The History Of The Phoenix Suns
I chose to write about the Phoenix Suns basketball History mainly because they have gave me, “the fan” great memories. The Suns introduced me to a whole new world of sports. When I watch their Basketball games it’s probably different from any other fan’s viewpoint. I tend to analyze their games and try to think what their next move is going to be. Other fans just cheer which is alright.
Throughout the Phoenix Suns existence, they have had many great years as well as many down years. When I was introduced to the sport of Basketball, the first team I watched was the Chicago Bulls; I was completely intrigued by this sport. Each member of the team on the court always seemed to be giving it their all. It was only for a year that I was a Chicago Bull fan; this was because I had not yet found out that Arizona had, and “The Team” of course, is the Phoenix Suns. I was quickly converted to a Suns fan (now I now what you’re thinking; you think I’m one of those people who just moves around cheering the team that wins…. well I’m not I was just a little kid who just found out that there was a professional basketball team in the state he lived in, and I just started cheering for them.) This team is great they are always playing their hearts out.
Well before the beginning of the 1968 draft two Teams (the expansion teams) Milwaukee and Phoenix got select players from other teams this is known as the
Expansion draft. The other teams were basically giving away low quality players . Before the team was even created there was a contest to see what the teams name was going to be. There were names like: The Moon Shooters, The Nitros, The Hoopsters, The Dudes, The Gransuns, Desert Rats, Desert Cats, The Sun Dials, And how about The Phoenix White Wing Doves?
The eventual winner was Selinda King she acquired $1,000 dollars plus season tickets to the suns first inaugural season. In the expansion draft the Suns selected Dick Van Arsdale, which turned out to be a great pick because he ended up averaging 17.6 points a game for Phoenix. Other players selected by Phoenix were: Gail Goodrich, Neil Johnson, David Latin, Stan McKenzie, McCoy McLemore, Dick Snyder, and George Wilson.
In the article, it states that in the spring of 1969 the Bucks with only two years of existence choose Alcindor as their first overall NBA pick. The biography states “In the spring of 1969 the Milwaukee Bucks, in only their second year of existence, selected Alcindor with the first overall pick in the NBA draft” (“Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Biography”). With this statement being said Ferdinand was an amazing basketball player to be chosen as the first overall pick in the NBA draft not a lot of athletes can say that in the professional league. After only being with the Bucks for only a year Alcindor was making great progress! He finished second in the league with most points, third in rebounds, and also being named the league rookie of the year he quickly adjusted to the game you can say. The article states “He finished second in the league in scoring and third in rebounding, and was named Rookie of the Year” (“Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Biography”). This being said Alcindor made a big impact his first year in the NBA. After making a few adjustments to the Bucks rooster the following years and adding a well needed player Oscar Robertson in 1971 the Bucks finished their regular season 66 wins and 16 loses and the success did not stop there. They finished the season strong by sweeping the Baltimore Bullets in the 1971 NBA finals which means they won the series 4-0 and Alcindor played a big role in this. The biography states “The following season the Bucks, having added future Hall of Fame guard Oscar Robertson to their roster, made another huge leap. The team finished the regular season 66-16 and then steamrolled through the playoffs, sweeping the Baltimore Bullets in the 1971 NBA finals” (“Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Biography”). In conclusion to the statement with Alcindor and Oscar in the team it made a big difference which lead the Bucks to win
I read How Vince Carter Conquered the NBA Drive, by Chris Young. I learned a lot of things about the NBA problems and the way the players really think not just how they show them in T.V. One of the things I learned about Vince Carter was that he had a lot of problems with his first manager. An example is when Richard Peddy his first manager got put in prison for stealing money from An NFL player. Vince Carter changed his manager and sued his old manager. I also learned that the first year that Vince Carter played he was underestimated the manager though he would be like a helping hand for Tracy Mcgrady his cousin and Ex-player for the Raptors. I also didn’t know that Vince Carter quit the contract with his sponsor Puma because the shoes were hurting his toes. I also found out that Vince Carter the second choice For the Raptors the Raptors first choice was “Tractor” Taylor a big center something the Raptors needed really bad. Another thing I learned was that the Raptors had to pay 27 million to get into the NBA. The last thing I learned was that Vince Carter did not want to do the NBA Dunk contest he was convinced to do it by his friend Kevin Garnett.
the first team to move west and back to the east. In 1995 the Rams moved
Clint Murchison, Jr. and Bedford Wynne were awarded a National Football League (NFL) expansion franchise on January 28, 1960, located in Dallas, TX. At the annual meeting, they purchased the team for $600,000 (Bohls 1). They were given the status of a “swing team” meaning that they would play every other team in the league their first season of play. They were displaced in the Western Division Standings. Murchison’s and Wynne’s next moved was to high their front office personnel which were: Tex Schramm (General Manager), Gil Brandt (Director of Player Personnel), and Tom Landry as Head Coach. In the beginning there were called the Dallas Steers, then after a couple of weeks the name was changed and there were called the Dallas Rangers. That name was short-lived as well, as it conflicted with a baseball team that was in the city. Then they finally decided to name the team the Dallas Cowboys to keep the confusion down (Fleming 1).
