The Phoenix Suns made two very powerful statements in Game 2 of their best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal series against the San Antonio Spurs.

First, the Suns wore their “Los Suns” jerseys on Cinco de Mayo to show their support for the Hispanic community of Arizona, a strong political message from a NBA franchise that is in the middle of a controversial immigration issue.

Second, after winning Game 2, 110-102, the Suns jumped to a 2-0 series lead and sent a loud message to the Spurs – a team that has eliminated the Suns four times in five years – that they are determined to break the San Antonio spell and finally win a series against their playoff nemesis.

The first message was a public display of discontent with Arizona’s immigration bill, while the other was more unspoken. Either way, both were delivered with force and the Suns are not backing down from either stance.

In late April, the state of Arizona passed a sweeping immigration bill authorizing police officers to stop suspected illegal immigrants and demand proof of citizenship.

The law has sparked a national uproar, with politicians, pundits and citizens weighing in – including Suns All-Star and former two-time league MVP Steve Nash.

Steve Nash is defended by Tony Parker during Game 2 of the Suns-Spurs series. Nash scored 19 points and had six assists to lead Phoenix to a 2-0 series lead. (NBAE/GETTY IMAGES)

“I’ll speak for myself. Our team was proud to wear the jerseys because we feel a sense of pride in our Latino community,” said Steve Nash, who along with Suns owner Robert Sarver have publicly questioned the new immigration bill.

In a statement, Sarver said: “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 the 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.”

It was Sarver’s idea to have his team wear the “Los Suns” jerseys for Game 2 and he got the blessing from the NBA and the Players’ Association, and the Suns players were willing participants.

“Our Latino community is what makes this state great because it gives us a diversity and a lifestyle that is great. It’s important that we stand up sometimes for what we believe in,” Nash told reporters during a postgame news conference. “I don’t want to alienate anybody. Those people that disagree with me is fine. Discourse is what democracy is made on, and I think that it’s not something [people] should take personally.

“My beliefs, our team stood up for that part of our community because I think that’s the one targeted by this side of this bill that could open the door to racial profiling and racism. And I’m talking primarily about American citizens who are Latino. Now their quality of life and freedoms could change because of this bill. I think it also puts undo pressure on police officers, and unrealistic expectations.”

Nash added: “Having said that, the bill is continually changing and it seems it will continue to change. So, it’s impossible to have a stance. I’m proud of our owner for taking a stand, but we are not out there to alienate. We all want this to be about loving of our community. Regardless if people agree with us or not, we have love for everybody out there. We just like to get to a consensus that everyone can live with and it isn’t a possible infringement on human rights.”

Video courtesy of NBA.com

Popularity: 1% [?]

For better or for worse, the legend of Manu Ginobili grew exponentially on Oct. 31, 2009 – Halloween Night.

During the first half of the Spurs-Kings game at AT&T Center in San Antonio, a bat flew in the arena and began to disrupt the game. Without batting an eye (no pun intended), Ginobili slapped the flying mammal with his left hand and knocked it down to the floor. He then picked it up and handed it to an arena staff member.

Videos of Ginobili’s amazing display of quick hands and fearlessness became an Internet sensation, but not everyone was impressed.  

PETA criticized Ginobili’s random act of violence and said this on Opposing Views: “To bludgeon a 4-ounce animal to death, it takes either a small man or a totally unthinking one—with no respect or consideration for lives humbler than his own. This is a time when athletes in particular need to be on their best behavior around any animal and show that they have brains and a heart, not just reactionary brawn.”

PETA added: “Bats always try to avoid contact with humans, and there are plenty of easy ways to keep bats out of a basketball arena (or your home). We hope that the next time someone’s life is on the line, Manu Ginobili will take just a few seconds to think before he acts.”

Perhaps bracing for the inevitable PETA protest, Ginobili swears he didn’t mean to kill the bat, and doesn’t think he did. He said afterward the bat was still moving when he scooped it up.

“I just stunned him,” Ginobili told the San Antonio Express-News.

Reports conflict as to the ultimate fate of the bat. Saturday night, multiple arena sources confirmed the animal’s demise. Sunday afternoon, team officials reported the bat had actually recovered and flown away.

Whatever its fate, Ginobili’s teammates left the AT&T Center on Saturday shaking their heads once more at what Ginobili had done.

“Unbelievable,” Tony Parker said. “The thing is, he hit it. He’s good at interceptions and stuff. But then he grabs it and puts it in the garbage.”

