Our series on the four jerseys fans of every NBA team continues today. It’s Pacific Division week, and today we’re focusing on the Phoenix Suns. Remember, we’re not just going to list off four popular players in team history. We know that when you’re wearing a jersey, you’re going for a “look.” So every day we’re going to tell you the jersey you’ve got to have, the jersey you can’t go wrong with (in case you can’t find the first one), the jersey that will make people say “Oh, that’s awesome,” and the joke jersey that will have everyone laughing.
The Phoenix Suns have been pretty good over their 43 seasons in existence. Their .559 all-time winning percentage is fourth behind the LA Lakers, Boston Celtics and San Antonio Spurs. They’re tied for 10th all time in playoff appearances. So they’ve had some pretty good players. But fans have seen a lot of heartbreak as well. With that comes hard feelings and player movement as the team has tried time and time again to get over the championship hump.
That makes choosing the right jerseys tough, but these four absolutely belong in any Suns fan’s rotation.
Gotta Have:
Dan Majerle — He went from being booed on draft day (prompting Cotton Fitzsimmons to say “you people will be sorry that you ever booed this young man”) to becoming arguably the most popular player in franchise history (prompting those booing fans to think to themselves “damn, a guy named ‘Cotton’ shut me up”). A 3-time All-Star, and deadly from long-range, Majerle won fans over with a combination of his skill and hard work. Forget the other three jerseys on the list, if you’re a Suns fan without Thunder Dan’s #9, then you’ve got some shopping to do.
Can’t Go Wrong With:
Steve Nash — With so many great names in Suns history, there are any number of names you can choose for this one. But Nash stands out for a couple of reasons. First, he’s awesome. He’s still out there whipping insane passes around and hitting huge jumpers. Second, his antics on social media outlets have made him one of the most likable guys the league has seen. He’s a funny guy. And he’s one of the best ever. Assuming he plays the expected 75-80 games this season, he’ll be third all time in games played for Phoenix. And he can take second if he plays again next season. There’s not a single Suns fan that will question your #13.
“Oh, That’s Cool”:
Alvan Adams — You want cool? The Suns retired his #33, but when the team brought Grant Hill in, he let Grant wear the number anyway. That’s a cool dude. Oh, and he was pretty damn good too. He’s by far the team leader in games played, he’s was a Rookie of the Year, and he helped lead the Suns to their first ever NBA Finals appearance. He’s the team leader in rebounds and steals, and he’s third in assists (he was a center/forward, by the way) and fourth in blocks. Plus, you’ll get extra cool points when someone assumes your Suns #33 is a Grant Hll jersey, only to see “Adams” on the back as you walk by. Good luck though. Getting one in his vintage style is very tough.
“Oh, That’s Funny”:
Oliver Miller — Yeah, it’s “let’s make fun of the fat guy” time. But this one has a little twist. Because Miller was actually at his most fit in his early Suns days. He had fellow former (and future) fat guy Charles Barkley helping him stay in some kind of shape (other than round). OK, ok… he was never really anything other than round, but he was MUCH rounder the second time around. So instead of the #23 he wore in his first two years, we’re looking at the #8 jersey Miller wore in his second go-round with the Suns as our funny jersey. Not only because he was fatter (which is funnier), but because it tells the rest of your Suns faithful that you still feel like a little Slim Fast and some P90-X will do the trick for ol’ Ollie.
There you have it. The four jerseys Suns fans have got to have. Disagree with us? Let us know who we missed in the comments.
Atlantic Division: Boston, New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia, Toronto
Central Division: Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Indiana, Milwaukee
Southeast Division: Atlanta, Charlotte, Orlando, Miami, Washington
Pacific Division: Golden State, LA Clippers, LA Lakers
Tomorrow: Sacramento
