60 Fun Facts About Phoenix Suns

How many games did the Suns win in their inaugural 1968–69 season?

The Suns won 16 games and lost 66 in 1968–69, the worst record in the NBA that season, which put them in the coin flip for the 1969 No. 1 pick.

Which other franchise joined the NBA alongside the Suns in 1968?

The two expansion mates flipped a coin for the 1969 No. 1 pick, and Milwaukee won the rights to Lew Alcindor.

Whom did the Suns draft with the second pick in 1969 after losing the coin flip for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar?

Neal Walk, a University of Florida centre, went second overall to Phoenix in 1969 and spent five seasons with the Suns before being traded.

What was the entry fee the NBA charged Phoenix and Milwaukee to join the league in 1968?

The expansion fee was $2 million per franchise; Phoenix's ownership group, led by Richard Bloch, paid that sum to enter the league.

Which of these names lost to 'Suns' in the 1968 name-the-team contest?

Scorpions was among the losing entries, along with Rattlers, Thunderbirds, Wranglers, Mavericks, Tumbleweeds, Mustangs and Cougars; the winning 'Suns' entry earned $1,000 and season tickets.

How much was Tucson printer Stan Fabe paid to design the Suns' first iconic logo?

Tucson commercial printer Stan Fabe was paid just $200 for the original sunburst logo, which the Suns wore for their first 24 seasons.

Who became the Suns' first general manager at age 28 in 1968 and later owned the team?

Jerry Colangelo, hired from the Chicago Bulls' front office, became the NBA's youngest general manager at 28 and led the group that bought the Suns for a then-record $44.5 million in 1987.

What was the nickname of Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, the Suns' home for their first 24 seasons?

The Madhouse on McDowell took its name from the Coliseum's address on McDowell Road; the Suns played there from their debut until moving downtown in 1992.

Which broadcaster, 'the Voice of the Suns' from 1972 to 2023, is the longest-tenured in NBA history?

Al McCoy called Suns games for 51 seasons from 1972 to 2023 and received the Curt Gowdy Media Award in 2007.

Which guard did the Suns get from Boston in 1975 for Charlie Scott, sparking their 1976 Finals run?

Paul Westphal arrived from Boston in the 1975 Charlie Scott trade, made four straight All-Star teams in Phoenix and later coached the 1993 Finals team.

Who hit the buzzer-beating turnaround jumper that forced a third overtime in Game 5 of the 1976 Finals?

Garfield Heard's turnaround at the buzzer tied Game 5 after Westphal had deliberately called a timeout the Suns did not have, which moved the inbound to half-court; the Suns nevertheless lost 128–126.

Which team beat the Suns in the 1976 NBA Finals?

The Boston Celtics beat Phoenix in six games for the 1976 title; the Suns had reached the Finals by upsetting the defending champion Warriors in seven.

A 1987 drug scandal saw three active Suns indicted partly on immunised testimony from which star?

Walter Davis, the Suns' star forward, testified under immunity in the 1987 case; no player was convicted, and the scandal hastened the franchise's sale later that year.

Which point guard did the Suns get from Cleveland in the 1988 trade that sent Larry Nance to the Cavaliers?

Kevin Johnson arrived from Cleveland in the February 1988 Larry Nance trade, began a run of 13 straight playoff appearances and later served as mayor of Sacramento.

Which forward, signed by Phoenix in 1988, was the first unrestricted free agent in NBA history?

Tom Chambers signed with Phoenix in July 1988 as the NBA's first unrestricted free agent and scored 60 points in a March 1990 game, then a franchise record.

The Suns' last Coliseum game, a 1992 double-OT playoff loss to Portland, ended by what score?

Portland won 153–151 in double overtime in May 1992, the highest-scoring game in NBA playoff history at the time, and the Suns moved downtown the next season.

Which three players did the Suns send to Philadelphia in 1992 for Charles Barkley?

Jeff Hornacek, Andrew Lang and Tim Perry went to Philadelphia in June 1992 for Charles Barkley, who led the Suns to the Finals in his first season.

How many games did the 1992–93 Suns win to set a franchise record, later tied in 2004–05?

The 1992–93 Suns went 62–20, a mark the 2004–05 team matched; after falling behind 0–2 to the eighth-seeded Lakers they rallied and reached the Finals.

Roughly how many fans celebrated the 1993 Finals team in the streets of Phoenix in 105-degree heat?

An estimated 300,000 fans turned out in downtown Phoenix to honour the team, even though the Suns had lost the Finals to the Bulls in six games.

Which team eliminated the Suns in seven-game conference semifinals in both 1994 and 1995?

Phoenix led 2–0 in 1994 and 3–1 in 1995; Houston won the title both years.

