A Phoenix City Councilman on Thursday stood by remarks he posted on Twitter the previous day twice referring to NBA players who boycotted games to protest racial injustice as ''whiny bitches.''
Councilman Sal DiCiccio's tweets stood in contrast to Phoenix Suns and Mercury owner Robert Sarver, who Thursday issued a statement in support of the decision by players to boycott NBA playoff games Wednesday and Thursday in protest of the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, in Wisconsin and calling for racial justice.
The city of Phoenix and Sarver are partners in paying to renovate Talking Stick Resort Arena, where the Suns and Mercury play home games.