NBA: ‘Los Suns’ Statement Changes Focus

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On an off day in Portland, Robert Sarver went to work with his basketball team. He put on a Suns’ T-shirt and black silk shorts. And as players mingled with the media on the main floor of the Rose Garden, Sarver began sprinting up the steps of the arena, one section at a time.

Some reporters were stunned. Was he that desperate for a workout? Or was he that desperate for attention?

Like it or not, the Suns owner has caused a huge stir this time around. His team will wear orange “Los Suns” jerseys Wednesday night in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Spurs, a maneuver designed to celebrate the NBA’s diversity and illustrate his displeasure with Arizona’s new immigration law.

“It’s two-fold,” Suns General Manager Steve Kerr said. “One, it is Cinco de Mayo. And, two, it is a political statement. We felt the law, however well intended, was not right.”

Sarver is a banker by trade, and his stance is as much about money as it is about civil rights. As a businessman, he does not want to see economic boycotts, cancelled conventions and big events removed from our region. That lowers the tide for everyone in Arizona, at a time when his basketball team is struggling to sell tickets for playoff games.

It’s also brilliant public relations. The move comes during peak visibility of the NBA season. The Suns and Spurs have all the ingredients – a history, a rivalry and a stunning contrast of styles – to guarantee great television ratings. This decision will help soften the national image of Arizona, countering all the body shots we’ve received from pundits, politicians and late-night comics.

It also will mute the scene expected outside US Airways Center before Game 2.

“We hear there will be some protesters outside the building,” Kerr said. “From what I gather, there will be a march from a local church to the arena. So there was going to be some hoopla anyway.”

Kerr said the idea occurred to Sarver during a recent road trip to Portland. The Suns quickly received an endorsement from the league, which doesn’t like anything interfering with potential customers and revenue streams.

Before the 2008 Beijing Olympics, LeBron James and other NBA players said they were going to speak out against the atrocities in Darfur, and bring attention to China’s history in human rights. The league effectively stifled that banter, reminding the players that they all had huge economic stakes in China, a market the NBA and Nike both consider an untapped gold mine.

Yet even with the NBA’s blessing, say this for Sarver: He had the good sense to ask his team for permission, and not jam it down its throat.

“They were all for it,” Kerr said. “We said, ‘Look, if this is going to be a distraction, you guys tell us and we won’t do it.’ For them, it means they answer some questions (Tuesday) and they wear orange jerseys (Wednesday night).”

To the contrary, the Suns seemed stoked to make such a bold statement. Amar’e Stoudemire said it was great to “let the Latin community know we’re behind them 100 percent.”

Then again, though most professional athletes prefer the politics of richness, the Suns are a bit different this way. Especially their point guard, who tends to care deeply about things such as global warming, human rights and gun control.

“I think it’s fantastic,” Steve Nash said. “I think the law is very misguided, and unfortunately, to the detriment of our society and our civil liberties. And I think it’s really important for us to stand up for things we believe in . . .

“It doesn’t feel good to have people around the world and around the country look at our state as less than equal, less than fair. So as a proud (resident) of this state, I want us to be held in the highest esteem. I think we have a lot of great attributes and a lot of great people, and I think we need to be very cautious in how we respect our civil liberties, and the tone we’re setting, and the precedent we’re setting going forward.”

The statement doesn’t come without risk. In his statement, Sarver called the immigration law “flawed,” and that won’t endear him to people who support the measure. And if the Suns stink up the place in Game 2, losing home-court advantage in the process, the entire organization will be criticized for distracting the great focus the team displayed in Game 1.

“Look, it’s a major issue here in Arizona,” Kerr said. “It’s much bigger than a basketball game. It doesn’t mean we’re crafting a new immigration bill. We’re not claiming to be politicians and we don’t have the answer. But there were Latino people who feel offended. A lot of people feel offended. I felt offended. I don’t think we should live in a country where you have to show papers wherever you are.”

Say this for the Suns owner: It’s a bold move. And much trickier than any of those steps he scaled in Portland.