Events in Sport
- 1968-01-22 NBA announces expansion franchise licences awarded to Milwaukee (Bucks) and Phoenix (Suns)
NBA Record
1972-02-16 Wilt Chamberlain of the Los Angeles Lakers becomes first player in NBA history to reach the career 30,000 point mark during a 110-109 loss to the Phoenix Suns
- 1976-06-06 30th NBA Championship: Boston Celtics beat Phoenix Suns, 4 games to 2
- 1986-02-18 San Antonio guard Alvin Robertson scores NBA's 2nd quadruple double-20 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists & 10 steals in 120-114 win over Phoenix Suns
- 1989-01-17 Phoenix Suns cancel game at Miami Heat, due to racial unrest in Miami
- 1990-11-02 First regular season game played outside North America by any major professional sports league the NBA's Phoenix Suns beat the Utah Jazz, 119-96 at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium in Japan
- 1992-06-06 America West Arena opens in Phoenix, Arizona; home court of NBA Phoenix Suns
- 1992-11-07 1st NBA game at America West Arena, Phoenix Suns beat Clippers 111-105
- 1993-03-23 NY Knicks & Phoenix Suns get into a major brawl
- 1993-06-01 Phoenix Suns guard Dan Majerle sets a then NBA Playoff record by sinking 8 three-pointers during the Suns’ 120-114 win over Seattle in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals
NBA Finals
1993-06-20 NBA Finals: Chicago Bulls become first team since legendary Boston Celtics of the 1960s to win 3 consecutive titles, with a 99–98 victory in Game 6 over Phoenix Suns; MVP: Michael Jordan for third straight year
- 1996-11-01 Shaquille O'Neil makes his Hollywood debut as Los Angeles Lakers beat Phoenix Suns, 96-82 at the Forum, Inglewood; O'Neil scores 23 points and pulls down 14 rebounds in 35 minutes
Steve Nash Traded to the Lakers
2012-07-11 Future Basketball Hall of Fame guard Steve Nash is traded by the Phoenix Suns to the Los Angeles Lakers
- 2018-06-21 NBA Draft: Arizona center Deandre Ayton first pick by Phoenix Suns
Sports History
2023-04-09 Kawhi Leonard leads the Los Angeles Clippers to a win over the Phoenix Suns, securing the fifth seed in the Western Conference playoff bracket
Birthdays in Sport
- 1931-10-07 Cotton Fitzsimmons, American Basketball HOF coach (NJCAA C'ship 1966, 67, Moberly Area CC; Kansas State; NBA: Phoenix Suns; Atlanta Hawks, San Antonio Spurs), born in Hannibal, Missouri (d. 2004)
- 1932-07-17 Johnny Kerr, American basketball forward (NBA All-Star 1956, 59, 63; Syracuse Nats/Philadelphia 76ers), coach (Chicago Bulls, Phoenix Suns) and broadcaster (Chicago Bulls), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2009)
- 1937-10-03 John MacLeod, American basketball coach (NBA Phoenix Suns 1973-87), born in New Albany, Indiana (d. 2019)
- 1942-05-09 George Wilson. American basketball center (NCAA C'ship 1962 Uni of Cincinnati; Olympic gold 1964; Cincinnati Royals, Chicago Bulls, Seattle SuperSonics, Phoenix Suns), born in Meridian, Mississippi (d. 2023)
- 1942-07-17 Connie Hawkins, American professional basketball player, 1961-76 ABA MVP-1968 (Harlem Globetrotters, 1963-66; Phoenix Suns, L.A. Lakers), born in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York (d. 2017)
- 1943-02-22 Dick Van Arsdale, American NBA all-star (New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns), born in Indianapolis, Indiana
- 1950-11-30 Paul Westphal, American Basketball Hall of Fame guard (NBA C'ship 1974; NBA All-Star 1977–81; Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns) and coach (Phoenix Suns, Seattle SuperSonics, Sacramento Kings), born in Torrance, California (d. 2021)
- 1951-05-08 Mike D'Antoni, American basketball coach (NBA Coach of the Year 2005, 17; Houston Rockets; LA Lakers, NY Knicks, Phoenix Suns), born in Mullens, West Virginia
