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The Phoenix Suns are a National
Basketball Association team based in Phoenix,
Arizona.
Home arenas
- Arizona
Veterans Memorial Coliseum (1968-1992)
- US
Airways Center (formerly America West Arena)
(1992-present)
Franchise history
The Suns were formed in 1968
by former Chicago
Bulls assistant coach and Arizona
sports magnate Jerry
Colangelo. In the 1970s
they experienced mild success, combining the talents
of such players as Dick
Van Arsdale (The Original Sun), his twin
brother Tom
Van Arsdale, Hall of Famer Connie
Hawkins, Len
"Truck" Robinson, Alvan
Adams, and center Neal
Walk. In 1976,
the year the movie Rocky
was released, the Suns proved to be a real-life
basketball
version of Rocky. They finished the season with
42 wins and 40 losses, but shockingly they beat
the defending NBA
champion Golden
State Warriors in the playoffs and went on to
play the Boston
Celtics in the NBA
Finals, giving the Celtics a tough battle before
falling in 6 games. Game 5 was a triple-overtime
classic that is considered by many to be the greatest
game in NBA history.
The next few years for the Suns
were not as successful. In 1987
the Maricopa
County Attorney's Office indicted 13 people
on drug-related charges, three of whom were active
Suns players (James
Edwards, Jay
Humphries and Grant
Gondrezick). These indictments were partially
based on testimony from star player Walter
Davis, who was given immunity. No defendants
ever went to trial: two of the players went into
a prosecution diversion program, while another received
probation. Nevertheless, the scandal, although now
perceived in many respects to be a witchhunt,
tarnished the reputation of the franchise both nationally
and within the community. The scandal did provide
an opening for then-general manager Jerry
Colangelo to lead a group that bought the team
for a $44 million, a record at that time.
With a drug scandal and the loss
of promising young center Nick
Vanos, who was killed in the crash of Northwest
Airlines Flight 255, the franchise was in turmoil
on and off the court. The Suns' luck began to turn
around in 1987,
however, with the acquisition from the Cleveland
Cavaliers of Kevin
Johnson, Mark
West, and Tyrone
Corbin for popular power
forward Larry
Nance. In 1988,
Tom
Chambers came over from Seattle
as the first unrestricted free agent in NBA history,
Jeff
Hornacek was signed, Dan
Majerle was drafted with the 14th pick in the
draft, which they obtained from Cleveland in the
Kevin Johnson trade, and the team began a 13-year
playoff streak. Kurt
Rambis was added from the Charlotte
Hornets in 1989,
and the team, in a shocking upset, beat the Los
Angeles Lakers in 5 games that season before
falling to the Portland
Trail Blazers in the Western Conference Finals.
Hornacek was traded to the Philadelphia
76ers in 1992
along with Andrew
Lang and Tim
Perry for the flamboyant but productive Charles
Barkley, probably a future Hall
of Famer himself. Former Boston Celtic Danny
Ainge was added to the mix and the Suns had
a dynamic team that was hard to stop. They won 62
games that year, advancing to the Finals for the
second time, where they lost dramatically in the
sixth game to the Michael
Jordan and Scottie
Pippen-led Bulls. This series, too, included
a triple-overtime game (Game 3); the Suns have been
involved in both of the two longest-ever NBA Finals
games.
The next two seasons saw the Suns
waste leads against the Houston
Rockets and get eliminated by them in both playoffs.
In 1996,
Barkley's relationship with Colangelo grew sour
and they each spurned each other publicly. Their
feud has since been repaired, however, and Barkley
appeared at a Suns home game in 2003. He was also
present to see his number retired in 2004. After
the trade of Barkley, the Suns began a downward
spiral. In the midst, Johnson retired, but he attempted
a comeback to try to help the Suns during the 2000
playoffs.
The Suns continued to make the playoffs
until the 2001-2002
campaign, when they fell short for the first time
in 14 years. That season marked the trade of Jason
Kidd, partly due to a publicized domestic violence
episode, to the New
Jersey Nets for Stephon
Marbury. Lottery-bound, however, the Suns were
able to draft Amare
Stoudemire.
