Still need a reason to rally around the Phoenix Suns? We've got 9 for you (yes, Devin Booker is one)
Do you say you’re not much of a basketball fan? Can't understand why your friends and family are suddenly excited about the Phoenix Suns? Maybe you're looking for a reason to rally around the home team here in the Valley of the Suns.
We’re here to help.
The Suns got past the Los Angeles Clippers in the opening round of the NBA playoffs and now move on to the semifinals against the Denver Nuggets.
We first posted these reasons to root for the Suns if you're just now finding the bandwagon prior to the Clippers' series. Still on the fence? Here are some reasons why you should root for the Phoenix Suns:
An Arizona original
They’re Arizona’s original big-time pro sports franchise. They didn’t move here from somewhere else. They were born here in 1968 as an NBA expansion franchise and grew up with the Valley. The oldest child deserves some love!
We’re No. 1 ... on a dubious list
No current NBA franchise has gone longer without EVER winning an NBA title than Phoenix: 54 years, despite three previous finals appearances (1976, 1993, 2021). Time for this to change. The team they play in Round 1, the Clippers, are second at 52 years, including the franchise’s time as the San Diego Clippers (1978-84) and Buffalo Braves (1970-78). The Kings and Hawks franchises have gone longer than both without winning one, but each did so in previous cities (Rochester in 1951 and St. Louis in 1958 respectively).
A sendoff for Al
It’s Al McCoy’s final season after 51 years as the Voice of the Suns. What better way to send off this Valley icon than finally having him announce that the Phoenix Suns are NBA champions!
One for Jerry
Jerry Colangelo came to Phoenix from Chicago to get this franchise started and along the way became majority owner, before selling the team to Robert Saver in 2004. But he’s remained a fixture here in the Valley and a big part of USA Basketball. He brought the D-Backs to Arizona and was the majority owner when the team won the World Series in 2001. Love him or not, he’s been a major influencer whose presence has paralleled the Valley’s growth for more than 50 years. It'd be nice for him to see his beloved Suns finally take home a trophy.
Nobody else is this close
When you look at the other three Phoenix-based franchises among the "Big 4" national sports, none currently are in a better position to bring a title home than the Suns. The D-Backs so far look like they’re turning things around. The Cardinals’ off-season has been rough, to say the least, and a Super Bowl appears a distant dream. The Coyotes, well... (The Mercury might be a team to watch now that Brittney Griner is back, but the jury still is out on them).
Book it
There is no doubt that Devin Booker is one of the NBA’s premier players, and he’s been a Sun his entire career, enduring a down period when the team wasn’t any good before helping to lead its turnaround. There’s little doubt he’ll be remembered among the franchise’s all-time greats, alongside names like Nash, Barkley, KJ, Davis and Westphal. Sure, Durant may be the key missing part, but in Booker, the fans have a star player they can rally around who endured the lean times here and was drafted by Phoenix.
Deandre Ayton
The name is divisive for local fans, a player who many feel still hasn’t reached his potential, but he’s a local guy who played high school ball at Hillcrest Prep in Phoenix and starred at Arizona. And he was a No. 1 draft pick in 2018 who forever will be compared to the No. 2 pick, Luka Doncic of Dallas. Well, the Mavs aren’t in the playoffs, while Ayton, who can dominate whenever he feels so inclined, has a chance to claim a ring first.
If Portland, Cleveland and Milwaukee can do it ...
The NBA is a league where one or two players can turn a team around, which is why franchises in smaller cities can compete with the big boys in New York, L.A., and Chicago. Phoenix, however, is not a small city. It’s the fifth largest in the U.S. and also the largest city in the NBA to not win a title. That’s a little embarrassing. The four largest – New York, L.A. (Lakers) Chicago and Houston all can boast multiple NBA titles. Also, franchises in the next largest cities after Phoenix — Philadelphia and San Antonio — also have more than one title in their histories. Time to join the club.
Plenty of room on the bandwagon
If nothing else, it's always fun to get swept up in community pride. What better time to hop on the bandwagon? You'll be glad you did if (when?) they win it all in June. If they don't, you just might become a fan for life.
Series prediction: Suns have too much offense, will push past Los Angeles Clippers in 6
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Why should you root for the Phoenix Suns in the NBA Playoffs?
