Welcome to a new feature here on the blog we’re calling Flashback Friday where we fire up the Delorean to 88 mph — as long as we have enough plutonium — and take a look back at a part of Suns history.

This week we rummaged through the tape library and dusted off this classic look at the 1993 NBA All-Star Game in Utah. Remember that game? It was the one where the Suns coaching staff of Paul Westphal, Lionel Hollins and Scotty Robertson manned the helm of the Western Conference team. It was also the weekend Charles Barkley was a starter and the leading vote getter in the West, Dan Majerle came off the bench, Cedric Ceballos was defending his dunk contest championship and Connie Hawkins played in the legends game.

So won’t you take a walk down memory lane with us? We promise you won’t be disappointed (Disclaimer: We can’t really promise that but we have a good feeling that you’ll enjoy this.)

Ever wonder what Dan Majerle’s biggest joy, biggest regret and most haunting moment as a member of the Suns are? Would you guess that all three are the same?

The Suns assistant coach sat down with ESPN’s Dan Le Batard and his father on Friday’s edition of “Dan Le Batard is Highly Questionable” to answer those exact questions, telling the father-son duo that the 1992-93 season contained all three of those emotions. He explained the season as a whole was the biggest joy of his playing career, and losing to the Chicago Bulls in the Finals was his largest regret that haunts him to this day.

Don’t worry Dan, you’re not alone, most longtime Suns fans would agree with all three of those sentiments. They also would likely agree that the Bulls weren’t the better team that season.

“I think Chicago had more experience,” Majerle told the hosts. “I still think we had the better team. We got back to Game 6. We were up two. John Paxson was left wide open and made a three and that was our season. Those are hard memories to forget. I thought we had a better team. You can’t convince me that they had a better team than we did.”

And you can’t convince us Dan’s brutal honesty mixed with his unmistakable brand of humor don’t make him a fan favorite to this day. Well, that and all those big shots he hit in 1992-93.

Contrary to popular belief – OK, it’s not popular at all – Suns head coach Alvin Gentry will not be joining the Arena Football League. That won’t stop him from being part of the league’s highlight reel this season, though.

On Saturday night, late in the second quarter at US Airways Center, Rattler quarterback Nick Davila dropped back, threw into the back of the end zone and found an unexpected, yet familiar, receiver. That wideout was Gentry, who made an impressive two-handed grab while leaning over the boards. The catch happened just hours after his assistant coach, Dan Majerle, was making a more highly-publicized catch of his own just a few blocks away.

No one will confuse Gentry for Jerry Rice anytime soon or even Arena Football legend Hunkie Cooper, but his catch still did grab the attention of the crowd in attendance and the announcers calling the game. Just don’t expect Gentry to trade in the clipboard for gloves and barking out play calls for cutting across the middle.

While he didn’t get credit for the touchdown, we here on Suns.com will give six points and some praise for rocking the orange even away from the sidelines. There’s only one question left: Who made the better grab, Gentry or Majerle? We’ll leave that for you to decide.

A lot has been made of what Grant Hill might do when he eventually hangs up the sneakers and calls it a career. Basketball executive, company CEO and politician have all made it on the shortlist at one time or another, but music video star hasn’t ever been included. That is, until now.

While many could describe Hill’s basketball career as a mixture of R&B (rhythm and blues), it’s his wife of 15 years, songstress Tamia, who has made a career out of it. Their professional worlds collided for the first time earlier this year as Grant starred in the music video to the single “Beautiful Surprise” from the forthcoming album of the same name.

“After 15 years I get to work with my husband, so ahh…not a lot of acting there,” Tamia told SingersRoom.com about her video and real life love interest Hill.

There may not have been a lot of acting but there certainly were plenty of jokes. As the behind the scenes look from SingersRoom.com shows, Grant made sure to display his personality and keep the shoot light – much like he does in the Suns’ locker room.

But will Hill’s music video career be like many in college basketball, one and done? That’s yet to be seen. What we do know is it’s yet another element in his already impressive repertoire.

Those who have underestimated Steve Nash on the court have learned a valuable lesson over the years, and, as Forbes points out, he shouldn’t be taken too lightly off the court and in the boardroom, either.

First, in an online story published on Wednesday and in what will be another version for the June 4 edition of the magazine, Kurt Badenhausen – the publication’s deputy editor in charge of sports business – breaks down Nash’s success in the business world.

Now at 38 years old, and following 16 years in the NBA, Nash is in a position where he can be active in the investment world, but he is not straying too far from what he knows.

The article points out that Nash has “built a portfolio of nine investments that are mostly sports and health-centric.”

His love of soccer and his native Vancouver area led to perhaps his most high-profile role as part-owner of the MLS’ Vancouver Whitecaps. The team even has family ties for Nash, as his brother, Martin, played for the squad from 2004-2010.

Badenhausen lists some of Nash’s other involvements with a juice retailer called Liquid Nutrition, a supplement called OneBode and a “string of gyms that bear his name.”

It’s not like Nash has taken a lot of shortcuts either, as the two-time MVP also spent a three-month span as an unpaid intern for the advertising firm, Deutsch, in Manhattan, according to the article.

Dan Majerle was no stranger to catching a bounce pass or two at US Airways Center back in the day or making the big play from “downtown.” He probably didn’t expect to have to do it again as a fan this past weekend though.

“Thunder”, we can call him that because we know him, became the center of attention in a different downtown venue Saturday night for showing off his catching abilities. During the bottom of the 3rd inning of the Diamondbacks-Giants game at Chase Field the former Suns guard, and current assistant coach, made a one-handed grab of a ball while grabbing something to eat.

While standing in the pool area near the right field wall, Majerle, while holding a plate of food, made the one-handed snag of a Gerado Parra ground-rule double that was smoked and found its way into the stands off of one bounce. Oh, and he did it without dropping anything off his plate.

Not to be outdone, later that evening Suns head coach Alvin Gentry tried to match the feat. He made an impressive grab of his own at the Arizona Rattlers game at US Airways Center just a few hours later.

While sitting behind the wall in the north endzone, Gentry caught an errant pass on the fly (you’ll have to take our word for it as no video is available, we saw it first hand).

We won’t say which one we thought made the better play, mostly because we don’t want to cause any friction, but we’ll say this, we never would have guessed some of the best hands on the team may be wearing suits on the bench.

