Featured Articles

Suns One On One: Charles Barkley

January 28, 2013 By

Suns One On One host Greg Esposito caught up with Suns legend and hall of famer Charles Barkley at the US Airways Center while he was in town working for TNT. The two discussed the 1992-93 season, the NBA Finals, God and why ESPN’s Bill Simmons is wrong. Hear all that and much more on this week’s episode.

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Don’t forget you can find a new episode of the show here every week, you can also subscribe to the show on iTunes and listen in the official Suns App. Also get in touch with the show by email here.

Filed Under: Featured Articles, Suns One on One, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , ,

Charles Barkley Makes a Comeback

August 27, 2012 By

If you’re a child of the 1990s you remember Charles Barkley in video games like the original NBA Jam, the NBA Live franchise and even his own title, Barkley Shut Up and Jam (like Sir Charles, the name was quite subtle). If you grew up with any of the new generation of consoles though, you’ve never known the pleasure of dropping 30 points and grabbing 10 boards on opponents with the 6–6 “Round Mound of Rebound.” That is, until now.

With the digital version of Sir Charles going MIA for almost as long as DJ Jazzy Jeff’s acting career, it took something pretty special to get him to allow his likeliness to return to a video game. After rebuffing previous overtures in the past few years, 2K Sports brought out the big guns (a music and entertainment mogul) to convince Barkley. It didn’t take long for him to say yes. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Greg Esposito, Retorter's Notebook Tagged With: , , ,

Remembering Charles Barkley's Arrival

June 19, 2012 By

It’s crazy how 20 years slips by. And from the moment Charles stepped into the terminal at Sky Harbor Airport, the sports landscape changed forever in Arizona. There never had been and never will be a bigger sports personality in the Valley. We have seen some major superstars and Hall of Famers like Randy Johnson of the D’Backs, Emmitt Smith and Kurt Warner with the Cardinals and even Wayne Gretzky skate-in to run the Coyotes, but nobody held a crowd with bravado and charisma like Chuck.

I was watching the “Dream Team” documentary the other night, and it occurred to me how modest and humble Charles was during those first couple days in Phoenix. But once he settled in to his sizzling new home after his arrival (by the way, Cotton Fitzsimmons should have raised the roof on his convertible when he drove Barkley away from the airport that smokin’ hot day), Charles let it fly. We all know what a sound bite machine he was (and still is), not to mention his antics on and off the floor that are still legendary. But I will always remember the behind the scenes events from that first year – like the first training camp up in Flagstaff. [Read more...]

Filed Under: 2011-12 Season Tagged With: , , , ,

Happy Anniversary Sir Charles

June 18, 2012 By

This marks my 20th anniversary.

I’m not talking about a wedding anniversary – I’m not convinced someone could spend 20 years with me without losing their mind anyways. I am, however, talking about an anniversary with my first love, and don’t worry, I told my wife she’d always be No. 2 on this list.

It’s not a woman I fell in love with years ago or even a person. You see, 20 years ago today, an eight-year-old Espo became a Phoenix Suns fan. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Greg Esposito Tagged With: , , , ,

Flashback Friday: 1993 NBA All-Star Game

May 25, 2012 By

Welcome to a new feature here on the blog we’re calling Flashback Friday where we fire up the Delorean to 88 mph — as long as we have enough plutonium — and take a look back at a part of Suns history.

This week we rummaged through the tape library and dusted off this classic look at the 1993 NBA All-Star Game in Utah. Remember that game? It was the one where the Suns coaching staff of Paul Westphal, Lionel Hollins and Scotty Robertson manned the helm of the Western Conference team. It was also the weekend Charles Barkley was a starter and the leading vote getter in the West, Dan Majerle came off the bench, Cedric Ceballos was defending his dunk contest championship and Connie Hawkins played in the legends game.

So won’t you take a walk down memory lane with us? We promise you won’t be disappointed (Disclaimer: We can’t really promise that but we have a good feeling that you’ll enjoy this.)

Filed Under: Flashback Friday Tagged With: , , , , ,

Suns Season Full of Surprises

April 10, 2012 By

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...]

Filed Under: 2011-12 Season, Greg Esposito Tagged With: , , , , ,

The Suns Meet Hunger Games

March 23, 2012 By

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...]

Filed Under: 2011-12 Season, Greg Esposito Tagged With: , , ,

Gentry has a Recipe for Success

March 19, 2012 By

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...]

Filed Under: 2011-12 Season, Greg Esposito Tagged With: , , , , , ,

What If… Social Media Existed During the 1993 NBA Finals

October 28, 2011 By

 

How do you know when you have a problem?

I only ask because I’m starting to think I might have one involving the Phoenix Suns and NBA TV. Over the last week the network has been airing the best games of the 1993 playoffs. While that sounds like a great thing on the surface — I mean really, who wouldn’t want to relive when Charles Barkley, Kevin Johnson, Dan Majerle and the rest of the Suns wreaked havoc on a good portion of the NBA — but when you dig a little deeper there’s just one major problem. No matter how many times I try to act like the Man of Steel — the superhero not the former center — in Superman: The Movie I just can’t fly fast enough to turn back time and change the way that season ended. Alright, I’ll be honest, I can’t fly at all but hoping and wishing it will end differently hasn’t worked either. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Greg Esposito, Suns.com Staff Tagged With: , , , , ,

They Call Me "Espo"

September 6, 2011 By

 

Hi, my name is Greg Esposito, my friends call me Espo and I’m a Phoenix Suns-aholic.

While most people battle their addictions, try to ignore them or get help for them, I wear mine as a badge of honor and have since I was a five year old growing up in Chandler. No matter how many Lakers, Bulls or Rockets fans tried to sway me, I stayed loyal to the purple and orange. [Read more...]
Filed Under: Greg Esposito, Suns.com Staff Tagged With: , , ,
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