Which fan favourite did the Suns trade to Cleveland in 1995 for John 'Hot Rod' Williams?

Dan Majerle went to the Cavaliers in October 1995 for John 'Hot Rod' Williams; 'Thunder Dan' returned to play a final season in Phoenix in 2001–02 and later coached there.

With which pick did the Suns draft Steve Nash out of Santa Clara in 1996?

Steve Nash went 15th overall in 1996, two picks after Kobe Bryant and one after Peja Stojakovic; he spent two seasons as a Suns backup before being traded.

What was the Suns' record to start 1996–97 after the Barkley trade, the worst start in franchise history?

The Suns opened 1996–97 at 0–13 under Cotton Fitzsimmons and then Danny Ainge, yet finished 40–42 and reached the playoffs.

The 1998 trade of Steve Nash to Dallas brought Phoenix a future first-round pick used on which player?

'The Matrix' became a four-time All-Star in Phoenix.

What nickname was given to the turn-of-the-millennium pairing of Jason Kidd and Penny Hardaway?

'Backcourt 2000' was the Suns' marketing label for Kidd and Hardaway in 1999–2000, but Hardaway's knee injuries kept the duo apart for much of their time together.

Amar'e Stoudemire became the first Rookie of the Year to have been drafted straight from what?

High school was Stoudemire's last stop before the NBA: drafted ninth in 2002 out of Cypress Creek in Orlando, he won the 2002–03 award.

For how much did Robert Sarver's group buy the Suns from their longtime owner in 2004?

Robert Sarver's group paid $401 million in 2004, then the highest price ever for an NBA franchise; Sarver held the team until a 2022 league suspension forced a sale.

By how many games did the Suns improve in 2004–05, a team record, after signing Steve Nash?

The Suns improved by 33 games, from 29–53 in 2003–04 to the best record in the league the next season, after Nash signed as a free agent in July 2004.

Which coach won NBA Coach of the Year with the Suns in 2004–05?

Mike D'Antoni won the 2004–05 Coach of the Year award in his first full season in charge, running the 'seven seconds or less' offence built around Nash.

Steve Nash became the second point guard to win back-to-back MVPs, after whom?

Magic Johnson won consecutive MVP awards in 1989 and 1990; Nash matched the feat in 2005 and 2006 and was runner-up to Dirk Nowitzki in 2007.

Which Suns guard was ejected and suspended for clotheslining Kobe Bryant in the 2006 first round?

Raja Bell was ejected for the Game 5 clothesline and suspended for Game 6; Phoenix nevertheless rallied from 3–1 down to win the series in seven.

How many threes did the Suns hit in Game 7 vs the Clippers in 2006, then a playoff record?

They won by 20 on their home court on May 22, 2006.

Which Sports Illustrated writer wrote 'Seven Seconds or Less', about the 2005–06 Suns?

Jack McCallum, a longtime Sports Illustrated NBA writer, embedded with the team for the 2005–06 season to write 'Seven Seconds or Less', published in 2006.

Which Suns player won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award for 2006–07?

Leandro Barbosa, the 'Brazilian Blur', won the 2006–07 Sixth Man of the Year award, the second Suns player to take it after Eddie Johnson in 1989.

Which former TNT analyst became Suns general manager in 2007 and signed Grant Hill?

Steve Kerr left TNT to run the Suns' front office in June 2007 and signed Grant Hill that summer; he stepped down in 2010 and went on to coach the Warriors.

The Suns' 'Los Suns' uniforms on Cinco de Mayo 2010 were widely reported as a protest against what?

An Arizona illegal-immigration law, SB 1070, signed in April 2010, prompted owner Robert Sarver to have the team wear 'Los Suns' jerseys for Game 2 against San Antonio.

For how much did Amar'e Stoudemire sign with the Knicks in 2010?

Stoudemire's five-year Knicks deal was reported at $100 million in July 2010 after Phoenix declined to fully guarantee a comparable offer over concerns about his knees.

To which team did the Suns trade Steve Nash in 2012?

The Los Angeles Lakers acquired Nash in a July 2012 sign-and-trade that sent Phoenix first-round picks in 2013 and 2015 plus two second-rounders.

Which Kentucky guard did the Suns draft 13th overall in 2015, the youngest player they had ever selected?

Devin Booker, a teenager when Phoenix took him 13th overall out of Kentucky in 2015, scored a franchise-record 70 points in a March 2017 game.

Whom did the Suns select with their first-ever No. 1 overall pick in 2018?

Deandre Ayton, the Arizona centre, was the franchise's first No. 1 pick in 2018, going ahead of Marvin Bagley III and Luka Dončić; he was traded to Portland in 2023.