The 2002-2003 campaign saw the emergence
of Amaré
Stoudemire, who many have likened to Hall of
Fame foward/center Moses
Malone. His size and athleticism, along with
a strong work ethic, have many anticipating him
to join the ranks of Tracy
McGrady, Kobe
Bryant, and Kevin
Garnett as the best NBA players to have jumped
from high school to the pro ranks. He was named
the NBA
Rookie of the Year for the 2002-2003 season,
during which the Suns posted a record of 44-38 and
returned to the playoffs.
In the 2003-2004 season, the Suns
again found themselves out of the playoffs. Following
one of the worst pre-seasons in Suns franchise history,
the Suns got off to a rocky start in the regular
season. Convinced that the team was going nowhere,
the Suns made a blockbuster mid-season trade involving
Stephon Marbury and Penny Hardaway. After the trade,
the Suns continued to struggle, but the trade opened
up opportunities for some of the Sun's young rising
stars.
In April 2004,
the Phoenix Suns were sold to an investment group
headed by Robert
Sarver for $401 million. The sale also included
the Phoenix
Mercury and Arizona
Rattlers.
The 2004-05 season was considered
very successful, with the Suns finishing with the
best record in the NBA at 62-20. This was the largest
single season turnaround in NBA history, except
the Spurs who hold first and second place for turn
around seasons, a feat made possible by the off
season acquisition of All Star point guard Steve
Nash. This tied their franchise best record for
the most wins, accomplished when Barkley was first
traded to the team. The team was led by the MVP-caliber
play of Steve
Nash, as well as returning players Amare
Stoudemire and Shawn
Marion. Nash was voted the NBA MVP for the 2004-2005
season after the regular season ended. The team
was not expected to do nearly as well at the beginning
of the season. The key to their success was their
style of play, which heavily relied on the fast
break, which is uncommon in the current era of the
NBA. The Suns ended the 2004-2005 season as the
team with the most points per game (110.4), the
most threes per game (9.7), and the best three point
percentage to match (39.3). The Suns also had a
large contingent of players competing in the NBA
All-Star Game and the events that go with it.
Shawn Marion, Diana
Taurasi of the Phoenix Mercury, and former Suns
player Dan
Majerle won the Shooting Stars contest, Steve
Nash won the Skills contest, Quentin
Richardson and Joe
Johnson both competed in the 3-Point Contest
(with Richardson winning), Amare Stoudemire came
in second in the Slam Dunk contest, and Nash, Marion,
and Stoudemire all played in the game itself. Steve
Nash would end up League MVP of the season that
year.
In the 2005
playoffs, Phoenix was the first seed
in the Western Conference, and because it owned
the NBA's best record, it was guaranteed home-court
advantage throughout the playoffs. The Suns swept
the Memphis
Grizzlies 4-0 and defeated the number four-seeded
Dallas
Mavericks in the second round 4-2. In the Western
Conference Finals, the Suns played the San
Antonio Spurs, who had the league's best defense.
The Spurs, twice holding the Suns to under 100 points,
won the series 4-1, ending Phoenix's outstanding
season. The Suns looked to bolster their defense
during the summer.
Every Suns game from the early 1970s
until the 2003-04 season save one was covered both
on local Phoenix television and radio by the legendary
broadcaster Al
McCoy. Beginning with the 2003-04 season, Tom
Leander assumed the reins on the TV side while
McCoy remained on the radio.
Players of note
Current Roster
Not to be forgotten
Retired numbers/Suns Ring of Honor
- 5 Dick
Van Arsdale, G, 1968-77
- 6 Walter
Davis, G, 1977-88
- 7 Kevin
Johnson, G, 1988-2000
- 9 Dan
Majerle, F, 1988-95 & 2001-02
- 24 Tom
Chambers, F, 1988-93
- 33 Alvan
Adams, C, 1975-88
- 34 Charles
Barkley, F, 1992-96
- 42 Connie
Hawkins, F, 1969-73
- 44 Paul
Westphal, G, 1975-80 & 1983-84; Head Coach,
1992-96
- 832 Cotton
Fitzsimmons, Head Coach, 1970-72 & 1988-96
(number of NBA head coaching wins)
- Joe
Proski (trainer)
External links
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