It was a bold move to say the least. It could have generated a strong backlash, fractured a community, touched off a nationwide debate and fueled a racial divide. No, I’m not talking about Arizona’s immigration law. I’m talking about one team’s reaction to it.

On Wednesday night, the Phoenix Suns hosted the San Antonio Spurs in Game 2 of the NBA’s Western Conference Semifinals. The Suns (a team I must disclose I have been a fan of for years) chose to sport their “Los Suns” jerseys.

This isn’t the first time the team has worn the jerseys, nor are the Suns the only NBA team to wear uniforms sporting Spanish language. The jerseys are part of a program the NBA implemented last year to generate support among its Latino fans. The New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, and even San Antonio Spurs wear similar jerseys.

The Suns’ timing, however, sends the obvious political message. The Suns wore the jerseys to show support for their Latino fans during the contentious debate over Arizona’s new immigration law. The law, in a nutshell, requires Arizona authorities to seek the immigration status of anyone they suspect is in the country illegally.

A sports franchise just entered the political arena. That’s gutsy.

The Arizona immigration law has just as many supporters in the Grand Canyon State as it does opponents. I am willing to bet a healthy percentage of Suns fans support the law. So, on the night the Phoenix Suns became Los Suns, did we see a half empty arena? Did we see throngs of fans tearing up their tickets? Did we see a mass of people burning Los Suns jerseys?

The answer is no.

In fact, attendance for Game 2 was the same as attendance for Game 1. 18,422 people showed up for both games. Not one lost ticketholder. The fans didn’t care.

This speaks volumes. It proves the point I’m trying to make with this blog post: that people, no matter how divided, can put aside their differences for a common goal. In this case, that goal was defeating the San Antonio Spurs. What a concept!

Emotions are high in Arizona right now. The illegal immigration law has touched off a national firestorm. But, that didn’t matter on Wednesday night. The 18,422 people in attendance weren’t pro-immigration law or anti-immigration law. They weren’t Democrats or Republicans. They weren’t White, Black, Hispanic, Asian or Native American. They were simply basketball fans cheering on their team.

If Suns fans can put aside their differences for a common cause, why can’t our lawmakers in Washington or our politicians in Nevada? Maybe, just maybe, there can be common ground on immigration reform, health care reform, financial reform, national security or economic stimulus.

So, to all my friends in the political arena, I have one message: Put away the politics, and let the Suns shine in.

Categories: Issues