BONUS: Here’s an animated gif of “Thunder” Dan’s impressive catch and his subsequent hamming it up for the camera.

Steve Nash knew he was going to the public’s focal point this season when it came to coverage of the Phoenix Suns during the 2011-12 season.

So game-in and game-out, the 16-year NBA veteran stood before the media to give his straight-forward, polite and informative take on the game as the leader of his team.

The Professional Basketball Writers Association acknowledged Nash’s effort in this regard on Monday by naming him its Magic Johnson Award winner. The honor is given to the player who best combines excellence on the court with public cooperation off of it.

“It’s a privilege and honor to be recognized by the pro basketball writers, whose passion and skillfulness present the frontline of how our game is understood and perceived by our fans,” Nash told the Arizona Republic’s Paul Coro. “Their role in our sport can’t be underestimated and it’s an honor to be recognized by them along with the past recipients.”

Nash beat out three other finalists for the award, including Minnesota’s Kevin Love, San Antonio’s Manu Ginobili and the Los Angeles Clippers’ Chris Paul. It is the first time Nash earned this particular accolade.

There is no doubting how much the experience of playing for the Canadian national team in the 2000 Olympics meant to Steve Nash.

That is part of the reason why the point guard has agreed to an administrative role with the club, as general manager for Canada Basketball. His selection to the post was made official Tuesday at the Air Canada Centre.

Affectionately dubbed “Captain Canada,” Nash raised the level of notoriety for the game of basketball during his performance in the Sydney Olympics – where the Canadians nearly reached the medal round on the back of his performance.

“Obviously I love the program,” Nash told Marc Stein of ESPN.com. “It was a huge part of my development as a player. Going to the Olympics (in 2000) was the best experience of my career.

“So if I can help other Canadians experience that, it would be pretty amazing.”

The point guard last played with the club in 2004, where he again was individually successful and was named the MVP of the Americas Olympic Qualifying Tournament. That time, however, the team did not qualify for the Olympics.

The tide may be changing for Canadian basketball, however, as the team is hopeful that the continued progress of first round NBA draft picks Tristan Thompson and Cory Jospeh result in more success on the international stage.

The ESPN.com report noted that Nash will have a “strong say” in the selection of the team’s next head coach.

There is also no doubting the popularity of the selection, as The Globe and Mail in Toronto referred to Nash as “a basketball icon in his native country” when his selection to the general manager position was announced.

When he helped the Canadians to their successful run in the 2000 Olympics, Nash averaged 13.7 points per game and 6.8 assists per game. His best games came against Australia and Serbia and Montenegro.

Against the Australians the guard went for 15 points and 15 assists in a 101-90 win, and in the latter game Nash had the most well-rounded performance of his Olympics with 26 points, eight assists and eight rebounds during another Canadian victory.

As if my Twitter handle @orange_crusader wasn’t an indication of this enough, I am not only an admitted comic book geek, but one who embraces that geekness. To maintain some level of coolness over the years (and to avoid wedgies), I have also presented myself as a sports fan, thus requiring me to learn such complicated terms as “trifecta”, “clutch basket” and “flagrant foul.”

Since joining the Suns in 2005, I have tried my best to fuse comic books and sports as often as possible, regardless of how much of a reach it may appear I’m trying to make. Who could ever forget my beloved blog “Which Sun is Most Likely to Benefit From A Radioactive Spider Bite?” back in 2009?

With The Avengers now in theatres, the opportunity to turn my inner geek into Suns.com content presented itself through our Vice President of Suns Digital, Jeramie McPeek (@jmcpeek), when he asked if anybody would be interested in discussing which Suns players over the years best represented the Avengers. Pretending this was a chore of enormous inconvenience, I gave a rolling of my eyes and a half-hearted, “I guess I can do it.” I then almost let my geeky cat out of the bag when I asked, “We’re talking about the Avengers from the film, right? Not the original team of which Captain America was not a member and not the Ultimate Avengers team of which Ant-Man and Wasp are members.” After noticing the looks I was getting by the department, I shrugged my shoulders and just gave a nonchalant, “I can work on something like that.”

I compiled my roster, and after some debate with both McPeek and our Social Media Specialist, Greg Esposito (@espoaz), over who had made the final cut, I am ready to present to you the doppelgangers who compile “The Ultimate Avenging Suns.”

CAPTAIN AMERICA – It’s fitting that the NBA player to have worn the Suns uniform more times than anyone in team history would be the one to kick things off. With superhero-like monikers including “Double A” and “Oklahoma Kid”, Adams remains a legend in the state of Oklahoma to this day. With Oklahoma right there in the heartland of America and a state motto that translates to, “Labor conquers all things” you can’t find a Sun who better epitomizes Captain America than Adams.

Adams never took a day off, but thanks to his consistent work ethic, still managed to sustain a successful 13-year career. Even in his final season during the 1987-88 campaign, Adams suited up for all 82 ballgames, a testament to how much of an effort he gave all the way from his Rookie of the Year season in 1975-76 through that final regular season.

Like Adams, Captain America also knows how to put in a full day’s work, an attribute that was never on display more than during Marvel’s Civil War. The storyline saw Captain America lead a team of anti-registration superheroes against a government that had made it mandatory for “costumes” to register before fighting crime. Civil War helped revitalize Captain America, in large part because it proved there wasn’t a force on the planet that the character would back down from.

When you combine his work ethic with his attitude (there aren’t many more wholesome and genuinely good guys than Adams) a more fitting Captain America you could not find.

IRON MAN – This one can be summed up with a simple number -  1,192. That is the number of consecutive ballgames that forward A.C. Green suited up for over the course of his NBA career. He may not have always been suiting up in purple and orange, but regardless of the team name on the front of his jersey, it was the name on the back that symbolized the man’s iron will to keep moving forward through various nagging injuries.

If Suns fans can make a favorite out of somebody who played more than twice as long in Los Angeles with the Lakers than he did with Phoenix, it’s obvious that there’s something special about him. Fans in Phoenix probably best remember Green for the incident that took place against former Knicks forward J.R. Reid, who elbowed the Suns’ veteran forward during a ball game knocking out two teeth (teeth that Green calmly walked over and picked up off the hardwood like a man we might add). It looked as if the streak would come to an end following the injury, but thanks to a protective mask (honestly, it’s like this stuff writes itself), Green was in uniform for the team’s next game and managed to keep the streak intact.

