Phoenix Suns

Lore & Background

The franchise began play in 1968 as an expansion team. Their early years were mired in mediocrity, but their fortunes changed in the 1970s after partnering Dick Van Arsdale and Alvan Adams with Paul Westphal. The team reached the 1976 NBA Finals, in what is considered to be one of the biggest upsets in NBA history. After failing to capture a championship, the Suns rebuilt around Walter Davis for a majority of the 1980s, until the acquisition of Kevin Johnson in 1988. Under Johnson's leadership, and following the acquisition of Charles Barkley, the Suns became a consistent playoff team, reaching the playoffs for a franchise-record thirteen consecutive seasons and reaching the 1993 NBA Finals. The team failed to win the championship and entered another period of mediocrity until the early 2000s. In 2004, the Suns signed free agent Steve Nash and returned to playoff contention. With Nash, Shawn Marion, and Amar'e Stoudemire, and under head coach Mike D'Antoni, the Suns became renowned for their quick, dynamic offense, leading them to tie a franchise record in wins in the 2004–05 season. Two more top two Conference placements followed, but the Suns again failed to attain an NBA championship. After ten consecutive seasons without a playoff berth, the Suns reached the 2021 NBA Finals after acquiring Chris Paul, but lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in six games. In 2023, the Suns acquired Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal.

In Their Own Story

The narrative of Oubre's stint with the Warriors is bookended by a quiet debut and an explosive finale. After arriving in late November, he waited over a month to step onto the court, finally appearing on December 22 against the Brooklyn Nets. In that contest, the team suffered a lopsided 125–99 defeat, but Oubre recorded six points and seven rebounds. The true turning point of his tenure arrived in February. On February 4, 2021, facing the Dallas Mavericks, Oubre unleashed an offensive barrage, scoring a then career-high 40 points. This outburst powered the Warriors to a dominant 147–116 win, showcasing the high-ceiling potential that made his acquisition notable. Despite this singular breakout performance, his time in Golden State was short-lived, ending with a trade to the Charlotte Hornets.

Reader's Guide

The Suns own the NBA's fifth-best all-time winning percentage, have the highest winning percentage of any team to have never won an NBA championship, and have the most NBA Finals appearances (three) without a championship. 13 Hall of Famers have played for Phoenix, while two – Barkley and Nash – won NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) while playing for the team. Their Gowdy Award Winning radio announcer Al McCoy is the longest-tenured broadcaster in NBA history.

Did You Know?

• The Suns were one of two franchises to join the NBA at the start of the 1968–69 season, alongside the Milwaukee Bucks.
• The Suns nickname was chosen from 28,000 entries in a name-the-team contest sponsored by The Arizona Republic.
• Al McCoy, the Suns' longtime play-by-play announcer, has called all three NBA Finals appearances for the franchise (1976, 1993, and 2021).