The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team which is part of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference NBA (National Basketball Association). They are based in Phoenix, Arizona, and play all their home games at U.S. Airways Center and has played there since 1992. They are generally regarded as one of the more successful teams in the National Basketball Association, although they have never won the World Championships. They have been to the NBA Finals twice in 41 years they played (1976 and 1993) but then go empty handed both times. For the record, the team has posted 50 + win seasons 19 times over the years since they entered the league as an expansion team. In addition, they also differ with the Western Conference Finals eight times. Phoenix Suns
The founded in 1968 as an expansion team along with the Milwaukee Bucks. They became the first professional sports team in Arizona and is owned bygroup consisting of Don Pitt, Don Diamond, Richard Bloch, Karl Eller, and Andy Williams. Johnny Kerr became the first head coach of the franchise and became the General Manager Jerry Colangelo. Suns will struggle during the first few years until they get Paul Westphal, Alvan Adams, and Ricky Sobers in the 1975-1976 season. They have up and down season, but finally went deep into the post season and making their first NBA Finals appearance. They face the Boston Celtics and eventually was ousted after six games but put up against the brave in the attempt. The next important
The era came in 1993 with the arrival of “Sir” Charles Barkley. That year he won the league MVP and Phoenix directly to make threats in the league. Barkley Suns helped by giving him a supporting cast of Danny Ainge, Oliver Miller and Richard Dumas. In the same year they finally win 62 games in the regular season and then defeated the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs. They then went on to beat both Spurs and Sonics to advance to the NBA finals for the second time in franchise history. There they met Michael Jordan and his Chicago Bulls. As has been done by other teams so much, Michael Jordan and the Bulls held the Suns to run and get another NBA Championship from.
Since then the Suns have gone up and down until around 2004 when Phoenix took another superstar Steven Nash. He was the NBA Most Valuable Player twice and have been playing like that since coming to Phoenix. Suns also take a player like Shawn Marion and Shaquille O’Neal for a while but has since moved to a different direction. Currently, Steve Nash was backed by players like Amare Stoudemire who have helped them become the dominant presence in the Western Conference. n Known as “they Run” Gun-style “play, often out-hustles Phoenix and their opponents have worn out. In the 2009-10 season when they compete for two places in the west and look to make a statement in the league in the next few years.