Phoenix Suns #

The Suns have been very successful since they began play as an expansion team in 1968, making it to the NBA playoffs on several occasions, and even appearing in the NBA Finals a couple times; however, they have not won the championship.

Original Phoenix Suns Logo (1968-1992) On January 22, 1968, the NBA awarded expansion franchises to an ownership group from Phoenix and one from Milwaukee. The primary investors in the Phoenix franchise at its inception had close ties to Tucson, Arizona's second largest city. They were:
Richard L. Bloch, a Southern California investment broker/real estate developer and former Tucson resident (no relation to the Richard Bloch who was the co-founder of tax preparation provider H&R Block).
Karl Eller, owner of a major outdoor advertising company and one of the Phoenix area's most influential business leaders at that time. He was a former football player for The University of Arizona;
Donald Pitt, a Tucson-based attorney;
Don Diamond, Tucson-based real estate investor who eventually replaced Eller on the ownership managing team.
All four men were alumni of The University of Arizona. According to the history section of the Suns website, other investors in the Suns included Block's entertainment law firm Rosenfeld, Meyer & Susman, along with several of their prominent entertainer clients, including Andy Williams, Henry Mancini, Bobbie Gentry, Ed Ames and others. The original logo was designed by Stanley Fabe, owner of a Tucson printing company, for $200. The new Suns ownership group hired former Chicago Bulls executive Jerry Colangelo to be general manager (he was 28 years of age when he took the position). The Suns began their time in Phoenix at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Colangelo in turn hired Johnny "Red" Kerr (as of this writing a broadcaster with the Bulls) to be the first head coach of the Suns. The Suns finished their first season with a humiliating 16-66 record. Kerr was forced to resign midway through the 1969-70 season, and Colangelo himself coached a few games. Cotton Fitzsimmons replaced Colangelo as Suns coach for the 1970-71 season. He took the team to their first winning season, with a final record of 48-34.

Fitzsimmons would return to the head coaching job in the late 1980s; he would go on to be greatly loved by Suns fans, wildly popular (and successful) as a coach, broadcaster and executive with the Suns organization.

In the 1970s the Suns 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, Leonard "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, with Suns forward Gar Heard hitting a buzzer beating rainbow jump shot ("The Shot") to send the contest into the third overtime at Boston Garden.

Currently, the Suns franchise owns the fourth-best all-time winning percentage among NBA teams (55.8 percent; all-tine win-loss record listed below). They trail only the Los Angeles Lakers (.613), San Antonio Spurs (.595; not counting their win-loss percentage in the original ABA), and the Boston Celtics (.587) in win-loss percentage. The Suns are also the winningest franchise without an NBA championship, despite their two Finals appearances.

1993 NBA Finals and "The Barkley era"
In 1992, the Suns moved into their new arena in downtown Phoenix, the America West Arena (now US Airways Center). The arena was not the only new arrival into Phoenix though, as flamboyant all-star power forward Charles Barkley was traded from the Philadelphia 76ers for Jeff Hornacek, Andrew Lang, and Tim Perry. Barkley would go on to win his first and only MVP his first year with Phoenix in 1993.

In addition to Barkley, the Suns added some key players to their roster including former Boston Celtic Danny Ainge and drafted players in University of Arkansas center Oliver Miller and forward Richard Dumas (who was actually drafted in 1991 but was suspended for his rookie year for violating the NBA drug policy).

Under rookie head coach Paul Westphal (a former Suns assistant and, as a player, member of the 1976 Suns squad that went to the NBA Finals), the Suns squad consisting mostly of Barkley, Majerle, Johnson and Ainge won 62 games that year. In the first round of the playoffs, they defeated the eighth-seeded Lakers, coming back from an 0-2 deficit in the five game series. The Suns went on to eliminate the Spurs and Sonics, advancing to the Finals for the second time in franchise history. They eventually lost to the Bulls, led by Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. This series included a triple-overtime game (Game 3) that along with game 4 of the 1976 series are the only triple overtime games in the history of the NBA finals. Approximately 300,000 fans braved the 105 degree heat to celebrate the memorable season in the streets of Phoenix.

