From The Original Sun and Hawk to KJ and TC, throughout their 40-year
history the Phoenix Suns have presented talented and entertaining players,
who gave it their all every night. Individuals dedicated to putting a
winning product on the court while also injecting a positive attitude into the
organization and community.
Jerry Colangelo is the latest to join this exclusive group in the Suns'
prestigious Ring of Honor, recognizing players and personnel from the team's
storied history who made the biggest impact. The longtime executive was added to the ring at US Airways Center on Nov. 4, 2007.
33 Alvan Adams
Nicknames: "Oklahoma Kid" and "Double A"... Spent entire 13-year
career in a Suns uniform (1975-88)... Undersized 6-9 All-American
center for John MacLeod's Oklahoma Sooners... Blessed with uncanny
ability to pass... Selected by Suns with fourth overall pick in
1975 draft... NBA Rookie of the Year after helping Suns to
first-ever appearance in NBA Finals, versus Dave Cowens-led Boston
Celtics... Phoenix's career leader in games played (988), minutes
played (27,203), rebounds (6,937) and steals (1,289)... Ranks
second in assists (4,102) behind Kevin Johnson... Suns jersey
retired Nov. 9, 1988. Currently director of operations for US Airways Center.
34 Charles Barkley
Nicknames: “Sir Charles,” “The Chuckster” and “Round Mound of Rebound”… The 6-6 power forward made the most of his size to become one of the most talented and outrageous players ever… Came to Phoenix in the summer of 1992 in a trade with Philadelphia as a four-time First Team All-NBA member and MVP of the 1991 All-Star Game… Led the Suns to the league’s best record (62-20) on the way to the 1993 NBA Finals in his first season in Phoenix… Voted as an All-Star starter and named to an All-NBA team in each of his four seasons with the Suns… Joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain and Karl Malone as the only players in NBA history to amass over 20,000 points, 10,000 rebounds and 4,000 assists… Named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA history… Remains an integral part of the game as a critically acclaimed and popular studio commentator on TNT's coverage of the NBA. He was inducted into the Suns RIng of Honor on March 20, 2004.
24 Tom Chambers
Nicknames: "TC" and "Tommy Gun"... 6-10 forward became first
unrestricted free agent in NBA, signing with Phoenix on July 8,
1988... Helped transform Suns into instant contenders, leading club
to 27-win turnaround, third biggest in league history at time...
Suns advanced to Conference Finals three times and NBA Finals once
during Chambers' five seasons in Phoenix... One of Suns most
prolific scorers, scored Suns record 60 points versus Seattle on
March 24, 1990. Holds club record for points in a season, averaging
27.2 per game in 1989-90... Four-time NBA All-Star, three as a
Sun... Inducted into Suns Ring of Honor on April 18, 1999...
Currently serves in Suns community relations department.
Jerry Colangelo
Pioneer, innovator, businessman, four-time NBA Executive of the Year, NBA Hall of Famer… Jerry Colangelo’s titles and awards are as plentiful as his contributions to the Phoenix Suns and sports in general. Ever since moving to the desert in 1968 to guide the expansion NBA franchise as the youngest general manager in pro sports, Colangelo has used his ambitious, entrepreneurial vision to transform the Downtown Phoenix sports landscape. In addition to serving as the face of an NBA franchise with the fourth-best all-time record, Colangelo also brought both professional hockey and Major League Baseball to the state of Arizona, while leading the charge in the construction of US Airways Center. Colangelo was placed in the Ring of Honor on Nov. 4, 2007.
6 Walter Davis
Nicknames: "The Greyhound," "Sweet D" and "Man with the Velvet
Touch"... Regarded as best pure shooter in Suns history... Owned
Veterans Memorial Coliseum baseline during 11 seasons with Phoenix
(1977-88)... 6-6 guard from Dean Smith's NorthCarolina Tar Heels...
Selected by Phoenix with fifth overall pick in 1977 draft... NBA
1978 Rookie of the Year... With uncanny ability to hit last-second
shots, became West's premier small forward... Phoenix's all-time
leading scorer (15,666)... Ranks among top five in eight other Suns
categories... Six-time NBA All-Star... Suns jersey retired April 3,
1994. Currently a broadcaster for the Denver Nuggets.
Lowell Fitzsimmons
Nicknames: “Cotton” and “Whitey”… Twenty-year NBA coaching career included three stints as Suns head coach with a 341-208 record… Retired from coaching sixth on the NBA’s all-time victory list with an overall record of 832-775… Became sixth coach in league history to register 800 coaching victories on March 31, 1992… In 1988-89, orchestrated what was at the time the third-biggest turnaround in NBA history in guiding the club to a 55-27 record… Named NBA Coach of the month for April 1989 and 1988-89 NBA Coach of the Year for the second time in his career (1978-79, Kansas City)… Chief color analyst on KTAR Radio and UPN 45, as well as a national television analyst for TNT and NBC… A native of Hannibal, Missouri, was inducted into the Missouri Basketball Hall of Fame, the National Junior College Hall of Fame and the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame… Passed away on July 24, 2004 and is survived by his wife JoAnn, son Gary, and grandchildren Tim and Kelley.
