They say behind every great man is a great woman. In the NBA there should be a similar adage: Behind every great starting lineup is a great bench, at least if you hope to succeed.
The Suns have been the benefactor of just that over the last month of the season. Despite the slow start for the team and their bench, it’s come together as of late. As the bench has improved, so has the Suns record from 12-17 to 30-28. [Read more...]
As you grow up sometimes you see your childhood heroes in a new light, and sometimes that light isn’t flattering. Other times it’s just plain scary or, at the very least, completely surprising.
I experienced that firsthand the other day while watching television. During my one free hour not spent focusing on the Suns, one of the mindless shows I watch went to commercial before I could fast-forward with the DVR remote, and I was greeted with an image of a sports idol from my youth. It was a face familiar to any Suns fan that has been in the Valley for years, yet there was something completely different about him. That was because this individual was wearing a little black dress, had shaved legs and was wearing a wig. [Read more...]
There was one event that was talked about more than any other this weekend. It wasn’t the NCAA Elite Eight. 90 degree heat or even the return of Don Draper’s raging libido (although it finished a close second). The thing that made many grown men and women around the country transform into high school girls at a Katy Perry concert was the premiere of the film The Hunger Games.
For those of you who haven’t read the book because your idea of heavy reading is getting through a full Grantland article or cracking open a magazine — present company included — both the book and the film are about a post-apocalyptic America separated into 12 districts. Every year each district is represented by one individual in a televised fight to the death. The concept is interesting to say the least, although not completely original. It is similar to the 1980’s movie Running Man and Stephen King’s 1970’s novel The Long Walk.
But what if the idea were put into a sports context. Cue your inner Eminem… Look, if you had one shot, or one opportunity to save your life who would you ask to capture it or let it slip away? [Read more...]
Since the All-Star break the Suns have been hotter than the asphalt of a Phoenix parking lot in July. They’ve rattled off nine wins in 11 games, have moved over .500 for the first time this season and they’re only a half game back of the eighth and final playoff spot. Needless to say, after a rough start, things are starting to look brighter in Phoenix.
When asked after Sunday’s game to identify the difference between his team in the first and second half of the season, Head Coach Alvin Gentry sarcastically responded: “Coaching.” As they say, there’s an ounce (or in this case a pound) of truth in every joke. [Read more...]
That’s right, I’m using Kendrick Perkins’ name as a verb now. That’s because Markieff Morris treated Blake Griffin the same way Griffin treated the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Kendrick Perkins earlier this season, with complete disregard, on a dunk.
If you weren’t paying close enough attention to the Suns’ game against the Clippers Thursday night you might have missed it. That’s because the most monstrous dunk of the year for Phoenix hasn’t exactly been given the praise, at least nationally, that it deserves. [Read more...]
Sometimes you find out unique things about your favorite athletes from odd places. We learned Kareerm Abdul Jabbar could act from the movie Airplane. If it weren’t for reality television, we wouldn’t know that Jerry Rice could dance or just how out there Jose Canseco really is. Because of Twitter and JMZ, we learned Jared Dudley makes a pretty good cameraman.
Over the years we’ve learned a lot about Steve Nash from interesting places. If it weren’t for YouTube, we probably wouldn’t know about his zany sense of humor. If it weren’t for ESPN’s documentary series 30-for-30, we may never have seen his series filmmaking side. Now, thanks to clips that were left on the cutting room floor from a new ad campaign by Dove, we’ve gotten even more insight into the mind of the Suns’ assist master. Oh, and maybe the greatest Nash quote of all-time. [Read more...]
If Jared Dudley’s month of March continues the way it has gone so far, the Phoenix Suns may hire someone to constantly walk behind him carrying an iPod and speakers with the song “All I Do Is Win” by DJ Khaled playing on loop. Picture a modern day John Cusack from the movie Say Anything if that helps.
That’s because Dudley has averaged 18.6 points and 7.9 rebounds in a month in which the Suns are 5-2, and in two of those victories he has lead the team in scoring. But all of that may pale in comparison to his accomplishment on Monday. [Read more...]
Forget “Tebow Time” and “Linsanity,” Peyton Manning is dominating the discussion across the sports landscape lately. From social media to SportsCenter, and everywhere in between, the former No. 1 pick is all anyone can seem to talk about these days.
Not since Brad Pitt dumped Jennifer Aniston has a free-agent hitting the market made this much noise. The question remains though, who will be Angelina Jolie to Manning’s Pitt?
We at Suns.com wonder, why can’t it be a team that calls Arizona home? [Read more...]
When you think fashion in the NBA you probably think of long shorts, throwback jerseys, sneakers and the occasional pair of glasses that resemble something that came from the Steve Urkel collection. (Sorry, I won’t name names. SportsCenter does that for me.)
If fans ever talk about players based on what they wear it’s usually about their headbands or their new signature kicks. Rarely do they notice a player’s socks. In the mid 90s Suns fans were the exception. They took note of guard Elliot Perry’s knee-high tube socks. The long white hosiery with the embroidered blue and red NBA logo swallowed his leg from toe to calf like a cotton python. The unique look earned him the simple, yet appropriate, nickname, ‘Socks’. [Read more...]
Kobe Bryant likes the Phoenix Suns about as much as Lady Gaga liked Adele winning Grammys. Which is to say, not at all.
I’m not just making an assumption. He’s actually told the media as much. [Read more...]