Now, I realized that Tony Stark and A.C. Green are as different as night and day. But when Stark puts on that Iron Man suit, he is transformed into something greater than a cocky, millionaire playboy. Stark becomes conscious of the “we” that doesn’t exist in Stark Tower, and learns the benefits of turning away from a self-serving livelihood and working towards assisting a “greater good.” Over the years, he’s even learned how to be part of a team rather than trying to do everything on his own. Like Stark, Green also understood the benefits of being a team player, and finished his career with some champion experience to thank for it.

THOR – The God of Thunder meets “Thunder” Dan Majerle in a fairly simple fusion of Suns and Avengers. The Suns’ All-Star and current assistant coach may be remembered by some as a threat from downtown, but that’s not to say that the forward didn’t also have the ability to throw it down inside the paint. How else do you explain his 1989 playoff slam over the 7-7 Manute Bol? Regardless of whether or not it counted, you would be hard-pressed to find a dunk better described as “thunderous.”

The Avengers may have had reservations about teaming up with a relative of the antagonistic Loki, but they eventually saw the error of their ways and welcomed Thor aboard. Suns fans, too, were hesitant over Majerle joining their team back in 1988 and even booed the selection. But as legendary coach Cotton Fitzsimmons promised, “You’ll be sorry you ever booed this young man.” Fitzsimmons was right, and like the Avengers, Suns fans too eventually embraced the outcast as one of their own.

Through the decades, the Marvel Universe’s adaptation of the Norse God has been counted out many times (after all, it’s not easy keeping a guy hip when he speaks like a character out of Shakespearian literature). But through the creative genius’ at Marvel, they manage to not only keep Thor involved in major storylines, but have even made him the catalyst. Recent examples include popular storylines like Siege and Fear Itself.

Since his playing days, Majerle has remained a fixture in the Suns’ organization through various facets – first as a broadcaster and now as an assistant coach. He, like Thor, appears to have a firm understanding of how to remain part of a winning team. And like Thor, Majerle’s success can be credited to finding the balance between playing with discipline while knowing how to call upon a little reckless abandon when the time is right.

HULK – Sir Charles sounds like it would be a nickname reserved for a mild-mannered citizen, but that’s what helps make this merging so perfect. Like Bruce Banner, Sir Charles is a genius in many ways, and like the Hulk, former Suns forward Charles Barkley really liked to smash the opposition.

Barkley was loud and to the point during his time with the Suns (not to mention his time ever since), and never held punches metaphorically or literally. This is very similar to a Hulk character who is such a pain to the rest of the Marvel Universe that its head honchos once tricked him into being shipped off to another planet altogether. As you can imagine, this didn’t sit well with the green guy, and soon after his return to Earth in the World War Hulk storyline we received another reminder why nobody really likes this guy when he’s angry.

Suns opponents didn’t like to see Barkley angry either, as his first matchup against his former Sixers can attest. In a 125-115 victory against Philadelphia, the superstar pitched in a line of 36 points, 17 rebounds and nine assists (unfortunately, the Suns found out a few years later what it’s like to be on the other end of the spectrum of a “Barkley smash” performance when in his first game against Phoenix as a member of the Houston Rockets, Barkley pulled down an astonishing 33 rebounds).

“The Round Mound of Rebound” played with a bit of a chip on his shoulder – a large reason why he is arguably the most popular Sun of all time. He played by his rules and insisted on playing the game his way. Best of all, the MVP “hulked up” more than ever when the stakes were at their highest. Case in point, Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals. Barkley told the world he would score 40 points and grab 20 boards against Seattle and then announced his totals each time he ran by the Sonics’ bench on his way to a 44-point, 24-rebound night and the 1993 NBA Finals.

In a star-studded cast like the one seen in The Avengers, many wondered who it would be stealing the show. Surprisingly enough, it just might have been the Hulk, despite the fact that he can barely put together a complete sentence. If anybody in Suns history knows how to steal some spotlight, it’s definitely the Saturday-Night-Live -hosting, TNT-postgame-boasting, Charles Barkley.

HAWKEYE – With a name like Hawkeye, Suns Ring of Honor member Connie Hawkins would appear to be the route to go. But the Suns “Hawk” was smooth, too smooth to ever share any commonality with the rough and rugged Clint Barton.

McPeek recommended taking the “Greyhound” here (as in Walter Davis), and normally it’s tough to argue with the Suns’ VP of Digital (you know, because he’s also our boss and all). But while Davis is the franchise’s all-time scoring leader, that doesn’t constitute him being the ultimate marksman. Davis shot a very solid 51% from the field over the course of his career, but that percentage dipped dramatically from downtown. The Suns’ legend connected on 157 of his 577 overall shot attempts from 3-point land, giving him a career percentage of 27%. Not exactly a number you want to bank on from a guy holding a bow and arrow at 50-plus yards away.

It will pain Suns fans who probably perceive Hawkeye as a “bit player Avenger,” but you’ve got to fill this role on the team with Steve Nash. I mean, is there a Suns player you would trust more to connect from anywhere on the court than the “Canadian Kid?” Field goals, trifectas and free throws are all at Nash’s mercy, as he proved yet again this season by shooting 53% from the field, 39% from downtown and 89% from the charity stripe. The playmaker missed the completion of a fifth career 50-40-90 shooting season by just a hair, a feat that has only been accomplished a total of five times in league history by players other than Nash. He did manage to finish the season ranked seventh in field-goal percentage, and first among guards and forwards, and at 38 years young, fell just short of joining Chris Mullin and John Stockton as the only players in NBA history to shoot 54 percent or better from the field and 40 percent or better from 3-point range in a single season.

To Steve Nash, the basketball is his bow and arrow, the bottom of the net his target, and bringing the two together is an art form that he only appears to get better at with age.

BLACK WIDOW – One would think that the saucy mink known as Black Widow would be a personality Suns players would not want to be compared to, but in terms of on the court, is there a better Avenger for an NBA player to emulate? To anybody not familiar with the character, Black Widow is a former assassin turned spy who has pure ice water running through her veins. In other words, she’s the “guy” you want taking the shot late in the game with everything on the line.

