Athletes We Would Love To See Trapped In An Elevator With Politicians

When you woke up this morning, I promise you did not expect to hear the names “Ben Carson” and “Alonzo Mourning” in the same sentence.

United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson was stuck in an elevator this morning. He was in Miami visiting Courtside Family Apartments, which was developed by former NBA star Alonzo Mourning.

If Mourning were not running late, he would have been stuck in that same elevator with Carson, a very conservative politician.

A few years ago, Mourning said that he and former POTUS Barack Obama are very good friends (via Politico):

"“You get caught up in the fact that he’s so personable you do forget that he is the most powerful man in the world,” Mourning said in an interview. “That’s what he wants when he’s around his friends. He doesn’t want to be strictly political every time that he’s around us. I think he just wants to relax and exhale.”"

Mourning reportedly attended a $30,000-per-plate fundraiser for Obama and the Democratic National Convention in 2012. He also donated over $2,300 to the Obama campaign in 2008.

That interaction could have been a bit awkward, especially considering some of the more troubling things Carson has said about Obama in the past.

Inspired by that bizarre episode, here are some other athlete and politician pairings we would love to see happen in an elevator.

Tom Brady and Donald Trump

One of the hot-button issues surrounding the New England Patriots is whether Tom Brady, like coach Bill Belichick and team owner Robert Kraft, supports Trump.

He has dodged the question repeatedly and he has made it unclear if he voted for someone who he calls a friend.

Nothing would create eye-catching headlines across countless publications around the world quite like if Brady and Trump were trapped in an elevator together.

Megan Rapinoe and Mike Pence

The United State’s Women’s National Team soccer star said that she didn’t stand for the national anthem because as a gay American, she knows what it’s like to look at the flag and not have her liberties protected.

United States Vice President Mike Pence, however, has said that gay marriage signals a “societal collapse” and opposed the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in the military.

In 2000, when he ran for Congress, he made it clear that he also opposed gay marriage. It would be fascinating to see what that conversation would be like.

Spencer Hawes and Barack Obama

Hawes has referred to himself as “the only vocal” conservative in the NBA. He has worn a “Make America Great Again” hat on his Instagram. He has also worn a “Hillary For Prison” shirt in his Twitter avatar.

The Bucks big man has used Obama-themed toilet paper in his home, which wouldn’t exactly make the 44th President feel comfortable if the two of them were stuck in such close proximity.

Curt Schilling and Elizabeth Warren

The former Red Sox pitcher has referred to Massachusets Senator Elizabeth Warren as “Lie-a-watha” — which makes fun of her Native background. He has also said she represents everything people hate about politics (via FOX):

"“When you look at the coast of Boston and the fishing industry and you look at the towns and the cities, this is a blue collar state. There is no way that the fishermen on Cape Cod are Elizabeth Warren fans.”"

Schilling plans to run against Warren for senate in the 2018 election. If they randomly ended up trapped in the same elevator, expect chaos.

Dennis Rodman and Bernie Sanders

If you’ve seen the VICE documentary where Rodman goes to North Korea, you know how fascinating his political background feels.

Rodman has been noteworthy in many walks of life, especially during his NBA playing career. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who is about as liberal as they come, has a noted affinity for basketball and was spotted at a Golden State Warriors game last season.

If nothing else, they could talk about whether or not Rodman could defend Sanders from mid-range — where Sanders was reportedly lethal (via The Guardian).

But knowing the two of them and how candid they can be, I’d expect their conversation would be more interesting than that.