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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Tuesday, May 4, 2010

NBA: Suns to wear 'Los Suns' jerseys for Game 2


Associated Press

PHOENIX — The Phoenix Suns will wear "Los Suns" on their jerseys Wednesday for Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals, owner Robert Sarver said, "to honor our Latino community and the diversity of our league, the state of Arizona, and our nation."

The decision to wear the jerseys on the Cinco de Mayo holiday stems from a law passed by the Arizona Legislature and signed by Gov. Jan Brewer that has drawn widespread criticism from Latino organizations and civil rights groups that say it could lead to racial profiling of Hispanics. President Barack Obama has called the law "misguided."

In a statement, Sarver said the frustration with the federal government's failure to deal with the illegal immigration issue led to the passage of what he called "a flawed state law."

He said that the law calls into question "our basic principles of equal rights and protection under the law" and will cause Arizona's economy to suffer setbacks at a time when the state already is in economic distress.