It’s a characteristic exhibited by many of the aforementioned Suns in this blog. In fact, it’s difficult not to duplicate a player we’ve already mentioned here for this spot. Barkley knew how to close out a game better than almost any superstar while Nash has hit game-winning shots time and time again. Then you’ve got a player like Garfield Heard who – while not particularly known as a clutch player – hit one of the biggest clutch shots in NBA history.

This one ate at me so badly that I actually picked up the phone for a little consultation. And who better to give me advice than a man who is not only in the Suns Ring of Honor himself, but also a member of the very team I myself am assembling – Alvan Adams. You see, Adams not only played with the Suns from 1975 through 1988, but has remained involved in the team’s facility management ever since the opening of their current venue. It means that he not only played with everybody from Dick Van Arsdale to Kevin Johnson, but has been in the building to watch everybody from Barkley to Nash.

When posed the question, Adams first explained that he thought the best definition of “ice water in their veins” wasn’t so much “somebody who didn’t care” as I had explained it, but as somebody who was “less bothered under pressure.” And he said that the first person he thought of when matching a face to that definition was his former teammate, Walter Davis.

“Every play at the end of a ball game was designed for Walter,” Adams said. “It was just a matter of how many picks the rest of us were going to be setting for him.”

As Adams himself pointed out, this isn’t to say that Davis hit all of these shots or that he’s hit more of them than any other player in team history. But with Davis’ combination of shooting form, accuracy and the fact that he didn’t mind taking the last shot, the team’s all-time leading scorer does appear to be a great choice.

THE TEAM – Steve Nash, Walter Davis, Alvan Adams, Charles Barkley, Dan Majerle and A.C. Green. You could probably win a few games by assembling that starting five and sixth man. You could also “avenge” some disappointing postseason exits from year’s past. Maybe the question now is which Suns head coach would you throw an eye patch on and ask to lead them?

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said ‘the only way to have a friend is to be one.’ Suns owner Robert Sarver both had a friend in, and was a friend to, the late NFL linebacker Junior Seau who passed away Wednesday.

As a guest of Arizona Sports 620’s “Burns & Gambo” show, Sarver, who met Seau through a mutual friend in San Diego in 1996, shared his memories of his late companion Thursday.

“His personality was bigger than life,” he told the hosts. “Everything he did, he did with such energy and gusto. He was the kind of guy that, when he came into a room, he was buddies with everybody and he fit into everything no matter who he was with and where he was.”

Some of the activities Seau pursued with that vigor and enthusiasm Sarver described, the Suns’ owner also had an opportunity to witness first hand during his decade and a half of knowing the former NFL Star.

“We kind of had a group of five of us that played a lot of golf, a little bit of beach volleyball, a lot of poker, trips to Vegas and trips to L.A,” he shared with an obvious sadness in his voice. “We just kind of hung out a lot together.”

While Sarver wouldn’t speculate as to what led to his friend’s tragic and apparent suicide, he did share insight into Seau’s post playing career mindset.

“You just don’t know what goes on inside someone’s house and you don’t know what goes on in someone’s head sometimes,” he explained. “He just had a tough time to adjusting to life after playing football for sure.

“He really enjoyed the camaraderie and being part of a team. I know he really missed that when he stopped playing.”

It’s clear through Sarver’s memories and the stories that have emerged from other friends and family over the last few days, Seau, and the camaraderie he provided over the years, will be missed by many. Though it sounds like the Suns’ owner is great being a friend to and having a friend in, the southern California sports legend.

LISTEN:Robert Sarver Talks to Burns and Gambo

Being a professional sports team mascot is, well, monkey business. That’s what makes the Gorilla the perfect man, or is that primate, for the job.

Despite being born for his role in the NBA, one news outlet doesn’t think he’s the best mascot in the league, let alone in all of sports. That source is Forbes, which put out its “Most Popular Sports Mascots” list – as opposed to its “Most Popular Corporate Mascot” list? — on Monday.

The list ranks GO as the seventh-best mascot in sports behind some questionable characters.

While names like the San Diego Chicken, Mr. Met, Benny the Bull (no, not the Dora the Explorer character) and the Philly Phanatic all deserve to be ahead of the Gorilla on the list for blazing the trail in the world of professional tomfoolery, the others don’t.

For over 32 years Phoenix’s favorite primate has entertained the masses at both the Madhouse on McDowell and the US Airways Center with his high flying dunks and his hilarious hijinks. He’s been in one of the greatest video games of all-time – NBA Jam Tournament Edition – starred in numerous national commercials and has also been inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame.

Can No. 5 on the list boast of that? No, the Red Sox’ “Wally the Green Monster” isn’t even the most famous thing in the Fenway Park on a nightly basis with that moniker. That and he’s only been around for 15 years.

And how about the group at No. 6 on the list, the Milwaukee Brewers “Racing Sausages?” They’re technically not even mascots – that distinction goes to the mustachioed “Bernie the Brewer.” What they amount to is mutant deli counter leftovers that run around for 90 seconds. Honestly, have you ever seen sausages with legs, arms and facial hair? They aren’t exactly the long standing quality entertainment that the Gorilla has provided.

In all seriousness, though, we love all our fellow felt-based friends, but the Gorilla’s stellar reputation and impressive resume should put him higher on the list. Who’s better to professionally monkey around, than someone who is related to one?

Your Turn: Where would you rank the Gorilla among mascots and what do you like most about him?

Dustin Watson doesn’t subscribe to the theory that talking about a streak will end it, at least not with the run he’s currently on.

Members of the Suns might feel otherwise once they hear the details of Watson’s impact on the outcome of their games – athletes are a superstitious bunch, you know – but the illustrator has full confidence in the ability his Free Throw covers have had recently.
The threat that a little superstition poses doesn’t affect his confidence in the least.

“I do not think talking about this will affect the streak at all,” he said. “I think it’s a solid streak.”

Now that his favorite team has won 11 in a row when his original artwork graces the cover of the team’s in-game program, Watson is hoping his work will propel the Suns to one more win – his latest Free Throw cover will be on display during Saturday’s game against Denver – and maybe even a playoff appearance.

The victories started piling up after his first cover, an Amar’e Stoudemire piece that was printed on March 2, 2007, for a Suns-Pacers matchup.

“I’ve been drawing and doodling my entire life,” Watson said. “I went into college for graphic design, and that’s when I did my first cover.
“It’s great because I can do something that that involves my love of sports, and that has driven most of my illustrations.”

