Hey what’s going on out there in Bloggersville, USA? I know it’s been some time since my last post but I’ve had a pretty eventful summer. On May 7, I lost my grandmother, so I needed personal time with the family to work through the loss. She was 85 years old and meant the world to me. It took my entire family by surprise because she was very healthy and getting around like a woman half her age. She was the matriarch of our family and was one of the most influential people in my life. Everyone who’s ever met her, fell in love with her. She was very grandmother-like but was real “hip” on the times. Much Love to everyone for your prayers and acts of kindness. I really appreciated them. Especially those from my Suns and Bay area Families. You guys are the best! Love ya Gran. Miss ya. [Read more...]

Ah, when the Valley temperature cools to the low 200s, the Cardinals are driving everyone crazy with their inconsistency, and the Suns head back to training camp…Is there any better time of year?

I’ve named my fantasy basketball team this season “Team Microfracture,” in the hopes that putting that unsavory word out there will ward off injury and keep my team in the thick of it. It’s a risky “if” to put my faith in, but isn’t that all any NBA team can hope for, really? That a few of its major “ifs” come through for a given season?

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If you love basketball and you haven’t been to the Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts, you need to go at some point. It was remodeled five or six years ago and it is really beautiful. There’s a great collection of memorabilia and plaques honoring all of the inductees, including our own Ann Meyers Drysdale and Jerry Colangelo. When you walk in, you truly feel like you’re in the Mecca of basketball.

Last week, I made my second visit to the Hall for the induction ceremonies – my first trip was two years ago to see Al McCoy honored for his work in broadcasting. This time I went to support a couple of former teammates, Michael Jordan and David Robinson, along with two others who have had a huge impact on my life – Doug Collins and Johnny ‘Red’ Kerr, the former Suns’ coach. [Read more...]

I used to wonder why I never got much attention from the fairer sex when I was a teenager. Now I suspect it was my admiration of the Phoenix Suns that may have been the culprit.

No, that doesn’t mean I was so obsessed with the Suns that I couldn’t think, speak or interact with the rest of the world, like Patton Oswalt in the excellent new film, “Big Fan.” Rather, I thought the Suns were cool. So, in order to be cool myself, I thought I had to be more like the Suns. Now, obviously, I wasn’t tall. And I wasn’t athletically gifted. So I couldn’t emulate my heroes in those senses. But could I dress like them? You bet.

Was that a good idea? You bet it wasn’t. [Read more...]

On Wednesday, September 9, Suns President and CEO Rick Welts and Suns owner and Indian Wells resident, Dick Heckmann, along with Suns legend Alvan Adams started out a media blitz in the sunny Coachella Valley at 5:30 a.m. visiting KPSP-TV 2 studios. From there, the team visited seven more television and radio studios throughout the day to promote the 2nd NBA Outdoors game at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden on Saturday, October 10.

While on the blitz, Welts, Heckmann and Adams announced that the Phoenix Suns have introduced a special “Back to School” offer of half-price tickets, in limited price categories, to catch the Phoenix Suns in action when they take on the Golden State Warriors in Indian Wells, CA. The discount offer runs through September 18 or while supplies last. Fans of all ages can take advantage of the deal using the password “school” online at Suns.com or at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden box office. Ticket prices for the half-price “Back to School” special start as low as $25.

On October 11, 2008 the NBA hosted the first outdoor game of the modern era which featured a preseason showcase between the Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. The sold out event, known as the AutoTrader.com Open, saw the Denver Nuggets outlast the Phoenix Suns, 77-72.

Phoenix Suns guard Jason Richardson was back home in Saginaw, Mich., working on his game, his golf game that is. The Suns guard and Saginaw native enjoyed giving back to his community during a three-day event, July 22-24, which included a golf tournament, family food donations, and a motivational speaking event for both boys and girls.

The sixth annual golf tournament funded by Richardson, which he has dubbed the Jason Richardson Golf Classic, drew 124 golfers and all of the proceeds went to the United Way of Saginaw County. On Thursday Richardson teamed up with Parishioners on Patrol and the Northeast Neighborhood Association of Saginaw to distribute food to 1,000 families at a local park. About 4,000 people showed up to the event to collect the 25-pound food boxes that were being given out. On Friday, boys and girls ages 12 and up were invited to Jason’s “Focus on the Family Conference” that took place at Saginaw Valley State University.

For his contributions, Richardson is a finalist for the NBA’s Jefferson Award, given to a player for his philanthropic activities. Suns teammate Steve Nash is also a finalist.

Once upon a simpler time, a Hammertime, when the words “dot” and “com” had yet to be perfected, when mall hair ruled the Earth, and “direct television” meant you turned on the television and there was a picture, there lived a kind, talented young knight known as Prince Kevin.

Prince Kevin called a purple and orange Madhouse his home.  In the context we use here, however, this Madhouse was a happy place, filled with people who cheered for tall warriors in violet sneakers, who wore cowboy letters across their chests, and very, very short shorts.  This Madhouse was in the desert, and Prince Kevin came to that desert from the Land of Cleve, where he was neither loved nor wanted, along with Mark the Massive and Tyrone, the Man of Many Faces (he was a role player), in exchange for two guys named Larry and Mike.  Mark and Tyrone were valued additions, but Prince Kevin was the prize.

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(Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE/Getty Images)

With summer league behind us and our roster close to being finalized, I thought this would be a good time to fill you in on what has been a very productive, busy off season for our team.

Our goals heading into next year were to add young talent, create financial flexibility and become more mobile along the front line.  With our roster beginning to age and a clear need to make improvements defensively, we felt it was important to begin to make a transition of sorts.  At the same time, we didn’t want to blow up the team and start from scratch.  After all, we’re still very talented and we won 46 games during an adversity filled season last year.   We know there’s still plenty of potential with our team.

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Whether it takes you being faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive or able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, free up some time this week to head out to San Diego for the annual Comic-Con and say hello to Suns blogger and superfan Adam Beechen.

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