- 1954-07-13 David Thompson, American NBA guard, 1975-84, 4X All-Star (Denver Nuggets, Seattle Supersonics), born in Shelby, North Carolina
- 1954-09-09 Walter Davis, American basketball shooting guard (6 x NBA All-Star; NBA Rookie of the Year 1978; Olympic gold 1976; Phoenix Suns, Denver Nuggets), born in Pineville, North Carolina (d. 2023)
- 1954-11-05 Alvin Gentry, American basketball head coach (New Orleans Pelicans 2015-19; Miami Heat, Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns), born in Shelby, North Carolina
- 1959-03-17 Danny Ainge, American NBA basketball player (Boston Celtics, 1981-69; 3 other teams 1989-95), coach (Phoenix Suns, 1996-99), and executive (Boston Celtics, 2000-present)and MLB baseball (Toronto Blue Jays, 1979-81) player, born in Eugene, Oregon
- 1959-05-01 Eddie Johnson, American basketball guard/forward (NBA Sixth Man of the Year 1989; Phoenix Suns, Seattle SuperSonics), born in Chicago, Illinois
- 1959-06-21 Tom Chambers, American NBA player (Seattle SuperSonics, Phoenix Suns), born in Ogden, Utah
- 1962-01-04 Joe Kleine, American NBA center, 1985-2000 (Olympic gold, 1984; Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns, Chicago Bulls, and 4 other teams), born in Colorado Springs, Colorado
- 1962-08-09 John "Hot Rod" Williams, American NBA center/forward (Phoenix Suns), born in Sorrento, Louisiana (d. 2015)
- 1963-10-04 A. C. Green, American basketball power forward (most consecutive games [1,192] in NBA and ABA history; LA Lakers), born in Portland, Oregon
- 1964-05-28 Armon Gilliam, American NBA forward, 1987-2000 (Phoenix Suns, Milwaukee Bucks, NJ Nets, and 3 other teams), and college coach, 2001-05 (Penn State), born in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania (d. 2011)
- 1964-06-09 Wayman Tisdale, American NBA player (Phoenix Suns) and smooth jazz bassist, born in Fort Worth, Texas (d. 2009)
- 1965-04-25 Mark Bryant, American NBA forward and center (Phoenix Suns, Houston Rockets), born in Glen Ridge, New Jersey
- 1966-03-04 Kevin Johnson, American NBA player (Phoenix Suns) and politician, born in Sacramento, California
- 1966-05-17 Danny Manning, American basketball forward (NBA All-Star 1993, 94; NBA Sixth Man of the Year 1998; Phoenix Suns), born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi
- 1966-09-09 Lance Blanks, American basketball guard (Detroit Pistons, Minnesota Timberwolves), executive (GM Phoenix Suns 2010-13) and broadcaster (ESPN, Longhorn Network), born in Del Rio, Texas (d. 2023)
- 1966-12-16 Clifford Robinson, American basketball center (NBA All-Star 1994; 6th Man of Year Award 1993; Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers), born in Buffalo, New York (d. 2020)
- 1967-05-27 George McCloud, NBA forward/guard (Dallas Mavericks, Phoenix Suns)
- 1967-10-05 Rex Chapman, NBA guard (Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns)
- 1969-03-28 Elliot Perry, NBA guard, 1991-92, 1994-2002 (Phoenix Suns, Milwaukee Bucks, and 5 other teams), born in Memphis, Tennessee
- 1969-08-02 Cedric Ceballos, American NBA forward (LA Lakers, Phoenix Suns), born in Maui, Hawaii,
- 1969-12-19 Tom Gugliotta, American basketball forward (NBA All-Star 1997; NBA All-Rookie First Team 1993; Minnesota Timberwolves, Phoenix Suns), born in Huntington Station, New York
- 1971-06-20 Rodney Rogers, American basketball small forward (NBA Sixth Man of the Year 2000 Phoenix Suns), born in Durham, North Carolina
- 1971-07-18 Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway, American basketball guard (NBA All-Star 1995–98; All-NBA First Team 1995, 96; Olympic gold 1996; Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, NY Knicks), born in Memphis, Tennessee
- 1971-10-08 Monty Williams, American basketball coach (NBA Coach of the Year 2022, Phoenix Suns 2019-23; New Orleans Hornets/Pelicans 2010-15; Detroit Pistons), born in Fredericksburg, Virginia