Parker shook his head. “He always does crazy stuff.”

Manu Ginobili sanitizes his hands after his close encounter with a bat.

According to Jeff McDonald of the Express-News, it wasn’t the first time some Spurs players had seen a bat behaving badly during a basketball game. Roger Mason Jr. recalls a bat interrupting a pickup game in Las Vegas this summer.

“You had these big, tough guys, like Chauncey Billups and Rudy Gay, running for cover,” Mason said. “And then there’s Manu, swatting it like it was a fly.”

Popularity: 1% [?]

David Robinson will be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on Sept. 11.

David Robinson will go down in basketball lore as one of the greatest to ever play the game. As validation, he will be enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., later this month as part of one of the best Hall of Fame classes in recent memory, a class that includes Michael Jordan and John Stockton.

His resume stands out like a 7-foot-1 Ensign in the United States Naval Academy: two-time NBA world champion, won MVP in 1995, Defensive Player of the Year in 1992, Rookie of the Year in 1990, four-time NBA first-team selection, Olympic gold medalist in 1992, 10-time All-Star and selected one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history. He also scored 71 points against the Los Angeles Clippers in the final regular-season game in 1994 to win the scoring title.

It is hard to compare Robinson to anyone in the league because he was unique. He was a chiseled 7-footer with zero body fat who could run the floor like a guard. He could post up, face up and shoot, and defense was stout. His quickness and length made it extremely hard on the opposition to score on him. He had some great battles with fellow Hall-of-Famer centers Hakeem Olajuwon and Patrick Ewing throughout the 1990s.

David Robinson proudly wears a Manu Ginobili jersey during a San Antonio Spurs game.

Aside from being a great player, Robinson was also selfless. When the San Antonio Spurs selected Tim Duncan with the first pick in the 1997 NBA draft, Robinson accepted the role of secondary player and allowed Duncan to grow into his role as the focal point of the Spurs’ franchise. With Robinson manning the center spot and Duncan providing plenty of power at the forward position, the Spurs won NBA titles in 1999 and 2003.

Despite all of his accomplishments on the court, the man known as The Admiral has had a bigger impact off the court.

Robinson’s legacy includes being one of the preeminent philanthropists in all of professional sports. On March 23, 2003, NBA Commissioner David Stern announced that future winners of the NBA Community Assist Award would receive the David Robinson Plaque, with the inscription, “Following the standard set by NBA Legend David Robinson, who improved the community piece by piece.”

Among Robinson’s charitable achievements was his $9 million commitment toward the construction and operation of The Carver Academy, an independent school for San Antonio students from a culturally diverse community. Receiving a good education was a big part of Robinson’s life, and that was never muddled even when he was earning millions as a pro athlete. Though sports afforded him a lifestyle most would envy, Robinson was always preaching school work and going to class.

He was a stand-up guy and one of the real “nice guys,” not just in basketball but in all of sports. But it also gave the impression that Robinson was too soft. Radio shock-jock Jim Rome once called him “The Little Mermaid,” mocking Robinson’s affinity for the Disney movie. Sports Illustrated tabbed him “Saint David” for being too good to be true.

But it’s true. David Robinson was a saint. He was also a class act.

I had an opportunity to meet Robinson two years ago at Staples Center  in Los Angeles. The Lakers had just defeated the San Antonio Spurs, the only team Robinson played for during his 14-year career. As I was walking out of the arena, I saw Robinson and his son headed in the same direction. For a man who had been retired for four years, The Admiral looked like he could still beat half the centers in the league. He was in phenomenal shape.

I approached him and said, “I think we just got a preview of the Western Conference finals.” Robinson replied: “You guys got a good team.” Then, as we crossed Figueroa Street en route to the parking structures, a group of people began harassing Robinson for autographs and pictures. He didn’t turn down a single one.

As he got close to his ride, I told Robinson “good luck with everything.” He then shook my hand and said, “Nice to meet you.” Now, it wasn’t much but a handshake from The Great David Robinson goes a long way in my book.

Popularity: 5% [?]

Kobe Bryant should have no problem leading the Los Angeles Lakers back to the NBA Finals.

Last June, the Los Angeles Lakers were humiliated by the Boston Celtics by 39 points in Game 6 of the NBA Finals at the new Boston Garden. That drubbing is still fresh in the minds of Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson. Both future Hall of Famers are chomping at the bit to get back to the Finals and redeem their legacy.