Watson plays with coloring and uses some effects to a lot of illustrations, which usually focus in tight on a player’s face, and he has an uncanny attention to detail when he portrays a subject.

Just this season, he has provided a stoic Steve Nash and a smiling Grant Hill – well, at least half of Hill’s face – for the January 6 and February 19 editions of Free Throw respectively. Jared Dudley made an appearance on April 1, and a determined look on the guard’s face was enhanced by a grainy effect that Watson specifically had in mind for the way Dudley has been playing.

“It’s only fitting that an illustration of Dudley be a little gritty,” Watson said on his website.

In fact, his personal site (dustinpwatson.wordpress.com) features all of his illustrations, including recent ones he did on Suns rookie Markieff Morris and center Marcin Gortat.

Perhaps the most impressive collection that Watson has completed, however, is his “Face the NBA” project, in which he created an illustration of one player per day over the course of a month. The 30 images, one per NBA team, were also combined into a poster.

The passion he shows for the artwork is obvious; the success the Suns have on nights when Watson has the cover of Free Throw is just icing on the cake.

This season, Waston thought the winning streak was in trouble right out of the gate. The Portland Trail Blazers started off the 2011-12 campaign winners of five of their first six games, including wins over Western Conference frontrunners like Oklahoma City and the Los Angeles Lakers.

But the illustrator struck again in convincing fashion, as the Suns trumped Portland, 102-77, on Jan. 6. The next biggest threat, the Lakers, fell victim to the streak, as well.

Perhaps Watson’s winning ways will serve the Suns well, as the team tries to build upon its remarkable second-half run toward the playoffs.
For Watson, the streak just serves as an interesting and fun feat intertwined with his two favorite hobbies: drawing and Phoenix Suns basketball.

Check out all the covers of Free Throw from this season here.

The legend goes that Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León traveled to Florida in search of the fountain of youth. There may be a reason he never found it.

It seems like he had the right idea to search in a place with great weather that what would one day become a retirement destination. He just had the wrong state.

That mythical rejuvenating fountain of water may be located somewhere in Arizona – more specifically the US Airways Center.

Just trying to keep up with all the games on NBA League Pass on a nightly basis – 66 games in 120 nights for most teams – could cause even the fittest fan a sprained thumb, a strained neck, or at the very least leave them gasping for air. Just imagine what it could do to someone actually playing in said games.

Despite one of the most compact schedules in league history, however, the Phoenix Suns have managed to avoid the injury bug at a historic pace according to Basketball Prospectus.

In analyzing why the Phoenix Suns have exceeded expectations by staying in the playoff race through the season’s final week, the training room is a good place to start. There’s likely to be plenty of room, because the Suns are enjoying one of the healthiest seasons in NBA history. Combined, the entire Phoenix roster has missed just 18 games to injury all year. That’s fewer than 55 different players in the league have missed all by themselves.

Aaron Nelson and the rest of the Suns training staff may not have actually discovered what the Spanish explorer spent so much time searching for – although they do have a cryo-chamber – but if the Suns remain healthy they might just become legendary around the NBA. Or at the very least go down in NBA history as the trainers who oversaw the healthiest team ever in the league.

Hitting the Links:

• We all know that Steve Nash is all about going green but according to the New York Times, he may be more efficient at driving than the hybrid cars he advocates for.
• The Polish Machine is looking for a tune up to put things in overdrive according to AzCentral.

The legend goes that Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León traveled to Florida in search of the fountain of youth. There may be a reason he never found it.

It seems like he had the right idea to search in a place with great weather that what would one day become a retirement destination. He just had the wrong state.

That mythical rejuvenating fountain of water may be located somewhere in Arizona – more specifically the US Airways Center.

Just trying to keep up with all the games on NBA League Pass on a nightly basis – 66 games in 120 nights for most teams – could cause even the fittest fan a sprained thumb, a strained neck, or at the very least leave them gasping for air. Just imagine what it could do to someone actually playing in said games.

Despite one of the most compact schedules in league history, however, the Phoenix Suns have managed to avoid the injury bug at a historic pace according to Basketball Prospectus.

In analyzing why the Phoenix Suns have exceeded expectations by staying in the playoff race through the season’s final week, the training room is a good place to start. There’s likely to be plenty of room, because the Suns are enjoying one of the healthiest seasons in NBA history. Combined, the entire Phoenix roster has missed just 18 games to injury all year. That’s fewer than 55 different players in the league have missed all by themselves.

Aaron Nelson and the rest of the Suns training staff may not have actually discovered what the Spanish explorer spent so much time searching for – although they do have a cryo-chamber – but if the Suns remain healthy they might just become legendary around the NBA. Or at the very least go down in NBA history as the trainers who oversaw the healthiest team ever in the league.

Hitting the Links:

• We all know that Steve Nash is all about going green but according to the New York Times, he may be more efficient at driving than the hybrid cars he advocates for.
• The Polish Machine is looking for a tune up to put things in overdrive according to AzCentral.

The Dan Majerle Hustle Award is presented to the Suns player who fans, the players themselves, coaches, employees and Majerle himself feels embodies the determination, passion and hustle that “Thunder Dan” personified as a player during his illustrious NBA career.

I’ve been discussing this award with colleagues and friends, curious of who others feel is deserving of the award and why. It amazed me to see what people feel qualifies a player for this award.

On the postgame radio show on KTAR after each Suns game, fans call in voting for the a player they feel won the “Hustle Award” in that game. If you tally those votes Steve Nash and Marcin Gortat are the leaders by far. But as a voter I look at this award a little differently.

To me hustle isn’t always reflected on the stat sheet at the end of the game. Hustle doesn’t necessarily refelect who has the most points or rebounds or even steals. Throughout my playing career I always looked at hustle players as those who do the little things: locking down on defense, diving for balls, making the selfless play, things of that nature.

Without a doubt teams need players the caliber of Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitski, Blake Griffin, Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley of the NBA world to be successful. Such players are rewarded with their contracts, endorsements and All-Star selections. But where would they be without the players like Jeff Hornacek, Dennis Rodman, Bill Laimbeer, and Matt Harpring?

When I look at the Suns roster this season and question who I believe has embodied hustle in every way and has been a huge part of what the Suns have been able to accomplish this season, one player comes to mind: Sebastian Telfair.

