This year has been many things, including the final nail in the coffin of the claim that sports and politics do not mix, and athletes have had an impact like never before on this (ongoing?) US presidential election.

Cheating at golf is not Donald Trump’s only sporting foul

The NBA Players’ Association said that voter registration among players was at 96 per cent, with more than 20 teams at 100 per cent. It was a case of practising what they preached.

Party politics became a part of the NBA agenda when the Milwaukee Bucks led a play-off protest that resulted in promoting voting.

The president was not happy at the time: “Unfortunately, they’ve become like a political organisation, and that’s not a good thing, for sports or the country,” he said of the NBA at the time.

He was backed up by son-in-law Jared Kushner. “NBA players are very fortunate that they have the financial position where they’re able to take a night off from work,” he told CNBC. “With the NBA, there’s a lot of activism and I think that they put a lot of slogans out, but I think that we need to turn that from slogans and signals to actual action that’s going to solve the problem.”

Famous last words. There was actual action and in the eyes of many in US sports a Biden victory represents a problem solved.

US Anthem protests: NFL, BLM and what preceded Kaepernick

While Trump made his case to be the most sporting president, at least in terms of rounds played in office, the sports world has long been a thorn in his side, from his failed baseball career to his failed Tour de Trump cycling tour to his failed attempts to own an NFL team.

In Biden, the US has a president-elect who approaches sport from the perspective of a fan rather than an owner or landlord – Trump turned on the New York Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez on social media after he left his Trump Park Avenue penthouse.

Scranton, Pennsylvania-born Biden’s support is for the Philadelphia teams: the NFL’s Eagles and MLB’s Phillies. He’s been seen at local MLS side the Union, too.

LeBron James’ China comments dragged up in Trump row

Biden even travelled to China in 2011 for Georgetown Hoyas men’s basketball team’s tour and watched on as they brawled with the Bayi Rockets, the PLA team.

No one believed that Trump was a fan of ‘team’ – even if he tried to own more than one. What he did was politicise sport, as James and others can attest. So what happens now?

First of all, the Lakers will go to the White House and James will take “tequila and vino”. Others will follow.

No more will there be the hokey cokey of whether an invite was ever extended as happened with Biden’s beloved Philadelphia Eagles as Super Bowl champions in 2018.

The US Women’s National Team, led by Megan Rapinoe, refused a visit ahead of even being invited, which led to Trump calling out the team. The World Cup winners will be back when they inevitably win their next major tournament.

Rapinoe was one of the first athletes to follow Colin Kaepernick in kneeling during the anthem and was in hot water with the US Soccer Federation as well as Trump. The USSF has softened its stance this year, as other sports have followed the NBA’s lead.

LeBron James and Jeremy Lin whataboutery helps no one’s cause

As for the NBA itself, they can breathe a collective sigh of relief with Biden in charge, probably safe in the knowledge that commissioner Adam Silver’s September statement that the government should decide where they do business is no longer the sword of Damocles when it comes to China.

Things have normalised for the NBA, notably returning to Chinese state television in time for the Lakers to win the Finals. This past week it has taken another step with the NBA exhibiting at the China International Import Expo in Shanghai, where it dominated the sports and outdoor leisure section.

One unknown is the affect that hiring Daryl Morey will have on the Philadelphia 76ers. It was Morey who kicked off the NBA’s troubles with China after tweeting support for Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protesters last October.

He left the Houston Rockets last month, with the Sixers snapping him up. Morey, who has not commented on the China issues, shared scenes of Philadelphia celebrating Biden’s victory.

Whether the vocal criticism of the league and its players will die down, especially on China, it will no longer come from the White House.

Many in the NBA congratulated the incoming president and VP elect Kamala Harris on social media. Bay Area native Harris was congratulated by her Golden State Warriors and while she might not want James or his Lakers to thrive on the court, it is hard to imagine her or Biden telling their players to stop campaigning for social causes.

Support for Black Lives Matter and other social causes has spread across the major US leagues this year.

The NFL is a very different entity than when Kaepernick was excommunicated for kneeling – an act that Trump brought increased scrutiny by calling for owners to fire players who “disrespected the flag”.

Similar to the NBA, a reported 90 per cent of NFL players registered in this election, while half of the teams used their stadiums for election-related events.

NBA-China Hong Kong tweet fallout – will Rockets return?

This year athletes have shown a willingness to use their power to effect change, perhaps the incoming team at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue will help them do so.

Worse ideas have been discussed over “tequila and vino”, but while mixing those drinks might not be ideal, sport and politics will mix better under the new leadership.