Suns Managing Partner Robert Sarver made a bold statement Tuesday denouncing the controversial new immigration bill that recently was signed into law.
In announcing that the Suns would wear their "Los Suns" jerseys in recognition of playing Game 2 against San Antonio on Cinco de Mayo on Wednesday, Sarver also addressed the immigration bill that has been a divisive national topic since Gov. Jan Brewer enacted it into law April 23.
"The frustration with the federal government's failure to deal with the issue of illegal immigration resulted in passage of a flawed state law," Sarver said in a statement released by the Suns on Tuesday morning. "However intended, the result of passing this law is that our basic principles of equal rights and protection under the law are being called into question, and Arizona's already struggling economy will suffer even further setbacks at a time when the state can ill-afford them."
The bill, SB 1070, makes it a crime for a person to not have immigration documents and empowers law enforcement agencies to question the status of people based on "reasonable suspicion."
After the Suns won their first-round series in Portland on Thursday, Sarver made the decision that he wanted the Suns to wear the orange "Los Suns" jerseys, which Phoenix wore in two March home wins for the NBA's Noche Latina marketing. In a team meeting at Sarver's house Saturday, the players were unanimously in favor of wearing them on Cinco de Mayo, Sarver said by phone.
"I looked around our plane and looked at our players and the diversity in our organization," Sarver said. "I thought we need to go on record that we honor our diversity in our team, in the NBA and we need to show support for that. As for the political part of that, that's my statement."
Sarver's displeasure with SB 1070 is two-fold. The Arizona native primarily disputes the infringement of people's rights but also is concerned about the effect it will have on the state's economy.
"I don't think it's the right way to handle the immigration problem, No. 1," Sarver said. "No. 2, as I read through the bill, it felt to me a little bit like it was mean-spirited and I personally just don't agree with it. In addition, one of the main priorities right now for our state is to get jobs for people. The enactment of this bill just puts us farther behind the eight ball in attracting companies to do business here and I think it will have a negative economic effect and a negative effect on our ability to create jobs for people who are looking for work.
"Hopefully, it's all going to get worked out and the federal government will step in and there'll be a national solution. I realize that immigration is a problem and we have issues that need to be dealt with. I just don't think this bill accomplishes that."
The Suns had to get league approval to wear the jerseys for Game 2 of their second-round series, which Phoenix leads 1-0.
"There are times you need to stand up and be heard," Sarver said. "I respect people's views on the other side but I just felt it was appropriate for me to stand up and make a statement."
Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/2010/05/04/20100504phoenix-suns-los-suns-jerseys.html#ixzz0mzsM9Gfj
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