He started the season as the backup to Ronnie Price who was meant to be the backup to Steve Nash. As the season has gone along he has carved out a solid place for himself in the rotation.

Telfair has led the “Bench Mob” charge that Suns fans have witnessed accomplish things like the comeback from 17 down against the Clippers on the road and the two-point victory at home against the Utah Jazz after being down 13. That game may very well end up being a critical win, as the Suns are competing with the Jazz for the eighth spot in the Western Conference.

In total, the Suns have dug themselves out of double-digit deficits to come out with a win eight times. And through it all, Sebastian has done whatever was required of him to change the game: defense, running the offense, steals, taking care of the ball …the list goes on and on.

What makes the Dan Majerle Hustle Award so interesting this year is that so many of the Suns players deserve the honor.

I’m sure Alvin Gentry would agree this is a great problem for a team to have. In reality, it has been the relentless hustle of this entire team throughout the season that has changed its fate from one many people wrote out of the playoff chase into a team competing for a spot in the playoffs.

No one knows how the last week of the season will play out. I do, however, know that without the contributions and hustle of Sebastian Telfair, the last week of the season wouldn’t be this exciting!

Heralded as the “Original Sun,” Ring-of-Honor member Dick Van Arsdale unveiled some of his original artwork for a very special event on Wednesday night.

During halftime of the Suns-Thunder game, Van Arsdale presented his former coach, John MacLeod, with a piece of art to commemorate MacLeod’s own induction into the Ring. With jersey numbers to represent each of the players in the exclusive club, initials to mark the front office executives and a pair of socks in recognition of former athletic trainer Joe Proski, the unique artwork is a tribute to the 13 legends whose faces overlook the court at US Airways Center.

Van Arsdale – the Suns’ first player taken during the 1968 NBA Expansion Draft – played for MacLeod from the coach’s inaugural season in 1973-74 through the end of his playing career in 1977. Along with fellow Ring-of-Honor members Alvan Adams and Paul Westphal, “Van” played for MacLeod’s “Sunderella Suns” team that reached the 1976 NBA Finals.

“I didn’t see a future for him as an artist, but to be honest, I didn’t see Pat Riley or Paul Westphal as being future coaches either,” said Adams, now the organization’s VP of facility management. “When you’re playing with these guys, you see them as basketball players. But when you’re not able to run anymore, you’ve got to start doing some other things like coaching or managing a facility.”

While he also has coaching, scouting and broadcasting experience on his resume, Van Arsdale took up his latest hobby as a form of natural therapy after suffering a stroke six years ago. Some of his artwork has even helped raise money for charity.

“I’m very impressed with the work he’s produced,” said Adams. “I took a sketching class once and can kind of sketch a column with some straight lines, but he’s talented.”

Van Arsdale’s Ring-of-Honor painting was printed and distributed to the first 10,000 fans to arrive for Wednesday night’s game. But it may not be his last Suns-inspired piece. When asked if there are any more players he would like to bring to canvas in the future, he didn’t have to think very long. “Steve Nash and Al McCoy,” he said with a smile.

Perhaps he can present those pieces during Nash and McCoy’s retirement ceremonies one day.

]]> http://phoenix.fanster.com/2012/04/18/original-sun-honors-macleod/feed/ 0 http://phoenix.fanster.com/2012/04/18/original-sun-honors-macleod/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/fanster-suns/~3/x2VoliFCJgk/ http://phoenix.fanster.com/2012/04/18/original-sun-honors-macleod/#comments Thu, 19 Apr 2012 05:07:23 +0000 Suns http://blog.suns.com/?p=6141

Heralded as the “Original Sun,” Ring-of-Honor member Dick Van Arsdale unveiled some of his original artwork for a very special event on Wednesday night.

During halftime of the Suns-Thunder game, Van Arsdale presented his former coach, John MacLeod, with a piece of art to commemorate MacLeod’s own induction into the Ring. With jersey numbers to represent each of the players in the exclusive club, initials to mark the front office executives and a pair of socks in recognition of former athletic trainer Joe Proski, the unique artwork is a tribute to the 13 legends whose faces overlook the court at US Airways Center.

Van Arsdale – the Suns’ first player taken during the 1968 NBA Expansion Draft – played for MacLeod from the coach’s inaugural season in 1973-74 through the end of his playing career in 1977. Along with fellow Ring-of-Honor members Alvan Adams and Paul Westphal, “Van” played for MacLeod’s “Sunderella Suns” team that reached the 1976 NBA Finals.

“I didn’t see a future for him as an artist, but to be honest, I didn’t see Pat Riley or Paul Westphal as being future coaches either,” said Adams, now the organization’s VP of facility management. “When you’re playing with these guys, you see them as basketball players. But when you’re not able to run anymore, you’ve got to start doing some other things like coaching or managing a facility.”

While he also has coaching, scouting and broadcasting experience on his resume, Van Arsdale took up his latest hobby as a form of natural therapy after suffering a stroke six years ago. Some of his artwork has even helped raise money for charity.

“I’m very impressed with the work he’s produced,” said Adams. “I took a sketching class once and can kind of sketch a column with some straight lines, but he’s talented.”

Van Arsdale’s Ring-of-Honor painting was printed and distributed to the first 10,000 fans to arrive for Wednesday night’s game. But it may not be his last Suns-inspired piece. When asked if there are any more players he would like to bring to canvas in the future, he didn’t have to think very long. “Steve Nash and Al McCoy,” he said with a smile.

Perhaps he can present those pieces during Nash and McCoy’s retirement ceremonies one day.

]]> http://phoenix.fanster.com/2012/04/18/original-sun-honors-macleod/feed/ 0 http://phoenix.fanster.com/2012/04/18/original-sun-honors-macleod/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/fanster-suns/~3/x2VoliFCJgk/ http://phoenix.fanster.com/2012/04/18/original-sun-honors-macleod/#comments Thu, 19 Apr 2012 05:07:23 +0000 Suns http://blog.suns.com/?p=6141

Heralded as the “Original Sun,” Ring-of-Honor member Dick Van Arsdale unveiled some of his original artwork for a very special event on Wednesday night.

During halftime of the Suns-Thunder game, Van Arsdale presented his former coach, John MacLeod, with a piece of art to commemorate MacLeod’s own induction into the Ring. With jersey numbers to represent each of the players in the exclusive club, initials to mark the front office executives and a pair of socks in recognition of former athletic trainer Joe Proski, the unique artwork is a tribute to the 13 legends whose faces overlook the court at US Airways Center.

