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28 August 2011
Before we begin with our regularly scheduled piece on what the Phoenix Suns and their players are up to during this lockout, I would just like to take a moment to apologize for the lack of activity on this site as of late. Obviously with the lockout there hasn't been a whole lot of news happening in regards to the Suns, but that is still no excuse for the lack of posts as of late. I'm going to make every effort to get more content up in the days, weeks, and months to come, and I hope that you'll make your way back to Suns Rising for all of your Phoenix Suns news.
With the formalities out of the way, here is your regularly scheduled post:
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14 June 2011
"At the end of the day, all the people that was rooting for me to fail...they have to wake up tomorrow and have the same life that they had before they woke up today. I pretty much don't listen to what everybody has to say about me or my game or what I've done with my career...This is year after year for me."
Those were the words spoken by LeBron James in the hours following his team's loss to the Dallas Mavericks on South Beach that clinched the first title in Mavericks' history. The Heat, a super-team composed of James and his co-horts Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, were much maligned all year as they struggled to find the chemistry necessary to succeed in today's NBA, but they overcame a lot of that talk and made it all the way to the NBA Finals, defeating a couple of really good teams in the Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls. While they were unable to overcome Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavs, they were able to have a modestly successful season despite all the hate they received.
All of that being said, the Heat obviously brought a lot of this grief on themselves. Their celebration after signing James in the off-season came across to many as the height of hubris, and a lof of people were delighted when they started the season out slowly. The biggest villain of all was of course the man who calls himself "King James," after the way he left Cleveland in a televised special. Plenty of media types ripped into James for allowing himself to defer to Wade so often, and it seemed as though nothing any of the Heat players could do would quiet those critics.
The NBA Finals provided even more examples of this type of arrogance that have made the Heat the NBA's answer to the New York Yankees. Most notable among these instances was the video taken before Game 5 of Wade and James mocking Nowitzki, who played several games while ill during the Finals. They faked coughing as they walked down the tunnel, and while Dirk took the high road and didn't light into them like they likely deserved, it was just one more piece of ammuntion for haters of the duo to use. The Heat thrived all year in proving people wrong about whether or not their experiment would result in success, but in the end, their egotistical posturing came back to haunt them as Nowitzki had the last laugh.
Back to what LeBron said postgame, it is just one more example of how James has tried to make it appear as though all of the criticisms lobbed his way don't bother him, but instead it appears as though they bother him quite a bit. Obviously media questions make it difficult for James to truly get away from the issue of what people who dislike him are saying, but he has brought it up on his own as well during this time, and his answers have ranged from portraying remorse for the way he left Cleveland to statements like this one that show a feeling that he needs to lash out at those that attack him. It is truly sad to see a superstar athlete having to feel this way, but with his actions on and off the court over the past calendar year, it's hard to feel sorry for the guy.
On the opposite end of the "feelings" spectrum, you have the truly awesome ways in which Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has been celebrating his team's championship. During the presentation of the trophy by David Stern (who looked genuinely uncomfortable throughout), it would have been an incredible moment if the commissioner had to hand the hardware over to Cuban, who has been the bane of Stern's existence for years now. Instead of taking the opportunity to rub his success in Stern's face, Cuban did the classy thing and invited Don Carter, the man who founded and was the first owner of the Mavericks franchise, onto the stage to accept the Larry O'Brien trophy. It was a truly touching gesture to the man who was the face of the team for so long, and it showed that Cuban is willing to cede the spotlight when it is appropriate to do so.
Cuban also has remained remarkably quiet during this playoff run, a rarity for someone as out-spoken as he is. Sure, after the Mavericks won last night he talked about the Dallas fans "punking the *&#( out of Miami's fans", but other than this celebratory jab, he has been on the down-low as his team was chasing its title. He didn't want the focus to be taken away from the players on his club, and by allowing them to remain at center stage, he showed that he has matured from the boorish court-rushing buffoon that received so much press during his early years as the owner of the club.
The morning after the Mavs won, Cuban sent out a couple of cool tweets that underscore once again just how much of an every-man he is. He said that he was sleeping with the O'Brien trophy (and who among us wouldn't do that if given the exact same opportunity?), and then he tweeted a picture of himself, cigar in his mouth, flying back to Dallas with the trophy in the seat next to him. Owners certainly have enjoyed winning the NBA title, but it's doubtful if anyone has been as willing to express his joy with fans of his team has Cuban has been.
Finally, the coup de grace in the Cuban celebration train was his insistence that he will pay for the championship parade in the city of Dallas. Normally this is a taxpayer-funded soiree, complete with police officers and all the bells and whistles, but Cuban didn't feel as though it would be fair to make citizens pay for the team's party, and so he said that he would pick up the bill. It was a classy gesture in a string of awesome moves by the Mavs' owner, and it's hard not to like the guy a little bit more now, even if you are a Heat fan.
