When the Phoenix Suns don "Los Suns" jerseys at Wednesday night’s playoff game, the basketball players will join a stream of athletes who have taken their politics onto the court.

But theirs is also a rare case of an entire team standing together — against Arizona's new immigration enforcement law in this instance. Many athletes who have taken political stances have done so individually and often with consequences.

Sports teams have to think about their broad base of fans, corporate management and endorsement deals before making a political statement. The Arizona Diamondbacks have refused to take a stance on the immigration law, saying the team is politically neutral.

Athletes with celebrity status like Michael Jordan purposely avoid activism, too, lest they hurt their marketability. Some are even banned from doing so, like the athletes warned not to wear "Free Tibet" shirts at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

"It's not like every athlete supported the invasion of Afghanistan but, anytime you take a political stance, you risk your marketing power," David S. Meyer, author of "The Politics of Protest," said.

And yet sports and politics continue to collide:

* Baseball executive Branch Rickey made a political statement through his actions when he signed Jackie Robinson as the first black Major League Baseball player in 1947.

* During the Civil Rights movement, African Americans Tommie Smith and John Carlos held their fists in the sky while receiving medals in the 1968 Olympics to support equal rights for blacks. Both were kicked out from the Olympic Village for their actions and lost career opportunities as a result.

* In 1995, the owner of the Washington Bullets changed the name of the team to the Wizards citing the name's violent undertones in a city with high homicide and crime rates.

* Muhammad Ali lost his boxing title and had his license suspended for evading the draft during the Vietnam War, to which he was vocally opposed. The boxer also reportedly tossed his Olympics medal into the Ohio River after being refused service at a restaurant. He was given a replacement medal in 1996.

* Cyclist Lance Armstrong began selling yellow silicone wristbands to raise money for his foundation after being diagnosed with cancer. Millions were sold, and the only resulting controversy was their inflated market rate on eBay .

* Winter Olympian Joey Cheek is a co-founder of Team Darfur , which focuses on how children are impacted by the Sudanese conflict, and has spoken out about humanitarian issues. Cheek was denied a visa to the Beijing Summer Olympics in 2008.

-- Ambreen Ali, Congress.org