Los Suns
REUTERS

The game played by the Phoenix Suns in Mexico last Saturday was not just about acquiring victory over the San Antonio Spurs. Good thing too because the game concluded with the Phoenix Suns' defeat in overtime play. The game ended with a final score of 121 to 119 in favor of the Sun's opponent.

The game was also about the NBA trying to attain the support of the Latino community both from the U.S. and Mexico.

According to a pre-game statement by the coach of the Phoenix Suns, Monty Williams, though winning the game was the main focus, it was also important that people who do not regularly see NBA games in-person get a chance to experience it up-close. He believes that the games allow fans and children, many for the first time, to witness an NBA game so close and it delights him to be part of such an experience.

The game played by the Phoenix Suns and the San Antonio Spurs was watched by an estimated 20,000 plus basketball and NBA fans. It was the second game held by the NBA in the city of Mexico in three days. It was also the first in NBA history that four teams played in front of a Mexican audience in a single season.

The first NBA game was held on Thursday when the Dallas Mavericks and the Detroit Pistons had competed. The Mavericks had attained victory over the Pistons scoring 122 to 111 in front of a 22,300-seat venue. The game was held in the Arena Ciudad de Mexico.

According to the management of the Phoenix Suns, the team had been exerting significant efforts to connect with Latino fans in the past years.

According to a statement released to the public by the President and CEO of the Phoenix Suns Jason Rowley, the team is well-aware of the relevance of the Latino community in Arizona and its growing population not only in the region but also in the entire population of the country. He had also stressed that the team's focus is to connect with their Latino fans in traditional and significant ways.

One of the efforts of the Phoenix Suns to reach out to their Latino fans is through the use of social media. The team has Instagram and Twitter accounts which they named Los Suns. The contents posted on these accounts are in Spanish.

The team had also employed an artist with Mexican-American heritage named Lalo Cota. Cota was tasked to create a mural on the Roosevelt Row Arts District, close to downtown Phoenix, of "Los Suns".

During their home game held last week with the Minnesota Timberwolves, their team proudly flaunted their "Los Suns Noche City Edition" uniforms. The players of the team were announced in Spanish before the start of the game. The uniforms were also sported during their game with the San Antonio Spurs last Saturday. The Phoenix Suns had previously played in Mexico City in January of 2017.

According to Rowley, the management of the Phoenix Suns sees a good amount of opportunities for the team to be dubbed as the NBA team of Mexican NBA fans.