Van Arsdale – the Suns’ first player taken during the 1968 NBA Expansion Draft – played for MacLeod from the coach’s inaugural season in 1973-74 through the end of his playing career in 1977. Along with fellow Ring-of-Honor members Alvan Adams and Paul Westphal, “Van” played for MacLeod’s “Sunderella Suns” team that reached the 1976 NBA Finals.

“I didn’t see a future for him as an artist, but to be honest, I didn’t see Pat Riley or Paul Westphal as being future coaches either,” said Adams, now the organization’s VP of facility management. “When you’re playing with these guys, you see them as basketball players. But when you’re not able to run anymore, you’ve got to start doing some other things like coaching or managing a facility.”

While he also has coaching, scouting and broadcasting experience on his resume, Van Arsdale took up his latest hobby as a form of natural therapy after suffering a stroke six years ago. Some of his artwork has even helped raise money for charity.

“I’m very impressed with the work he’s produced,” said Adams. “I took a sketching class once and can kind of sketch a column with some straight lines, but he’s talented.”

Van Arsdale’s Ring-of-Honor painting was printed and distributed to the first 10,000 fans to arrive for Wednesday night’s game. But it may not be his last Suns-inspired piece. When asked if there are any more players he would like to bring to canvas in the future, he didn’t have to think very long. “Steve Nash and Al McCoy,” he said with a smile.

Perhaps he can present those pieces during Nash and McCoy’s retirement ceremonies one day.

]]> http://phoenix.fanster.com/2012/04/18/original-sun-honors-macleod/feed/ 1 http://phoenix.fanster.com/2012/04/18/original-sun-honors-macleod/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/fanster-suns/~3/Rj47rrRxCxw/ http://phoenix.fanster.com/2012/04/18/steve-nash-its-going-to-be-a-big-project-for-me-to-really-get-to-the-bottom-of-what-is-the-best-thing-for-me/#comments Wed, 18 Apr 2012 16:45:38 +0000 Sports Radio Interviews http://sportsradiointerviews.com/?p=59928 The Phoenix Suns are arguably the best story in the NBA this season coming from out of no where to find themselves in the No.8 spot in the Western Conference at 32-29 with five games remaining. Let’s just say the expectations for the Suns this season were real low to start, and Steve Nash was presumed to be the looming story as the season closed. Well, the Suns playoff push has distracted some Arizona NBA fans from the worry of losing Nash next year, but it hasn’t stopped the media.

Let’s make one thing clear: Steve Nash has been a class act throughout his time in Phoenix and he’s tried his best to hold off the questions surrounding his future. Nash is a team first player and wants to clear his head after the season concludes. Here are two different interviews from the Suns point guard regarding his future.

Steve Nash joined KTAR in Phoenix with Burns and Gambo to discuss what the Phoenix Suns need to do in order to keep him next year, family playing a factor in his free agency decision, how close the Phoenix Suns are from being the team he wants to stay with in the future, recruiting free agents to play in Phoenix and taking less money to sign with a contender that can win an NBA championship.

What do you think Suns management needs to do in order to retain the services of Steve Nash?

“Well it’s…I couldn’t really sit here and tell you what those rules would be, but I think for me I want to try to see this organization be a contender again and be in the picture where we have the chance to knock off contenders and build a team that gets back to late May in the playoffs and June and if not the finals one day, so I want that for the fans. I want that for myself and I think the organization wants it to, so hopefully this summer whatever those moves may be there’s a lot of different directions you can go give a franchise in a sense of a chance to be competitive in the playoffs again.”

How much will family play a factor in your decision since they live here in Phoenix?

“It’s one factor, but it’s not going to be the deciding factor. There’s a lot of ways around that, so the family situation is not me being number one or the only factor. It’s one of many factors to throw in the hat. The family situation isn’t immovable or a permanent one. That can be on that is sorted out as well, so that’s not something I am thinking about at this stage and frankly I’m not even thinking about free agency because it’s…besides tough games on the plate and us being in the No.8 seed that is more than enough to keep me busy these days.”

How close do you think you are from achieving this vision that you want in the off-season? How close are the Phoenix Suns from where you want them to be?

“First of all if you think of the positives we have a great fan base. We have a great coach and we have I think a bunch of guys that I think are good people, winners that play unselfish basketball, so when you add to the mix a couple of players or whatever, maybe one or two or three depending on who and how you have a chance to really elevate a team. It’s hard to predict, but anything is possible. I think this franchise definitely has a great opportunity this summer with the flexibility and cap space it has to improve a great deal whether that is just one step up the ladder or three or four has yet to be seen, but it should be an exciting time for some fans and we’ll see how it all plays out in the summer.”

Are you going to recruit free agents out there?

“Well I mean I think it is early to say. I’m not even sure what the rules are on that. I want to see this franchise do well. If that’s going to be a deciding factor on me coming back then I’d obviously want to do what I can to help. Who knows what is going to happen? Who knows what other opportunities will be out there for me? I want to really just wait and see and clear my mind more than anything. I’ve been here for right fantastic years and this is home. If it were time to move on I think it is going to demand a lot of thought and debate on my part and figure out a lot of things, so it’s a little bit of a tricky situation in that aspect. I think I have definitely earned the opportunity to sit back and take it all in and decide what is best for me. I wish I had a crystal ball, but I think the best and smartest move for me is to play this season out with everything I got then afterwards start to think about what the future may hold.”

Would you take less money to go to a contender if you felt you could win a championship?

“It’s possible, but at this point though I really don’t know…like I said with the family and with the money. These are all just one factor and a bunch of different factors. I just want to put them all in and evaluate all the different factors and all the things to consider and where I fit best and what fits me best and then you do your pros and cons and try to come up with the best possible place, but it’s definitely not out of the question to take less money to go to a situation where it fits you better, but it’s really early for me. I haven’t even sat down to think about those things. We’ll see. I’ve been putting this off obviously I want to play out the season the best we can and be successful and have a fun run, but it is going to be a big, big, big project for me to really get to the bottom of what is the best thing for me.”

Listen to Steve Nash on 620 KTAR in Phoenix here

Steve Nash joined WFAN in New York with Joe & Evan to discuss his take on Mike D’Antoni resigning as New York Knicks head coach.

