He helped show it by once helping a top recruit play in the state.
The long time senator from Arizona, who died on Saturday, once played a role in getting Arizona Wildcats' signee Lauri Markkanen to play basketball in the United States.
Markkanen, who currently plays for the Chicago Bulls, tweeted about it on Sunday morning.
Markkanen, from Finland, thanked McCain for assisting him in getting a visa so he could play his freshman season for Sean Miller's Wildcats in Tucson.
"Rest In peace @SenJohnMcCain, I will forever be grateful for you helping a kid from Finland get a visa to live out my dream of playing basketball in the States," Markkanen tweeted.