On Tuesday, it was announced that the NBA would hold a developmental camp, from April 23-36, for Cuban basketball players. And as fortune would have it, while all of the other 29 teams in the league do not have to give it a second thought, the Miami Heat are caught right in the middle of controversy.
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Per President Obama’s new Cuba policy (for which he announced in December that he was working towards improving diplomatic relations between the countries), the camp would be a show of support for this new initiative. Former commissioner David Stern was a major financial contributor for Obama and newly appointed commissioner Adam Silver too has donated to the party. This is said to only be the start of the league’s affiliation with Cuba.
Because of the enormous Cuban population in Miami, much of which wish to stay as far away as possible from the politics of their homeland, this announcement came as a huge shock to the Heat organization.
"A Miami executive told the Miami Herald: “The NBA never consulted with us. This was undertaken unilaterally. The minute we found out we registered our vehement objection to the league office. Neither the Heat nor any personnel will be participating.”"
It seems strange that the NBA failed to make this matter more widely known, especially to the one team that will be affected by the Cuban connection. After the season Miami has had, more surprises are the last thing they need.
As though one complication was not enough, there is another catch. Mickey Arison, the team’s owner, also owns Carnival Cruise Lines. And while this new relationship could be great for the corporation, there is also the possibility of many people turning against him, and ultimately the Heat, for agreeing to make profit off of Fidel Castro.
While I have no doubts that both Arison, as well as president Pat Riley, will figure out the best way to deal with the situation, it is unfortunate that such news has made its way over at this time. With Miami still fighting for a spot in the playoffs, and health concerns still making their rounds through the team, nothing else should matter right now. But alas, this is the season of uncertainty after all.