All in all, the last 24 hours have shown the highs and lows of the NBA experience. From Chris Bosh bawling his eyes out walking down the tunnel after the Heat's loss (and the classy way that he answered questions during the postgame press conference), to Dirk Nowitzki nearly not coming out for the trophy presentation because he was so overcome with joy, these NBA Finals proved to be an enormously rewarding experience for anyone who watched it. Congratulations have to go to the Mavericks, as they celebrate their first title in their history, and big props go to their fans, who showed up in a big way to support the team in Miami. The end of October may be a long way off, but for right now, seeing a team revel in their victory is truly a sight to behold.
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16 May 2011
In society today, the most divisive topic remaining in the age after the Civil Rights movement is sexuality. Whether in the general workplace or in our everyday lives, homosexuality is a topic that makes people uncomfortable, and inevitably leads to arguments about gay rights and the like. Whatever side fo the aisle you are on with this issue, you likely feel very strongly about it, because there is very little middle ground.
Nowhere is the topic of sexuality more taboo than in the sports world. The topic has been discussed at length in terms of whether or not a gay athlete would be welcome in a professional locker room, and for the most part, the prevalent attitude seems to be one of hands-off detachment. The argument frequently is made that the topic of sexuality (and many other controversial issues) should be kept out of the sports realm, and this has successfully kept homosexuality in the sports world under wraps. Until now.
Over the weekend, Phoenix Suns President and CEO Rick Welts revealed that he is gay. It was a huge story, because he is the first executive in any of the four major sports to come out of the closet, and the reaction from around the sports world was largely positive. Steve Nash perhaps said it best when he said "anyone who's not ready for this needs to catch up. He's doing anyone who's not ready for this a favor." Nash isn't just saying these things now either. Inf act, last October he actively discussed the issue of teens committing suicide because of being bullied about their sexuality, so this has been a topic that Nash clearly feels strongly about.
Suns head coach Alvin Gentry offered similar words of support, saying "to me, what does it matter? I know he's great at his job; he's very organized and he does a brilliant job. To me, his sexuality is irreleveant."
Not only did Welts come out to members of his own organization, but he also spoke with several other notable NBA figures, including commissioner David Stern and legendary Celtics big man Bill Russell. Stern was quoted in the New York Times piece on Welts as saying "I think there's a good chance that the world will find this unremarkable," Stern said. "I don't know if I was confusing my thoughts with my hopes."
The reaction to Welts' revelation was largely positive, but there has been plenty of negative feedback as well. The most popular negative comment on message boards, on the Times' website as well as others, is to be dismissive of the announcement as some type of ploy to obtain "job security," because he can claim discrimination if he is fired. There is also the typical blend of folks who disagree with homosexuality on religious grounds.
While the religious argument is one that will always rage, the argument that this is some type of ploy is patently absurd. No one in their right mind just comes out and says they're gay for no reason other than self-advancement. Homosexuality isn't accepted enough in this country that people will just say they're gay just for the heck of it. It's still a tremendously difficult decision to reveal your sexuality, and to dismiss it as some type of publicity stunt is just about as idiotic as one can get.
Other members of the Suns organization have been active in making homosexuality less of a taboo topic this weekend as well, as Jared Dudley and Grant Hill came out with a Public Service Announcement concerning people using the word "gay" as a derogatory term. Almost immediately after the ad aired for the first time, a slew of negative tweets were sent to Hill, including one particularly troubling one from Twitter user the_only_yump, who said "@jalenrose have you seen the commerical of that uncle tom @realgranthill33 talking about how using gay is unacceptable? #whatafag."
Hill did something that many celebrity athletes, including sexual abuse victim and former NHL player Theo Fleury, have done: retweeted as many of the hateful tweets as possible, both to hold these buffoons to the fire and also to hammer the point home that this commerical was necessary. In fact, that's exactly what Hill said on his Twitter account after retweeting numerous insults, saying "as you can see from my retweets, the PSA was necessary."
If Welts' coming out and Hill's PSA have taught us anything, it's that this country of ours has a long way to go toward acceptance of those of different sexual orientation than ourselves. Gay rights has made some significant steps forward in recent years, but judging by the lengths that the Suns are going to in order to fight for equal rights, there's still a lot of work that needs to be done.
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14 April 2011
After a narrow victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night, the Phoenix Suns’ brass and players gathered on Thursday for one final get-together with the media before a long summer break. This break will be a lot longer than last year’s hiatus after a Western Conference Final loss to the eventual champion Lakers, and could be even longer than normal if the NBA’s labor dispute isn’t settled in time for the regular season.