It is 1991 and the Chicago Bulls are playing the Lakers in the championship. Michael Jordan had just crossed over Magic Johnson and was on a fast break, when he saw Pippen in the corner. Jordan whips the ball to Pippen and Pippen knocked a three down to take the lead. That was the first championship the Bulls had ever won. Their all-star player, Michael Jordan, was drafted in 1980. Nobody knew that Michael would lead the Chicago Bulls to their first championship series. The Bulls who had two all-star players, Jordan and Scotty Pippen, which of who were the Chicago Bulls top scorers. The team from the nineties had the best record in the NBA. The nineties were the best years that Chicago Bulls had experienced thus far. They have only won 6 championships and they all are from the1990’s (91, 92, 93, 96, 97, and 98). The Chicago Bulls had some of the best players around in the nineties.
It all started in 1946 when the San Francisco 49ers first began their franchise. In 1950 is when the moved to the National Football League. They earned their name from the gold miners who surged in San Francisco, in 1849, in search for gold so they could start a new life. Their first owner, Anthony J. Morabito, who was from the University of Santa Clara alumnus, had a dream of bringing a football team to the west. He had been moderately successful in the lumber hauling business. To make this happen, Anthony was put in touch with Arch Ward, an editor of the Chicago Tribune. Mr. Ward is credited with the All-American Conference, which was first held in October 1944. Anthony, after a long talk and negotiating with Mr. Ward, was granted a franchise with help from his younger brother, Victor, and partners in his lumbering business, Allen E. Sorrell, and E. J. Turre (“Niner’s history” www.49ersparadise.com).
In 2008, the Seattle Super Sonics relocated to Oklahoma City and now are known as the Thunder. While in Seattle, the team was not very successful and the owner had some disputes with the city and contracts which lead the sports council in Oklahoma City to inquire about hosting the team. The Thunder had a rough start when they first came into Oklahoma but after the first two year, they have progressed and became a dominant team. Over the years, the Thunder has built up a huge fan base in Oklahoma, who supports them through each battle because the Thunder has shown much appreciation through their actions.
"NBA.com: The Original Dream Team." NBA.com: The Original Dream Team. NBA Media Ventures, n.d. Web. 03 Mar. 2014.
Chicago Cubs baseball goes all the way back to April 25th, 1876 when they played the first game in the history of the Chicago National League Ball Club. However; at the time, they were not known as the “Cubs.” In general, they were known as the “White Stockings.” But a select few referred to them as the “Colts,” or “Orphans.” The team played in only five different locations in the 1800s because of the lack of places to play baseball at the time. As years went by, the league became popular, becoming one of the sports first dynasties. Chicago won six of the first eleven inaugural National League Championships (Cubs Timeline). In 1902, Frank Selee began managing Chicago to debut his managerial career. Just like managers, the name changed as well. A local newspaper penned the nickname “Cubs” for the first time. The name grew on people over time and was officially adopted in 1907. The year after that, victory arose in the city of Chicago. The season was filled with some of the greatest old-time baseball players. The batting line-up consisted of many good hitters and not jus...
New entrants into this industry are unusual since NBA League approval and a sharp franchise fee stand in the way of potential new team owners. Moreover, attempting to deceive the NBA would put the following difficulties into an entrepreneur’s path are: massive capital costs, lack of brand reputation, lack of TV revenue, and steep competition for talent. Extension teams occasionally do get approval, like the Charlotte Bobcats founded in 2004. Though, the competition that so many different industries face from new entrants is practically non-existent in professional basketball.
Other than the trademark short shorts of the 70’s and 80’s, the game of basketball has drastically changed over time. Even the high-flying, basketball pro, Michael Jordan acknowledged that today’s game is not what it used to be, paying homage to areas that surpassed, but also the areas that, he believed, worsened. Many embrace these new changes, however, there are still many who believe that the NBA is slowly withering away and losing its edge; which will you be?
Oklahoma City they are renamed the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Moving of the Seattle Super Sonics to Oklahoma City and the creation of the Oklahoma City Thunder have brought many positive impacts to the Oklahoma City metro and to the entire state of Oklahoma both economically and socially.
The National Basketball Associations, Golden State Warriors are approaching history. They are the number 1 ranked team in the league and the quest for winning a record 73 games is well within reach. The keys they play by have helped them be the success they are. The consistent 3 point shooting threat has left many shaking their heads in disbelief. Always making the extra pass has allowed them to strive on and off the ball. Most importantly teamwork both on offense and defense has led them to be ranked among the league’s best in both. As long as the Golden State Warriors keep shooting the three point shot the way they have been, along with great passing and teamwork they will pass the record held by the 1995-1996 Michael Jordan led Chicago bulls team.
Michael Jordan once said “I will not let anything get in the way of me and my competitive enthusiasm to win”. This have help people of all ages get through their burdens and do something they love instead of doing some negative. For many people basketball has become more than a game, it’s the way of life. The American game of basketball has traveled now, it’s played by more than 250 million people worldwide.
No matter what sport you may find interesting, basketball will always be one of the greatest. From China to France, England to Australia basketball is not just a game but a part of life. It doesn’t matter if you’re better than LeBron or worse than Austin, the real winning in basketball is the smile on your face when you hit that jumper, or assist that alley-oop, or even dribble the ball down the court. Basketball isn’t just found in the dreams of small children, but is also found in the hearts of many.