I was 15 years old when the Suns came to town. From Johnny "Red" Kerr as first head coach, Dick Van Arsdale and Gail Goodrich picked up in the expansion draft and Gary Gregor their very first draft pick, I've seen it all. It would take way too long and make this post way too long to list all of the highs and lows through the years. Losing the coin toss for Lew Alcindor who became Kareem Abdul Jabbar, the 1976 finals and the triple overtime best basketball game I ever saw, the drug scandal, the death of Nick Vanos, KJ, Chambers, Majerle, Barkley, Nash, on and on. My favorite Sun of all time is Connie Hawkins, loved The Hawk.
All of that to say that a part of the 15 year old boy that still remains in me, that blead purple and orange is so crushed at this entire sordid Sarver era. It has been an ish show for a long, long time. He has been an embarrassment from the get go and now is the face of racism, misogyny and disgusting behavior in so many ways. My interest in the Suns and the NBA as a whole has waned the past decade or so, I just can't hardly watch it any more. And, I won't be watching it as long as Sarver is involved in the league in any manner, as I stated in a previous post.
I ask your indulgence for my selfish rant, I just had to express it somewhere. My mind goes back to the Madhouse on McDowell, on the night my boss took me to the game and it was Nick Vanos' last home game he ever played. It goes back seeing The Hawk soaring and scoring against the likes of Wilt Chamberlain. I see The Flying Dutchman begin and end as a Sun. I see Kevin Johnson driving to the hoop with reckless abandon. I see so many treasured memories of watching the Suns with my Dad and younger brother and then, later, my sons.
All of that and has become to a steaming pile because of a racist, misogynistic, boorish idiot. What a shame.