The Suns continued to be successful in the regular season, going 178-68 during the 1992-93, 1993-94, and 1994-95 seasons. They continued to bolster their roster adding players such as A.C. Green, Danny Manning, Wesley Person, Wayman Tisdale, and Elliot Perry. Despite a Pacific Division title in 1995, the Suns ended up being eliminated in consecutive Western Conference Semifinal rounds by the Houston Rockets. One of the big reasons the Suns lost to Houston in 1995 was the fact that Danny Manning injured his ACL right before the All-Star Break. In both years the Suns led the series by two games at one point (2-0 in 1994, 3-1 in 1995) only to see the Rockets come back to win the match up.

At the end of the 1994-95 season, Phoenix Suns general manager, Bryan Colangelo (son of Jerry) initiated what proved to be a very costly trade, sending all star guard/forward Dan Majerle and a first round draft pick, to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for John "Hot Rod" Williams. Majerle was a favorite amongst the fans in Phoenix as well as the Suns locker room[6]. The trade was made to address the Suns' desperate need of a shot blocking center, but proved frustrating as Majerle's presence was sorely missed, and William's production never met expectations.

The 1995-96 season turned into a very disappointing year for the Suns in which they posted a 41-41 record, and were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs to the San Antonio Spurs. Westphal was fired mid-way through the season and replaced once again by Fitzsimmons. A combination of front office unrest, along with the dwindling possibility of winning a championship lead to turmoil in Barkley's relationship with Jerry Colangelo who both spurned each other publicly. This led to Barkley being traded to Houston for Sam Cassell, Robert Horry, Mark Bryant, and Chucky Brown, but the trade turned out be very unproductive for either team, as Barkley's best years were behind him in Houston, as age and physical ability quickly caught up with an already aging Rockets team (Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler, Kevin Willis). As for the Suns, three of the four players were not with the franchise just one year later, and furthermore the two most talented players (being Horry and Cassell) constantly clashed with the coach and seemed to be a negative influence in the locker room.[citation needed] (The feud between Barkley and Colangelo has since been repaired, and Barkley has appeared at a number of Suns home games in the years since.[citation needed] He was also present to see his number retired into the Suns "Ring Of Honor" in 2004.)

In the 1996 NBA Draft, the Suns used their 15th pick for guard Steve Nash, of Santa Clara University. Upon hearing the draft announcement, Suns fans booed in disapproval of the relatively unknown player (destined to win at least two Most Valuable Player awards with the Suns), due to the fact that he had not played in one of the major college conferences. During his first two seasons in the NBA, he played a supporting role behind NBA star point guards Jason Kidd and Kevin Johnson. On June 25, 1998, Nash was traded from the Suns to the Mavericks in exchange for Martin Muursepp, Bubba Wells, the draft rights to Pat Garrity, and a first-round draft pick which was later used to select Shawn Marion.

1997-2004
After the Barkley trade, the Suns began the 1996-97 season miserably starting 0-13 which was a franchise record for the worst start. During the 13 game losing streak Fitzsimmons stepped down as coach and was replaced by former player Danny Ainge.

After an on the court altercation between Ainge and Horry, Horry was traded to the Lakers for former Sun and NBA all-star Cedric Ceballos. Cassell was later traded to Dallas for all-star guard Jason Kidd. With a mostly small lineup, the Suns put together an 11 game win streak that put them in the playoffs, in a series that almost upset the highly favored Sonics.

In the off-season prior to the 2000 NBA season the Suns traded for perennial All-Star Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway stirring a large amount of hype by creating the tandem of Kidd and Hardaway, which was called "Backcourt 2000."[citation needed] However, the combination of Hardaway and Kidd was never fully realized as Hardaway would miss a number of games during the middle of the 1999-2000 season and Kidd would break his ankle going into the playoffs just as Hardaway began his return to the court. As the Suns, now led by the returned Hardaway entered the 2000 playoffs, they shocked the favored San Antonio Spurs by ousting them from the playoffs 3-1 in the best of five series. However, even with the return of Kidd at Hardaway's side in the next round, the Suns fell to the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers in a 4-1 series.

The Suns continued to make the playoffs until the 2001-02 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 2002-03 campaign saw the emergence of Amaré Stoudemire a graduate from Cypress Creek High School (Orlando, Florida), who many have likened to Hall of Fame forward/center Moses Malone.[citation needed] His size and athleticism, along with a strong work ethic, have many anticipating him to join the ranks of LeBron James, Tracy McGrady, Kobe Bryant, and Kevin Garnett as the best NBA players to have jumped from high school to the pro ranks.[citation needed] He became the first ever high school player to win the NBA Rookie of the Year in the 2002-03 season, during which the Suns posted a record of 44-38 and returned to the playoffs. The Suns were eliminated in the first round once again by the San Antonio Spurs, but only after a six game series with the eventual NBA champions.

