As results from Tuesday's Georgia Senate runoff election between Rev. Raphael Warnock and incumbent Kelly Loeffler continued to get tallied, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James mounted a pitch to assume ownership control of Loeffler's WNBA franchise, the Atlanta Dream.
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
At the time of James' tweet, Warnock led Loeffler 50.4% to 49.6%, with an estimated 97% of the votes counted.
Loeffler assumed majority co-ownership of the Dream along with Mary Brock in 2011. She was appointed to the U.S. Senate in December 2019 after Johnny Isakson resigned due to health issues.
The Dream players have opposed their organization's socially conservative co-owner for most of the past year, actively supporting Warnock's campaign in the lead up to Tuesday's election.
Today is the day, Georgia. Polls are open! Let's vote @ReverendWarnock and @ossoff into the U.S. Senate.
— Elizabeth Williams (@E_Williams_1) January 5, 2021
Double check your Election Day polling place at https://t.co/hMdtHd3KOs or call the Voter Protection Hotline at 888-730-5816 with any questions! pic.twitter.com/riGTMTJaxK
At the height of the players' public opposition toward Loeffler ahead of the 2020 season, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said the league didn't intend to force the Republican to sell her stake in the Dream.
"We're not going to force her to sell her ownership," Engelbert told CNN in July, according to the Associated Press. "She is not a current governor, she is not involved in the day-to-day (operations), and we are aware there are interested parties who want to purchase the team."