42 Connie Hawkins
Nickname: "The Hawk"... Acrobatic 6-9 forward paved way for
high-flyers such as Julius Erving and Michael Jordan... One of New
York City's greatest playground legends... 1960 All-American at
Brooklyn's Boys High... Left University of Iowa as a freshman... In
'62, at age 19, won the American Basketball League's MVP with
Pittsburgh Rens... Harlem Globetrotter (1964-66)... Led Pittsburgh
Pipers to first-ever ABA title ('67)... Averaged 16.5 ppg, 8.0 rpg
in seven seasons with Phoenix, Lakers, Atlanta... Joined Suns after
coin flip with Seattle in summer of 1969... All-Star each season in
Phoenix... Listed as one of the top 15 players by Kareem
Abdul-Jabbar... Elected to Hall of Fame May 11, 1992... Suns jersey
retired Nov. 19, 1976. Currently a community relations
representative for the Suns.
7 Kevin Johnson
Nickname: "KJ"... Blindingly quick and possessing the ability to shoot or
dish off his drives... 6-1 guard acquired from the Cleveland Cavaliers on
Feb. 25, 1988 in "The Trade" with Mark West, Ty Corbin and draft picks (Dan
Majerle) for Larry Nance and Mike Sanders... Won the 1988-89 NBA Most
Improved Player Award, averaging 20.4 points and 12.2 assists... Named an
NBA All-Star on three occasions and was a member of Dream Team 2 during the
World Championships of Basketball in 1994... Phoenix's all-time leader in
assists (6,518), free throws made (3,851) and free throws attempted
(4,579)... Suns career playoff leader in eight major categories... Came out
of retirement on March 23, 2000, the day after point guard Jason Kidd broke
his ankle, to assist the Suns during the stretch run... Was inducted
into Suns Ring of Honor on March 7, 2001.
9 Dan Majerle
Nicknames: "Thunder Dan"... Fans booed his selection (14th overall) at the 1988 Draft, but soon emerged as a fan favorite because of his tremendous work ethic... Played first seven seasons in Phoenix, averaging 14.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists, before concluding his career as a Sun in 2001-02... Phoenix's all-time leader in three-point field goals (800)... Also holds club record for three-pointers made in a game (8) and a season (199 in 1994-95)... Won gold medal at the 1994 World Championships and a bronze medal at the 1988 Olympics... Three-time All-Star became the first reserve to be voted on to start on an All-Star team in 1995... Placed in Ring of Honor on March 9, 2003.
Joe Proski
Nicknames: "Magic Fingers" and "The Prosk"... The only athletic trainer
during the franchise's first 32 seasons... Joined the Suns in 1968 after one
year with the Chicago Bulls... One of the longest tenured athletic trainers
in the history of the league, received the first 30-year award ever issued
by the National Basketball Trainers Association (NBTA)... Proski served as
athletic trainer at four NBA All-Star Games (1971, '75, '85 and '95)...
Named NBA Athletic Trainer of the Year in 1988... Colorful personality
helped him earn the "Arizona Sports Personality of the Year" by the Phoenix
Press Box Association in 1979. Was inducted into Suns Ring of Honor on
April 1, 2001.
5 Dick Van Arsdale
Nickname: "Flying Dutchman" or "The Original Sun"... 6-5 swingman
spent nine of 12 NBA seasons in Phoenix (196-77)... Was club's
first pick in 1968 Expansion Draft after three seasons in New
York... Scored franchise's first point (Oct. 18, 1968)... Scored
third-most points in club history (12,060), averaging 17.6...
Three-time All-Star (1969, '70, '71)... Selected by Knicks in
third-round of 1965 draft following All-American career at Indiana
University... Known for hard-nosed style... 1974 All-Defense
second-team... Scored 15,079 career points (16.4 ppg)... Suns
jersey retired during 1977-78 season. Currently vice president of
basketball operations for the Suns.
44 Paul Westphal
Nickname: "Westy"... 6-4 guard from Southern Cal... Selected by
Boston with 10th overall pick in 1972 draft... Traded to Phoenix on
May 23, 1975 for Charlie Scott... Won 1974 NBA title with Boston...
Helped lift Phoenix to 1976 Finals versus Boston... Phoenix's fifth
all-time leading scorer (9,564), averaging 20.6 points (1975-80,
1983-84)... He totaled five All-Star appeearances throughout his career... As a Sun, he was a four-time All-Star and three-time All-NBA
first-team selection... Phoenix's top scorer each season...
Following stints with Seattle and New York, concluded career in
Phoenix... Suns jersey retired April 15, 1989. Assistant coach for
the Suns from 1988-92. Head coach of the Suns from 1992-96.
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