In the 2003-04 season, the Suns again found themselves out of the playoffs. Following one of the worst pre-seasons in Suns franchise history,[citation needed] the Suns got off to a rocky start in the regular season. Convinced that the team was going nowhere,[citation needed] the Suns made a blockbuster mid-season trade sending the huge contracts of Stephon Marbury and Penny Hardaway off to the New York Knicks. After the trade, the Suns continued to struggle, but the trade opened up opportunities for some of the Sun's young rising stars, as well as plenty of salary cap room.[citation needed]

Steve Nash and the Run n' Gun era (2004-present)

A home game against the Sacramento Kings in the 2006-07 NBA season. The beginning of 2004 saw the departure of the face of Suns management since the team's inception, when Jerry Colangelo announced that the Phoenix Suns were to be sold to an investment group headed by San Diego-based business executive (and Tucson native) Robert Sarver for $401 million. However, the 2004-05 season marked the Suns' return to the NBA's elite, with the Suns finishing with the best record in the NBA at 62-20, tying their franchise record that was set by the 1992-93 team. This feat was made possible by the off-season unrestricted FA signing of All-Star point guard and former Sun Steve Nash from Dallas. Nash would go on to win the MVP award that season. Amare Stoudemire and Shawn Marion were named All-Stars this year and first year coach, Mike D'Antoni, was named NBA Coach of the Year.

In the 2005 NBA 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 fourth-seeded Dallas Mavericks in the second round 4-2, Steve Nash forcing Game 6 into OT with a 3-pointer in the dying seconds. In the Western Conference Finals, the Suns played the San Antonio Spurs who won the series 4-1, ending Phoenix's outstanding season, partly due to Joe Johnson missing the first two games of the series. Joe Johnson went on to start the remaining games where he averaged 40 minutes per game and 18.3 PPG. The Suns lost the first 2 at home, fell behind 3-0 in the series but escaped with a win in Game 4 at San Antonio 111-106 but were eliminated at home 101-95. Amare Stoudemire averaged a staggering 37.0 ppg, the highest ever by a player in their first Conference Finals.

The 2005-06 NBA season began negatively when Amare Stoudemire underwent microfracture surgery in his knee on October 18, 2005. He missed all but three games that year. Along with that, promising shooting guard Joe Johnson demanded a trade to the Atlanta Hawks, in which the Suns got Boris Diaw along with two future first round picks. Other acquisitions this year included Raja Bell and Kurt Thomas. Despite the turnover in players, the Suns were once again able to win the Pacific going 54-28 and capturing the second seed in the Western Conference. Steve Nash was awarded his second consecutive NBA Most Valuable Player Award, becoming the second point-guard (Magic Johnson was the first) to win the award multiple times. Also, Boris Diaw was named NBA Most Improved Player.

The Suns began the 2006 Western Conference Playoffs as favorites against the Los Angeles Lakers. After winning Game 1 in Phoenix, they found themselves trailing in the series 3-1 after impressive performances by Laker shooting guard Kobe Bryant. However, the Suns went on to win three straight games. They won Game 5 easily at home. With 7:33 left in the game, Suns guard Raja Bell grabbed Kobe Bryant around the neck and threw him down as the Lakers star drove to the basket. Bell earned a technical foul, his second of the game, and an automatic ejection. The Suns took game 6 in OT, their first OT win all season despite 50 points from Bryant and Raja Bell out serving a one-game suspension (for a flagrant foul against Bryant in Game 5) with last second help from mid-season acquisition Tim Thomas. On their home court, the Suns won Game 7 121-90, eliminating the Lakers for the first time since 1993. The Suns became only the eighth team in NBA history to win a playoff series after being behind 3-1.

In the second round, the Suns faced the Los Angeles Clippers. The series was played closely, with both teams trading games on each others' courts. The series was 2-2 and The Suns faced a huge deficit in Game 5 but fought back and won in double OT and after a Game 6 loss finally won the series in the decisive seventh game on their home court at US Airways Center, winning by a margin of 20 with an NBA record 15 3-point FG's May 22, 2006.

