about a potential run. The two are business partners.

“Grant Hill would beat the s*** out of Rick Scott.”

Donors are looking for a big candidate that can capture attention with the Republican Party dominating in the state, including Governor Ron DeSantis winning by a double-digit margin in the 2020 election.

“I’m not sure it’s his time, but he would be great. He’s competitive. I think he sees LeBron James as a billionaire and Magic Johnson almost a billionaire, and it gets his competitive juices flowing. I am not sure he is done with business,” Morgan added of Hill.

Wade is seen as a possible senatorial candidate thanks to his recent outspoken comments against the leadership of the state of Florida and their treatment of the LGBTQ+ community. Wade, who has a transgender daughter, said he didn’t feel his family was being accepted in the state of Florida and moved to California.

While Wade has not expressed interest in politics, the recent storyline has made donors seek out the former NBA star.

“Dwyane Wade is a Florida legend, whose leadership past and present has a lot of folks in our state sending feelers out,” Florida Alliance Executive Director Ray Paultre said. “We have seen former athletes in both parties, bring something special to the political landscape.”

Related Link: Grant Hill Has Made More Money After His NBA Career Than He Did While Playing, Here's How 

Why It’s Important: Democrats haven't won a U.S. Senate race in the state of Florida since 2012, and haven't had a governor in office in the state of Florida since 1999.

Retired athletes and business leaders are being eyed to bring star power and help the party gain momentum in the state.

Scott has served in the U.S. Senate, representing Florida, since 2019. Prior to this, Scott was the governor of the state from 2011 to 2019.

Hill spent seven seasons with the Orlando Magic during his NBA career and currently lives in the Orlando area. He's a co-owner of the Atlanta Hawks and currently an NBA and NCAA Basketball commentator for Turner Sports, a unit of Warner Bros. Discovery WBD.

Hill campaigned for Hillary Clinton in Florida in 2016 and has previously criticized former President Donald Trump, according to NBC.

Wade played the majority of his NBA career with the Miami Heat, and even has a county in Florida re-named in honor of him.

Former NBA players Dave Bing, Bill Bradley and Kevin Johnson are among the former athletes who went on to explore political careers. Only time will tell if Wade or Hill join the list. 

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