- 1971-10-28 John Coker, NBA center (Phoenix Suns)
- 1972-10-05 Grant Hill, American Basketball HOF small forward (Olympic gold 1996; 7 × NBA All-Star; Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns), born in Dallas, Texas
- 1972-12-30 Loren Meyer, NBA center (Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks)
- 1973-02-19 Terrence Rencher, American NBA guard (Phoenix Suns), born in The Bronx, New York
- 1973-03-06 Michael Finley, NBA guard/forward (Phoenix Suns/Dallas Mavericks)
- 1973-03-23 Jason Kidd, American Basketball HOF point guard (Olympic gold 2000, 08; NBA C'ship 2011 Dallas Mavericks; 10×NBA All-Star; 5×All-NBA First Team) and coach (Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, Dallas Mavs), born in San Francisco, California
- 1973-07-17 Horacio Llamas, Mexican NBA center (Phoenix Suns), born in Rosario, Mexico
- 1973-08-01 Mario Bennett, American NBA forward (LA Lakers, Phoenix Suns), born in Denton, Texas
Steve Nash (50 years old)
1974-02-07 Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame guard (NBA MVP 2005, 06; 8 × NBA All-Star; Dallas Mavericks, Phoenix Suns, LA Lakers) and coach (Brooklyn Nets), born in Johannesburg, South Africa
- 1974-09-07 Antonio McDyess, American basketball forward (NBA All-Star 2001; Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons), born in Quitman, Mississippi
- 1977-05-07 Marko Milic, NBA guard (Phoenix Suns)
- 1996-08-30 Mikal Bridges, American NBA player (Phoenix Suns), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- 1998-07-23 Deandre Ayton, Bahamian basketball center (2018 NBA Draft: #1 pick Phoenix Suns), born in Nassau, Bahamas
Deaths in Sport
- 2004-07-24 Cotton Fitzsimmons, American Basketball HOF coach (NJCAA C'ship 1966, 67, Moberly Area CC; Kansas State; NBA: Phoenix Suns; Atlanta Hawks, San Antonio Spurs), dies of lung cancer and stroke at 72
- 2009-02-26 Johnny Kerr, American basketball forward (NBA All-Star 1956, 59, 63; Syracuse Nats/Philadelphia 76ers), coach (Chicago Bulls, Phoenix Suns) and broadcaster (Chicago Bulls), dies of prostate cancer at 76
- 2011-07-05 Armon Gilliam, American NBA forward, 1987-2000 (Phoenix Suns, Milwaukee Bucks, NJ Nets, and 3 other teams), and college coach, 2001-05 (Penn State), dies of a heart attack at 47
- 2015-12-11 John "Hot Rod" Williams, American NBA center/forward (Phoenix Suns), dies of cancer at 53
- 2017-10-06 Connie Hawkins, American professional basketball player, 1961-76 ABA MVP-1968 (Harlem Globetrotters, 1963-66; Phoenix Suns, L.A. Lakers), dies of cancer at 75
- 2019-04-14 John MacLeod, American basketball coach (NBA Phoenix Suns 1973-87), dies of Alzheimer's disease at 81
- 2020-08-29 Clifford Robinson, American basketball center (NBA All-Star 1994; 6th Man of Year Award 1993; Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers), dies from lymphoma at 53
- 2021-01-02 Paul Westphal, American Basketball Hall of Fame guard (NBA C'ship 1974; NBA All-Star 1977–81; Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns) and coach (NBA: Phoenix, Seattle, Sacramento), dies from glioblastoma at 70
- 2023-05-03 Lance Blanks, American basketball guard (Detroit Pistons, Minnesota Timberwolves), executive (GM Phoenix Suns 2010-13), and broadcaster (ESPN, Longhorn Network), takes his own life at 56
- 2023-07-29 George Wilson. American basketball center (NCAA C'ship 1962 Uni of Cincinnati; Olympic gold 1964; Cincinnati Royals, Chicago Bulls, Seattle SuperSonics, Phoenix Suns), dies at 81
- 2023-11-02 Walter Davis, American basketball shooting guard (6 x NBA All-Star; NBA Rookie of the Year 1978; Olympic gold 1976; Phoenix Suns, Denver Nuggets), dies at 69
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