Even with that cloud hanging over the entire league, Thursday’s media session focused more on the task at hand of re-tooling a franchise that seems to be running out of gas after a long stretch of excellent play. Several issues were addressed by head coach Alvin Gentry and Suns president Lon Babby, but there were three in particular that provide an interesting look into where the Suns are headed in the future.
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31 March 2011
Mcihael Gilchrist scored 16 points and pulled down 12 rebounds, and James McAdoo scored 17 points to help lead the East team to a 111-96 victory over the West squad on Wednesday night at the United Center. brad Beal also scored 17 points, and was one of five East players who scored in double figures in the victory.
The West team had some good performances as well, with Khem Birch scoring 15 points, grabbing 10 rebounds (including nine on the offensive glass) and six blocks. Boston Celtics' coach Doc Rivers' son Austin Rivers knocked down three 3-pointers en route to scoring 14 points. He also had five rebounds and four assists for the West team, and displayed a lot of the offensive quickness and playmaking ability that got him recruited to Duke University this fall.
Another player that looked really solid for the East squad was Shannon Scott, who showed off some great defensive prowess with five steals to go along with his four points and two assists. He will be joining up with Jared Sullinger at Ohio State, and if he can improve his passing just a little bit, he will be a legitimate two-way weapon for what was the Big Ten's best team last year.
The West team struck on a smart idea when the paired up Cody Zeller (Indiana) and Kyle Wiltjer (Kentucky) at one point during the first half. Both players are 6-foot-10 rebounding machines who take very good angles to the basketball when it bounces off the rim, and they both seem to have a good feel for how to play in the low post. Over all, Zeller had a more efficient evening, going 5-of-6 from the field and scoring 10 points. He also picked up three assists. Wiltjer scored 11 points and had two offensive rebounds in the game.
The West's starting center Anthony Davis also had an MVP-caliber game, scoring 14 points, pulling down six rebounds, and blocking four shots. The Chicago, IL product will be headed to Kentucky alongside Wiltjer, Gilchrist, and Marquis Teague this fall, and will give John Calipari a truly exceptional bunch of recruits once again.
Other notable East performances belonged to Quinn Cook and PJ Hairston. Cook knocked down two 3-pointers and scored 14 points overall, displaying offensive versatility with some solid drives to the hoop and a nice jump shot. Hairston added 15 points of his own, and also swiped two steals to go along with his three assists. He also knocked down a couple of NBA-length three-pointers to further cement his status as one of the top recruits in the country.
Even with all of these great games, the night truly belonged to Gilchrist and McAdoo, the co-MVP's. Before an All-American game record 19,909 people, the two put on an offensive display that dazzled scouts in attendance. Gilchrist got off to a rough start when he airballed his first shot, but he settled down in what can only be described as an exceptional all-around performance. Five of his 12 rebounds were on the offensive glass (a number only eclipsed by Burch's nine offensive boards), and he also showed great court awareness in dishing out four assists. McAdoo may have been more of an offensive force, going 8-of-13 from the field, but he was no match all around for the Kentucky-bound Gilchrist. No matter, both players certainly were deserving of the award.
With all of the talent on display last night, it will certainly be fun to watch these guys move to the next level next season as they head to their respective colleges. The annual rite of passage that this game has become gives these kids an opportunity to play in front of bigger crowds than they ever have in their lives, and it gives a lot of fans their first opportunity to see the crop that will be heading to their colleges in the fall. This year's event was indeed spectacular, and it will be great to see these players continue to develop as time wears on.
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28 March 2011
The next generation of college stars is converging on the Windy City this week for the 34th Annual McDonald's High School All-American Game. It is the first time sinc e1982 that this showcase of young talent has come to Chicago, and with the city's rich and vibrant crop of stars that they've churned out, it makes sense to bring the game to the United Center.
With players like Austin Rivers and Michael Gilchrist ready to show their skills on the court, it would make sense to kick off Suns Rising's coverage of the festivities by taking a look back at the Phoenix Suns players, both past and present, that made their mark in this game. Also, we'll take a look at the few, the proud, the players hailing from Phoenix-area high schools that have played in the game.
Current Suns:
-Aaron Brooks played in the 2003 game (along with other stud players like LeBron James), and represented Franklin High School in Seattle, Washington.
-Vince Carter may not be in the starting lineup for the Suns anymore, but as a senior at Mainland High School in Daytona Beach, Florida, Carter made a big mark in his appearance in the All-American game. He ended up winning the 1995 Slam Dunk competition, displaying the acrobatic ability that would propel him to a victory in the NBA Slam Dunk Competition in 2000.
-Grant Hill played in the game in 1990, representing South Lakes High School in Reston, Virginia.
