NBA Jumps Into Immigration Debate

Under ordinary circumstances, a marketing campaign aimed at a certain segment of the fan base is an innocuous event, and even a smart business practice on the part of a professional sports league, but the National Baskeball Association (NBA) has taken it to another level. They have moved from marketing into the political arena.

The NBA’s Noche Latina program sounds like any other marketing campaign. The focus is on the growing number of Hispanic fans that follow the NBA.

The Noche Latina program is the NBA’s annual celebration honoring both players and fans alike who hail from Latin American countries.

Okay, no problem there. The more fans the better for the league, right? Well, the NBA has gone beyond mere marketing and injected themselves into the immigration debate.

Tonight’s game featured the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat. Or shall I say Los Lakers and El Heat. Yes, special jerseys that butchered the Spanish language were used for the game. Still, not a big deal, although the NBA might have consulted someone who actually spoke Spanish before designing the jerseys. That’s the happy face though. Here’s the other side.

When SB 1070 passed in Arizona, the Phoenix Suns wanted to show their solidarity with illegal aliens. They donned their Los Suns jerseys to show their opposition to SB 1070. Of course, they sought, and were granted permission from the league to do so. What seemed like just another marketing campaign by the NBA turns out to be something else all together. I understand it’s not the NBA’s job to enforce immigration policy, and that they have every right to pursue potential customers that are here, no matter who they are. After all, it’s just business. But what the NBA is doing is pandering specifically to illegal aliens. You could have made a case with the Spanish language jerseys that it was just a reflection of the history and culture of Latinos around the world. And that may be on some level. But with illegal immigration out of control, and no will on the part of the government to do anything but allow it to continue, this kind of marketing, and the approved antics of the Phoenix Suns is not only encouraging illegal immigration, but is throwing it’s support behind it, on a political level.

There are those proponents of illegal immigrants that rightly point out that for years, illegal immigrants were basically invited into the United States. Immigration laws were-and are haphazardly enforced, if at all. They argue that it’s not fair to lure the poor and desperate into the United States, allow them to build a life here, and then tell them they have to leave. I understand that. At the same time, I can’t be expected to finance the resettlement of millions of newcomers, none of who have allegiance to the United States. Those that invited them here are someone other than me. I can’t be expected to pay for the sins of another, and if anybody thinks that America thinks as a single unit hasn’t been to Wisconsin lately.

What the NBA is doing is pouring gasoline on a fire. Under normal circumstances their Noche Latina campaign is just that; a campaign. The result of their actions here is contributing to the destruction of the United States to gain a few more customers. Yes, we have seen that before, and we’ll see it in the future. They should have kept their mouth shut and stayed out of politics.

The next time you go to an NBA game, or even watch on television, just keep in mind that the revenue generated is going to support open borders. Again, I understand a company that just takes advantage of a situation that already exists. The NBA has gone political with it. You lost a fan here guys. My money goes to support SB 1070. That means the NBA gets nothing from me.