PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) - The Friday afternoon rush at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport included a trip down memory lane for four sisters from Missouri. They were in town to catch the first two games of the NBA Finals, which were extra special for the family. Their uncle is former head coach Cotton Fitzsimmons.
Fitzsimmons was a two-time NBA Coach of the Year and led the Suns to two trips to the Western Conference Finals. But for Joanie, Nancy, Lisa and Vonda, he'll always just be "Uncle Cotton." "He'd pick up the phone and he'd go, 'sister,' to my mom," recalls Joanie Lovell. "And she'd go, 'yes brother?' It's family and they were a very close family."
From fishing trips every summer in Missouri to weekends with their aunt and uncle, the sisters say their Aunt Joann surprised them with tickets to the games.
"Aunt Joann texted Joanie and said, 'Hey, I'm thinking about getting tickets to games 1 and 2. Do you think your sisters and you would want to come?" Vonda Sorrentino said. "And who's going to say no? I said, 'Of course!'"
Fitzsimmons family
The sisters grew up playing basketball and went to many NBA games because of their uncle.
They tell Arizona's Family that Fitzsimmons loved Arizona sports and at one point had season tickets to the Arizona Diamondbacks. They say the coach never met a stranger
"He would take tickets out with him on game days and just randomly give them to people," Sorrentino said. "You know he never turned anyone away. If he was out to dinner, he and Aunt Joann, and somebody came to him and asked for an autograph, he never turned them away. Never."
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The sisters grew up playing basketball and went to many NBA games because of their uncle, but say the recent NBA Finals games were the best. "It was amazing—the atmosphere, the energy," said Lisa Law. "It was a once in a lifetime experience. It was just, it was unreal."
Re: Cotton Family Express
Posted: Fri Jul 09, 2021 8:31 pm
by BAMF
I became a Suns fan with the re-addition of Cotton and KJ sealed the deal. I was not a fan of MacLeod and was more of a 76ers and Detroit Pistons fan when MacLeod was the Suns coach.
I became a Suns fan with the re-addition of Cotton and KJ sealed the deal. I was not a fan of MacLeod and was more of a 76ers and Detroit Pistons fan when MacLeod was the Suns coach.
I went to my first game in the early 80s (pretty sure against Denver in the 82-83 season) but nobody in my household followed basketball and I was 6. But I had more agency a few years later and that 88-89 team hooked me for life.
I became a Suns fan with the re-addition of Cotton and KJ sealed the deal. I was not a fan of MacLeod and was more of a 76ers and Detroit Pistons fan when MacLeod was the Suns coach.
I went to my first game in the early 80s (pretty sure against Denver in the 82-83 season) but nobody in my household followed basketball and I was 6. But I had more agency a few years later and that 88-89 team hooked me for life.
I once went in the early 80's too for my first Suns game I think I was in 5th grade and we were crammed up in the top corner at the Madhouse. It was some kind of group event with other kids as I remember horsing around the arena with my friends and security getting mad.
I became a Suns fan with the re-addition of Cotton and KJ sealed the deal. I was not a fan of MacLeod and was more of a 76ers and Detroit Pistons fan when MacLeod was the Suns coach.
I went to my first game in the early 80s (pretty sure against Denver in the 82-83 season) but nobody in my household followed basketball and I was 6. But I had more agency a few years later and that 88-89 team hooked me for life.
I once went in the early 80's too I think I was in 5th grade and we were crammed up in the top corner at the Madhouse. It was some kind of group event with other kids as I remember horsing around the arena with my friends and security getting mad.
My elementary school used to sell cheap family packs through the office. That is how I got to go to games back then at the madhouse. It felt like we were on the floor with them how close everything was. I remember getting to interact with the players after the game sometimes when kids would come shoot free throws or get autographs.
I became a Suns fan with the re-addition of Cotton and KJ sealed the deal. I was not a fan of MacLeod and was more of a 76ers and Detroit Pistons fan when MacLeod was the Suns coach.
I went to my first game in the early 80s (pretty sure against Denver in the 82-83 season) but nobody in my household followed basketball and I was 6. But I had more agency a few years later and that 88-89 team hooked me for life.
I once went in the early 80's too I think I was in 5th grade and we were crammed up in the top corner at the Madhouse. It was some kind of group event with other kids as I remember horsing around the arena with my friends and security getting mad.
My elementary school used to sell cheap family packs through the office. That is how I got to go to games back then at the madhouse. It felt like we were on the floor with them how close everything was. I remember getting to interact with the players after the game sometimes when kids would come shoot free throws or get autographs.