-Gani Lawal hasn't found his stride yet in the NBA, but he managed to play very well on the big stage. Not only did he win the 2007 Naismith Sportsmanship Award, but he also had one of the best rebounding performances in the game's history by pulling down 12 boards.
-Robin Lopez joined his brother Brook in the 2006 game, playing for San Joaquin Memorial High School in Fresno, California.
Notable Former Suns:
-Rex Chaman played all the way back in 1986, representing Apollo High School in Owensboro, Kentucky.
-Jason Kidd had five steals in the 1992 game, which ranks him pretty high in the game's history but well behind Khalid Reeves' incredible 10 steals in 1990.
-Shaquille O'Neal had a monster game in 1989, pulling down 16 rebounds and swatting his way to six blocks in an MVP-winning performance.
-Jalen Rose represented Detroit Southwestern well in 1991 on his way to joining Michigan's famed Fab Five. Luckily for him, his arch-nemesis at the college level, Grant Hill, had played in the game the year before.
-Amare Stoudemire, drafted straight out of Cypress Creek High School, played in the All-American Game in 2002 along with other star players like Chris Bosh and Carmelo Anthony (who won the dunk contest that year).
Phoenix, Arizona Products in the Game:
-Jerryd Bayless, currently with the Toronto Raptors, played in the 2007 game and represented St. Mary's Catholic High School.
-Mike Bibby, currently with the Miami Heat, played in 1996 and represented Shadow Mountain High School.
-Richard Jefferson, currently with the San Antonio Spurs, came out of Moon Valley High School and played in the 1998 game. He also played at the University of Arizona.
-Brad Lohaus is the elder statesman of this group, playing in the 1982 game in Chicago and representing Greenway High School.
Random Chicago Nuggets:
-Michael Jordan played in the 1981 All-American Game, and even though he set a record by scoring 30 points in the game, he was not named the MVP of the game. In fact, Aubrey Sherrod and Adrian Branch shared the award, so apparently the attending media thought he was the third best player on the floor. Worse yet for Sherrod, he ended up playing on the Bulls with Jordan, so the topic more than likely came up at some point.
-In the only other All-American Game played in Chicago, the West team beat the East squad 103-84 in front of a then-record 15,836 people (a record not eclipsed until the 1995 edition in St. Louis) at Rosemont Horizon. The immortal Efram Winters won the MVP Award for the game, and Kenny Walker pulled down 14 rebounds for the victorious West team.
-The Powerade All-Star Jam Fest will be held Monday night, and Suns Rising will have a recap of those festitivies Tuesday morning. The game itself will be played on Wednesday night at the United Center, and will be televised on ESPN2.
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28 March 2011
While Friday's loss to the New Orleans Hornets may have been a huge blow to the Phoenix Suns' playoff hopes, Sunday's game represented the final dagger to those fading dreams. The Suns only made one three-pointer en route to a 91-83 loss at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks, as Jason Kidd knocked down two clutch three-pointers in the closing minutes to put the game away.
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09 March 2011
The Suns returned home on Tuesday night after a long road trip that was full of positives and negatives. On the down side, they are now without Channing Frye for the next two to three weeks as he recovers from a dislocated shoulder suffered on Sunday in Oklahoma City, but on the plus side they did go 4-2 on the road trip and managed to stay within striking distance of the final playoff spot in the West. It was with these mixed emotions that they took the court against the Rockets, and behind twin 32 point efforts from Hakim Warrick and Vince Carter, the Suns knocked Houston off 113-110.
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07 March 2011
The Phoenix Suns announced today that Channing Frye, injured in last night's loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, will miss at least 2-3 weeks with a dislocated shoulder. Hakim Warrick will be expected to step in and play at the power forward position in his absence, but Frye's injury could not have come at a worse time for this club.
Since the beginning of February, Frye has really improved his rebounding, pulling down nine boards a game and playing better post defense than he has during the early portion of his Suns career. He's also had some great three-point shooting performances as of late, knocking down five against the Bucks on Friday and six in a recent game against the Jazz.
It will be interesting to see how Frye's injury will affect the Suns as they try to claw their way into the playoffs in the coming weeks. At the very least it appears as though the team will get him back before the season ends, but their position in the standings is very much up in the air at this point. With New Orleans losing Chris Paul for a period of time, and with the Grizzlies running into some bad luck with Rudy Gay, it could be a topsy-turvy ride going forward for the bottom of the Western Conference playoff hunt.
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07 March 2011
Vince Carter scored 29 points to pace the Suns to an excellent offensive effort on Sunday night, but it was the two shots that he missed that ended up costing his team in the end. Even with his six three-pointers, the Suns still fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder 122-118 to finish off their longest road trip of the season with a whimper instead of a bang.
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