What was your take on what happened to Mike D’Antoni from afar?

“Well as I look from a distance from the way I looked at it, it just seemed like he never really got his team. They kept waiting for that free agent summer and they didn’t get LeBron [James]. They got Amar’e [Stoudemire], which was a great pickup. Then the next year they built a team that was playing really well. Raymond Felton was playing really well. Danilo Gallinari was becoming a key figure. They had some other pieces with Amar’e. They were playing great basketball and then they made a trade and brought Carmelo [Anthony], which was a great pickup, but they lost a lot of guys. I think they were fighting to get that chemistry again and that depth. They signed Tyson Chandler, which was another great pickup, but then Carmelo was out. They struggled to have success when Carmelo came back. They are still trying to find their chemistry if you think about it. He hadn’t played a lot of games with those guys. It’s very, very young in their time together. Before they could find any success the pressure got the best of everyone whenever it was, before they ever had a chance to make a run with the players on the team they had been waiting to get and it was over. It’s unfortunate. I think first of all he [Mike D'Antoni] is a great person and a great basketball mind and for me they just never really had a chance with the long wait to get their team and then they finally got them together. They didn’t have much time to produce together.”

Listen to Steve Nash on 660 WFAN in New York here

Let’s make one thing clear: Steve Nash has been a class act throughout his time in Phoenix and he’s tried his best to hold off the questions surrounding his future. Nash is a team first player and wants to clear his head after the season concludes. Here are two different interviews from the Suns point guard regarding his future.

Steve Nash joined KTAR in Phoenix with Burns and Gambo to discuss what the Phoenix Suns need to do in order to keep him next year, family playing a factor in his free agency decision, how close the Phoenix Suns are from being the team he wants to stay with in the future, recruiting free agents to play in Phoenix and taking less money to sign with a contender that can win an NBA championship.

What do you think Suns management needs to do in order to retain the services of Steve Nash?

“Well it’s…I couldn’t really sit here and tell you what those rules would be, but I think for me I want to try to see this organization be a contender again and be in the picture where we have the chance to knock off contenders and build a team that gets back to late May in the playoffs and June and if not the finals one day, so I want that for the fans. I want that for myself and I think the organization wants it to, so hopefully this summer whatever those moves may be there’s a lot of different directions you can go give a franchise in a sense of a chance to be competitive in the playoffs again.”

How much will family play a factor in your decision since they live here in Phoenix?

“It’s one factor, but it’s not going to be the deciding factor. There’s a lot of ways around that, so the family situation is not me being number one or the only factor. It’s one of many factors to throw in the hat. The family situation isn’t immovable or a permanent one. That can be on that is sorted out as well, so that’s not something I am thinking about at this stage and frankly I’m not even thinking about free agency because it’s…besides tough games on the plate and us being in the No.8 seed that is more than enough to keep me busy these days.”

How close do you think you are from achieving this vision that you want in the off-season? How close are the Phoenix Suns from where you want them to be?

“First of all if you think of the positives we have a great fan base. We have a great coach and we have I think a bunch of guys that I think are good people, winners that play unselfish basketball, so when you add to the mix a couple of players or whatever, maybe one or two or three depending on who and how you have a chance to really elevate a team. It’s hard to predict, but anything is possible. I think this franchise definitely has a great opportunity this summer with the flexibility and cap space it has to improve a great deal whether that is just one step up the ladder or three or four has yet to be seen, but it should be an exciting time for some fans and we’ll see how it all plays out in the summer.”

Are you going to recruit free agents out there?

“Well I mean I think it is early to say. I’m not even sure what the rules are on that. I want to see this franchise do well. If that’s going to be a deciding factor on me coming back then I’d obviously want to do what I can to help. Who knows what is going to happen? Who knows what other opportunities will be out there for me? I want to really just wait and see and clear my mind more than anything. I’ve been here for right fantastic years and this is home. If it were time to move on I think it is going to demand a lot of thought and debate on my part and figure out a lot of things, so it’s a little bit of a tricky situation in that aspect. I think I have definitely earned the opportunity to sit back and take it all in and decide what is best for me. I wish I had a crystal ball, but I think the best and smartest move for me is to play this season out with everything I got then afterwards start to think about what the future may hold.”

Would you take less money to go to a contender if you felt you could win a championship?

“It’s possible, but at this point though I really don’t know…like I said with the family and with the money. These are all just one factor and a bunch of different factors. I just want to put them all in and evaluate all the different factors and all the things to consider and where I fit best and what fits me best and then you do your pros and cons and try to come up with the best possible place, but it’s definitely not out of the question to take less money to go to a situation where it fits you better, but it’s really early for me. I haven’t even sat down to think about those things. We’ll see. I’ve been putting this off obviously I want to play out the season the best we can and be successful and have a fun run, but it is going to be a big, big, big project for me to really get to the bottom of what is the best thing for me.”

Listen to Steve Nash on 620 KTAR in Phoenix here

Steve Nash joined WFAN in New York with Joe & Evan to discuss his take on Mike D’Antoni resigning as New York Knicks head coach.

What was your take on what happened to Mike D’Antoni from afar?

“Well as I look from a distance from the way I looked at it, it just seemed like he never really got his team. They kept waiting for that free agent summer and they didn’t get LeBron [James]. They got Amar’e [Stoudemire], which was a great pickup. Then the next year they built a team that was playing really well. Raymond Felton was playing really well. Danilo Gallinari was becoming a key figure. They had some other pieces with Amar’e. They were playing great basketball and then they made a trade and brought Carmelo [Anthony], which was a great pickup, but they lost a lot of guys. I think they were fighting to get that chemistry again and that depth. They signed Tyson Chandler, which was another great pickup, but then Carmelo was out. They struggled to have success when Carmelo came back. They are still trying to find their chemistry if you think about it. He hadn’t played a lot of games with those guys. It’s very, very young in their time together. Before they could find any success the pressure got the best of everyone whenever it was, before they ever had a chance to make a run with the players on the team they had been waiting to get and it was over. It’s unfortunate. I think first of all he [Mike D'Antoni] is a great person and a great basketball mind and for me they just never really had a chance with the long wait to get their team and then they finally got them together. They didn’t have much time to produce together.”

Listen to Steve Nash on 660 WFAN in New York here