Deirdre Hamill/The Arizona Republic
Tonight in Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the San Antonio Spurs, the Phoenix Suns will wear alternative jerseys that say "Los Suns" to voice their displeasure over the Arizona's tough new immigration law. Suns' managing partner Steve Sarver explained-
"The frustration with the federal government's failure to deal with the issue of illegal immigration resulted in passage of a flawed state law. 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."
"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," said the team executive. "I don't think it's the right way to handle the immigration problem."
Regardless of your political viewpoint, this is not a good move for the NBA and the Suns, who are trying to win an important playoff series. Yes, the Suns' Steve Nash said that the team voted for the alternative jerseys but they're representing the organization & the NBA so we don't if everyone involved would agree to this. Do you think all Suns' employees & NBA players support this protest? I doubt it.
The bigger question involves if an employer can mandate that employees support their political messages. I'm not a legal expert, but somehow i don't think employers have this power. As an NBA player you cannot question the officiating but you're expected to support a political viewpoint that you might disagree with, how can this happen?
From a basketball perspective this has its own problems- what if you're a player, owner, or other employee that doesn't support this move or simply doesn't want to express political views at work? Do you really want to go against the majority & stir-up discontent in the locker room? How would this impact team chemistry? Yes, the political issue is much more important than a bball game but it can have a negative impact on the game.
Enough About Politics, Get to the BBall
Where are all the Lamar Odom haters? Or are they just around when things go wrong and they need to blame somebody? In Game 2 against the Jazz, Lamar had 11 points, 15 rebounds, 4 assists, & 3 blocks in only 28 minutes.
Laker fans, don't worry Sasha Vujacic will soon return to bolster the bench. His 2.8 points & 30% 3-point shooting will definitely be an upgrade form Ron Ron launching 3's (1-7 in game 2 & 0-3 in game 1).
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