I remember stomping my feet with the crowd at the Madhouse on McDowell and the whole "ground" shaking.
I became a Suns fan with the re-addition of Cotton and KJ sealed the deal. I was not a fan of MacLeod and was more of a 76ers and Detroit Pistons fan when MacLeod was the Suns coach.
I went to my first game in the early 80s (pretty sure against Denver in the 82-83 season) but nobody in my household followed basketball and I was 6. But I had more agency a few years later and that 88-89 team hooked me for life.
I once went in the early 80's too I think I was in 5th grade and we were crammed up in the top corner at the Madhouse. It was some kind of group event with other kids as I remember horsing around the arena with my friends and security getting mad.
My elementary school used to sell cheap family packs through the office. That is how I got to go to games back then at the madhouse. It felt like we were on the floor with them how close everything was. I remember getting to interact with the players after the game sometimes when kids would come shoot free throws or get autographs.
I remember stomping my feet with the crowd at the Madhouse on McDowell and the whole "ground" shaking.
That place really shook. I went to a game against the Hawks when I was in high school. At that time you could go pretty much anywhere in the arena. We went down after the game and watched the players leave. We looked up to watch Dominique Wilkins and a few others go by. We had to look down for Spud Webb he was so small. We also went out to player parking. I will never forgot the sound of Larry Nance’s first gen Camaro. Such a beautiful car.
I went to my first game in the early 80s (pretty sure against Denver in the 82-83 season) but nobody in my household followed basketball and I was 6. But I had more agency a few years later and that 88-89 team hooked me for life.
I once went in the early 80's too I think I was in 5th grade and we were crammed up in the top corner at the Madhouse. It was some kind of group event with other kids as I remember horsing around the arena with my friends and security getting mad.
My elementary school used to sell cheap family packs through the office. That is how I got to go to games back then at the madhouse. It felt like we were on the floor with them how close everything was. I remember getting to interact with the players after the game sometimes when kids would come shoot free throws or get autographs.
I remember stomping my feet with the crowd at the Madhouse on McDowell and the whole "ground" shaking.
That place really shook. I went to a game against the Hawks when I was in high school. At that time you could go pretty much anywhere in the arena. We went down after the game and watched the players leave. We looked up to watch Dominique Wilkins and a few others go by. We had to look down for Spud Webb he was so small. We also went out to player parking. I will never forgot the sound of Larry Nance’s first gen Camaro. Such a beautiful car.
That's awesome! Another thing you just reminded of when I was a kid was going down to the floor and seeing the players leaving. I can still vividly remember looking at the players and noticing that their legs and arms were twice as big as a normal human!
Re: Cotton Family Express
Posted: Sat Jul 10, 2021 8:49 pm
by SunsRIt
Does anybody else have the commemorative posters that were in the Republic from the Suns ‘92-‘93 playoff run? I have 2 of the poster packs that include all the players and the gorilla.
Does anybody else have the commemorative posters that were in the Republic from the Suns ‘92-‘93 playoff run? I have 2 of the poster packs that include all the players and the gorilla.
I have that special section some where around here. I have moved it 10 times and over 5000 miles.
I became a Suns fan with the re-addition of Cotton and KJ sealed the deal. I was not a fan of MacLeod and was more of a 76ers and Detroit Pistons fan when MacLeod was the Suns coach.
I went to my first game in the early 80s (pretty sure against Denver in the 82-83 season) but nobody in my household followed basketball and I was 6. But I had more agency a few years later and that 88-89 team hooked me for life.
I once went in the early 80's too I think I was in 5th grade and we were crammed up in the top corner at the Madhouse. It was some kind of group event with other kids as I remember horsing around the arena with my friends and security getting mad.
My elementary school used to sell cheap family packs through the office. That is how I got to go to games back then at the madhouse. It felt like we were on the floor with them how close everything was. I remember getting to interact with the players after the game sometimes when kids would come shoot free throws or get autographs.
I remember stomping my feet with the crowd at the Madhouse on McDowell and the whole "ground" shaking.
As a kid this was my favorite thing to do in the Madhouse. The rumble was so great. The intro with them playing the beginning of Time from Pink Floyd!
Re: Cotton Family Express
Posted: Sun Jul 11, 2021 10:15 am
by BAMF
The intro music right here. Good stuff.
Re: Cotton Family Express
Posted: Sun Jul 11, 2021 10:27 am
by Cap
I remember fans being allowed to come on the court and shoot free throws after the game. And the CRPR halftime half-court shot for a car.
