Los Suns. Two simple words. One is Spanish, one is English. You'll see them together on the front of the Phoenix Suns' uniforms tomorrow in what is as strong a political statement as I can remember in American sport.

With the eyes of the world on the state of Arizona, and its capital city, Phoenix, because of a brand new and highly controversial anti-immigration bill, the Suns organisation has left no doubt where it stands on the matter.

Suns' owner Robert Sarver, ironically a conservative Republican, released a statement today calling the new bill "flawed" and saying that it calls into question "our basic principles of equal rights and protection under the law."

The bill, which President Barack Obama has called "troubling," requires residents of Arizona to carry proof of legal immigration status. Also, and perhaps more disturbing, is the fact that it forces police to enquire about a person's status if there is "reasonable suspicion" they might be in the country illegally. In other words, police are being given the powers of profiling anyone of Hispanic appearance.

The state of Arizona, bordered on the south by Mexico, has had major issues with illegal immigrants for years, and many believe this bill came to fruition because of the failure of the federal government to deal with the situation. This comes at an interesting time for the Phoenix Suns franchise.

First of all, the team has a strong Hispanic fanbase. Thirty per cent of the population of Arizona is of Hispanic or Latino descent and the NBA estimates 15 per cent of its fans fit that description.

Tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo in the States; it's a somewhat traditional holiday celebrating Hispanic culture. Sure it might be perceived as white guys downing lots of margaritas, but it does mean something to plenty of people in the US. In addition, the Suns' opponent in this series is the San Antonio Spurs, who also have a large Hispanic following, and occasionally wear home singlets that say "Los Spurs."

Finally, there's the playing roster. The Suns' squad is mostly African American, but also includes a Slovenian, a Brazilian and a Canadian. That Canadian happens to be superstar Steve Nash, as intelligent, aware and politically active as any athlete in the world. It's no wonder the Suns took a stand.

And don't discount the risk in doing this. The bill, while controversial, has plenty of support. Arizona senator John McCain, the former Presidential candidate, supports the bill, as do millions of Americans, including many of Hispanic descent.

Interestingly, it's not the first time an Arizona sporting event has been the subject of political protest. The 1993 Super Bowl was taken away from the city of Tempe because the state failed to recognise Martin Luther King Day as a holiday. The NFL Players Association weighed in heavily on that one.

Now there's a movement led by a New York congressman to force Major League Baseball to pull this year's All Star game out of Phoenix. In a sport where nearly a third of its players are foreign, MLB Commissioner Bud Selig has a tough decision to make.