Which Arizona Cardinals star bought a minority stake in the Suns in January 2020?

Larry Fitzgerald, the Cardinals' receiver, joined the Suns' ownership group as a minority partner in January 2020 while he was an active NFL player.

What was the Suns' record in the 2020 Orlando bubble?

Phoenix went 8–0 in the Orlando bubble, the only unbeaten team there, yet missed the playoffs for a 10th straight year; the Chris Paul trade followed that off-season.

Which head coach led the Suns to the 2021 NBA Finals?

Monty Williams, hired in May 2019, coached Phoenix to the 2021 Finals and was named NBA Coach of the Year the following season after the league's best record.

How many consecutive games did the Suns win in late 2021 to set a franchise record?

The 18-game winning streak ran from late October to December 2021, topping the 17 straight the 2006–07 team won; the Suns finished 64–18, also a franchise record.

For roughly how much did Mat Ishbia buy the Suns and Mercury from Robert Sarver in 2022?

Mat Ishbia agreed in December 2022 to buy a controlling stake at a $4 billion valuation, then a record for an NBA franchise, and the sale closed in February 2023.

Which two young wings went to Brooklyn in the February 2023 trade for Kevin Durant?

Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson headed to the Nets along with Jae Crowder, four unprotected first-round picks and a 2028 pick swap in the February 2023 Durant deal.

Which coach beat the Suns in the 2021 Finals, then was hired and fired by Phoenix in 2024-25?

Mike Budenholzer, whose team beat Phoenix in the 2021 Finals, was hired by the Suns in May 2024 and fired after a single 36–46 season.

Which Suns player won NBA Rookie of the Year for the 1975–76 season?

Alvan Adams, the Oklahoma centre taken fourth overall in 1975, won Rookie of the Year and started at centre in the Suns' run to the 1976 Finals.

The Suns' Gorilla mascot began when a messenger for which type of business danced at a game in a gorilla suit?

A singing telegram service called Eastern Onion employed Henry Rojas, who danced in a gorilla suit at a 1980 game and kept returning until the Suns hired him; 'Go' joined the Mascot Hall of Fame in 2005.

The Suns' Gorilla took a chokeslam and tombstone from Kane on which TV show in 1998?

WWE Raw, then billed as WWF Raw, aired the 1998 segment in which Kane chokeslammed and tombstoned the Gorilla; Bob Woolf, a former Arizona State gymnast, played the character for decades.

The Suns' 'The Valley' City uniform features a pixelated sunset over which Phoenix landmark?

Camelback Mountain, the Phoenix landmark, inspired the pixelated sunset design of 'The Valley' jersey introduced for the 2020–21 season.

Which ABA star joined the Suns in 1969 after settling his antitrust suit against the NBA?

Connie Hawkins, long barred from the NBA over a college point-shaving probe in which he was never charged, settled his suit and joined Phoenix in 1969, making the All-NBA First Team that season.

Which Suns player won the NBA Most Improved Player award for 2005–06?

Boris Diaw, acquired from Atlanta in the 2005 Joe Johnson sign-and-trade, won the 2005–06 Most Improved Player award as the playmaking forward in Phoenix's up-tempo offence.

Where did the Suns play their annual outdoor preseason game from 2008 to 2010?

Indian Wells Tennis Garden in California hosted the Suns' outdoor preseason games in 2008, 2009 and 2010, starting with a 2008 meeting with Denver.

Who was the Suns' first head coach in 1968, fresh from a Coach of the Year season in Chicago?

Johnny 'Red' Kerr, Coach of the Year with the 1966–67 Bulls, coached the expansion Suns through a losing first season and resigned early in the following one.

Which future Hall of Fame guard, picked in the 1968 expansion draft, returned to the Lakers after two Suns seasons?

Gail Goodrich, taken from the Lakers in the expansion draft, averaged 20 or more points in both Suns seasons before a 1970 trade for Mel Counts sent him back to his former team.

The Suns' 1992 downtown arena earned what nickname because of the colour of its seats?

The Purple Palace nickname came from the purple seats of America West Arena, which opened in June 1992 and hosted the Suns' 1993 Finals games.

Which NBA team did the Suns face in their very first game in 1968?

The Seattle SuperSonics, then entering only their second season, were the opponents for the Suns' debut at the Coliseum in mid-October of their inaugural season.

In the Gorilla mascot's fictional backstory, where did he earn his education?

'Go' supposedly hails from the Banana Republic; original performer Henry Rojas retired after the 1987-88 season.

What colour was the base of the Suns' 2022-23 City uniform saluting Native American culture?

Turquoise, a stone sacred to many Southwestern tribes, formed the base of the 2022–23 City jersey, paired with black lettering and indigenous art on the striping.