They went on to play the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals. Underdogs this time, The Suns took Game 1 in Dallas by a single point and their May 30 victory in Game 4 marked the most wins thus far for the franchise in a Conference Finals series since the 1993 season. Many credit this success (despite losing Stoudemire) to the emergence of Diaw, Bell (out for two games of the series due to injury), and Barbosa as clutch playoff performers; and an overall team depth they did not possess at all last season. The Suns fought hard in Games 5 and 6 but clearly were no match as they were blown out by a combined 25 points and eliminated from the series on June 3, 2006 in Game 6. It was yet another disappointing end for the Suns.

In the 2006 off-season, the Suns signed Minnesota Timberwolves PG Marcus Banks to a five-year contract worth $21.3 million. Also, the Suns signed G Leandro Barbosa to a five-year contract extension beginning in the 2007-08 season worth approximately $33 million. Boris Diaw was also extended to a five year deal worth approximately $45 million.

Current
Further information: 2006-07 Phoenix Suns season
The Phoenix Suns finished second in the Western Conference. They defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round, but lost to the San Antonio Spurs in the Conference Semi-Finals.

On June 6, former TNT analyst and NBA three-point specialist, Steve Kerr, was appointed Suns' General Manager and President of Basketball Operations. Kerr is close to team owner Robert Sarver and University of Arizona head men's basketball coach Lute Olson (Kerr's college coach); Kerr is also a part of the Sarver-led investment group that purchased the franchise from Jerry Colangelo.

On June 28, 2007, Spanish SG Rudy Fernández was taken 24th overall in the 2007 NBA Draft by the Suns, who subsequently traded the rights to the pick to the Portland Trail Blazers for cash. SF Alando Tucker of Wisconsin was taken with the 29th pick.

On July 11, 2007, the Suns signed former Orlando Magic SF Grant Hill on a 1-year $1.8 million deal with a player option for a second season at $2 million.

On July 20, 2007, the Suns traded power forward Kurt Thomas and two future first-round picks (2008 and 2010) to the Seattle SuperSonics in exchange for a trade exception of $8 million and a conditional second-round pick.

On August 27, Maryland guard D. J. Strawberry (son of former baseball star Darryl Strawberry) signed a two-year contract with the Suns that includes a guaranteed first year and a team option for the second season. Strawberry was drafted with the 59th selection in the second round of the 2007 NBA Draft; in the 2007 NBA Summer League he averaged a league-best 6.4 assists.

On October 1, The Phoenix Suns signed free agent center Brian Skinner to a one-year deal.

On February 6, 2008, the Suns traded four-time All-Star forward Shawn Marion to the Miami Heat for future Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal. Marcus Banks was also part of the deal.

Logos
New "Rising Phoenix" logo, 2000-For the 2000-01 season, the Phoenix Suns introduced three new logos. Two of these were merely updates to existing logos, modernizing the themes and adding the gray color. The logo pictured here incorporates the mythical phoenix bird into the existing Suns' theme. It illustrates the team's hometown by picturing the bird it was named after rising out a ball with an abbreviation for Phoenix. Of the team's three logos, this is the one that adorns the hardwood at center court. There is a media dispute over the usage of the logo, as many TV networks use the new one (right), but many video games and websites still use a secondary logo that had been the team's main logo of the 1990s.

Uniforms
Since the 2000-2001 season, the Suns have used the same white home and purple road uniforms. On October 20th of 2003, an alternate uniform was introduced that was to be used at a minimum, five games a year. This orange uniform is used both at home and on the road. It is the only uniform in the NBA that has an abbreviated version of the city name, PHX, across the front chest. For the 2006-2007 season the Suns removed the uniform number from the side of the shorts, replacing it with the same sun logo that is found on the other side.

The Suns Gorilla
For the first eleven seasons of their existence in the NBA, the Suns had no official mascot. An early attempt was made involving a sunflower costume, but it never caught on. In the winter of 1980, a singing telegram from Eastern Onion was sent to the arena in a gorilla costume. Security saw him and suggested to him to stay for a while to entertain the fans during the breaks. He kept coming to games until officially invited to be the Suns' mascot.

Since then, the gorilla, named Go, has been known for his slapstick humor during the games and the fantastic dunks that are performed before each 4th quarter. The gorilla was honored in 2005 when he was selected to be one of three inaugural members of the Mascots Hall of Fame.