Time for the Sun(s) to Rise.

As a fan of Arizona sports, it's time to turn my attention to the NBA playoffs. After years of rebuilding, the Phoenix Suns are back, ready to make a serious run at the title. I've been a fan of the Suns for quite a while.

After graduating from college in Indiana, I returned to the desert and lived in Phoenix from 1987-1991. In 1987, the Suns had just finished a horrendous season and missed the playoffs. Things only got worse as several players, including star Walter Davis, were busted on cocaine charges. The team was in major disarray. Ah, but things were soon going to change. The 1987-88 season was unspectacular as the Suns finished next to last and missed the playoffs.

Then things started to happen. New ownership came in, with Jerry Cholangelo now in charge. He brought back Cotton Fitzsimmons, who had coached the team before and had been around a number of NBA teams. Then the players started coming in. From Seattle, came a scrappy center named Tom Chambers. In a trade with Cleveland came a rather unheralded Kevin Johnson.

Then came the draft. Fans booed with gusto when they heard that their first pick in the draft was some guy from Central Michigan named Dan Majerle. Who was this guy? Well, they would soon find out about "Thunder Dan." He quickly became the most popular player on the team, known for his all out hustle and never-say-die attitude. His 2006 equivalent is clearly Steve Nash, as their playing styles are very similar.

Joining Chambers, Johnson and Majerle were other players that never were marquee names but certainly were an integral part of the team. Names like Ty Corbin, Mark West, Andrew Lang, and Eddie Johnson. The 1988-89 season started off with not very high hopes and the Suns didn't draw much attention early on after the previous dismal season. But what a difference a year makes. They ended up winning 27 more games than the previous year. Obviously they were a better team and just making the playoffs was a major accomplishment.

Then, the magic started. First round, the Denver Nuggets fall. Second round, the Warriors go down. Suddenly, the team that was decimated less than a year ago is going to the Western Conference finals against the Lakers. Now, it wasn't quite a storybook ending. This was when the Lakers still had Magic Johnson, AC Green, James Worthy, Kareem, et al. They took the Suns down in 4. But it didn't matter, Phoenix was now hooked on the Suns and that ride through the playoffs was a blast. If you have ever lived in a city that has a team vying for a national championship, it is very exciting, as the whole city just lives and dies by the team during the run.

The next year, the Suns again made it to the Western Conference finals before losing a heartbreaker to Portland. But, this was the year we beat the Lakers! That was a series to remember as the city just went bonkers over that one. This was still the "showtime" Lakers of Pat Riley, Magic and company, so it was particularly sweet.

The next year, they lost in round 2 to Utah. But for those few years I lived in Phoenix, the town lived and breathed the Suns. Their games at that time were played in the Coliseum, an old venue. But it had real character. All the seats were pretty close, and the place got LOUD. I know their new arena is state of the art now, but attending games at the Coliseum really was a lot of fun.

The year I left Phoenix, they made the big trade that brought Charles Barkley to town. That year, they went all the way to the finals. They won game 5 at Chicago in a double-overtime thriller that was the most exciting game I've ever seen. Returning to Phoenix for game 6, they still had to keep winning because they were down 3 games to 2. They led by two points with just a few seconds left. Chicago had possession. Obviously, Jordan is going to get the ball. Sure enough, he does. But wait, he dishes off to John Paxon. Hey, he's behind the 3-point line. Oh no!It goes up and . . . . . SWISH!

. . . .fast forward to 2006. The Suns were never the same after that game. They spent years missing the playoffs or making quick round 1 exits. But they are back, and we'll see what happens this time around. Phoenix will explode if they can win it all. They still have the relocated Coyotes in hockey, the relocated Cardinals in football, and the expansion Diamondbacks (who don't even remotely resemble the 2001 world champions). But the Suns have been in Phoenix longer than any of the other three pro teams combined. So, this is the team that really captures everyone's attention when they make a serious run.