No team in the Western Conference has the size nor the strength to push the Lakers. The Lakers run the most explosive and efficient offense in the NBA, and Kobe and Co. play enough defense to get stops late in games. Bryant is determined to win a championship without Shaquille O’Neal and Jackson is determined to move ahead of Red Auerbach in number of championships won by a coach.

Portland is the only team that can match up with the long and lengthy Lakers, but the Trail Blazers are probably a year away from seriously contending for a title.

Manu Ginobili is out with an injured ankle and the wear and tear of all those playoff games are finally getting to Tim Duncan. Despite the fact that Coach Gregg Popovich limited his minutes all season, Duncan’s knees were flaring up so bad that Popovich had to shut him down the last three weeks of the season. The Spurs are old and beaten up. Tony Parker is the only real starter under the age of 30. We could be watching the final stand of a great champion.

Denver, the No. 2 seeded team in the West, is a far better team with Chauncey Billups at the point than with Allen Iverson. But can Coach George Karl count on Carmelo Anthony in a big game? We shall see. Denver faces a formidable foe in New Orleans in the first round, and even though the Hornets have not been playing their best ball lately they still have the best point guard in the league in Chris Paul.

OneManFastbreak.net analyzes and predicts the winners of the Western Conference playoffs:

FIRST ROUND

(1) L.A. Lakers vs. (8) Utah Jazz – This was the easiest series to predict. Jazz are not athletic enough to stay with Kobe and are not tall enough to deal with 7-footers Paul Gasol and Andrew Bynum. LAKERS IN 5.

(2) Denver Nuggets vs. (7) New Orleans Hornets – Before Billups arrived, the Nuggets were a borderline playoff team. With Mr. Big Shot, the Nuggets have a shot at the conference semifinals. NUGGETS IN 7.

(3) San Antonio Spurs vs. (6) Dallas Mavericks – If Devin Harris was still in Dallas, Mavs would be a cinch. But Harris is in New Jersey and Dallas is stuck with Jason Kidd. SPURS IN 6.

(4) Portland Trail Blazers vs. (5) Houston Rockets – In three head-to-head matchups, the home team won each time. It will be no different in the postseason. BLAZERS IN 7.

CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS

(1) L.A. Lakers vs. (4) Portland Trail Blazers – Good news is, the Blazers are good enough to beat L.A. in Portland. Bad news is, the Blazers are not good enough to win in L.A. LAKERS IN 7.

(2) Denver Nuggets vs. (3) San Antonio Spurs – Denver has never advanced past San Antonio in the Duncan era. Billups is poised to show the Nuggets how it’s done. NUGGETS IN 6.

CONFERENCE FINALS

(1) L.A. Lakers vs. (2) Denver Nuggets – After going through a tough series with Portland in the semifinals, the Lakers catch a break and are rewarded with a cakewalk in the conference finals against overmatched Denver. Too much Kobe, Gasol and Bynum. LAKERS IN 5.

Popularity: 13% [?]

Manu Ginobili (left, not dressed), newly acquired Drew Gooden and Bruce Bowen watched the Lakers defeat them at home. (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS)

Winning a division title probably won’t move the seismograph in Los Angeles, but beating the San Antonio Spurs is always a big deal for the Lakers and it is also becoming a common occurrence.

The Spurs and Lakers are the two dominant teams of this decade, winning a combined six championships and one or the other has been involved in eight of the past nine NBA Finals. As much as the Spurs would like to think that they are on equal footing with the Lakers, the so-called rivalry has been one-sided in favor of the guys wearing purple and gold. In five playoff matchups, the Lakers are 4-1 against the Spurs, eliminating the San Antonio in 2001, 2002, 2004 and 2008, and was one Robert Horry shot away from going 5-0 against Tim Duncan and Co.

On Thursday night in San Antonio, the Lakers defeated the Spurs, 102-95, with relative ease. Sure, the Spurs didn’t have Manu Ginobili, but the Lakers didn’t have Andrew Bynum. The Spurs made it close at the end, even getting within 95-93 with under three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. But let’s not kid ourselves. The Spurs made a nice comeback, but the Lakers were in control the whole game from the opening tip. The Lakers led by as many as 18 points and the only reason the game was close was because L.A. played the night before in Houston (winning that game too).

The victory also allowed the Lakers to clinch their 20th Pacific Division title, but you will not see that banner anywhere at Staples Center because the Lakers only raise NBA championship banners – nine of them to be exact (14 if you count the Minneapolis titles).

Jeff McDonald wrote in the San Antonio Express-News:

Popularity: 18% [?]