New Suns Fan

[Mandiraj]

Hi Everyone!

My name is Mandy and I'm new to this forum. My boyfriend is CRAZY about the Phoenix Suns. I don't know much about them but I really want to learn so I can impress him Can you guys help me out? Who are the best players? Do they have a rivalry with another team? Do any of the players have cool back stories?

Thanks in advance! I'm excited to be a new Suns fan!

[In2ition]

Haha, welcome! You've got a lot of reading and researching to do. High points:
1. Lakers are the biggest rivalry, even if they might not think so. If you are a Suns fan, you are automatically a Laker hater. The Spurs and Rockets are up there too.
2. Best player is Goran Dragic (from Slovenia), some might say it's Eric Bledsoe(played at the University of Kentucky).
3. The Suns are one of the top franchises in the NBA(Fourth or Fifth best winning % all-time), but have never won the NBA lottery(1st pick in the draft) and have never won a championship. This also makes them the unluckiest team in the league.
4. The Suns have a great future with loads of draft picks with a smart GM and scouts, young athletic talent, and cap space.

[Mori Chu]

Now that's what I call a good girlfriend! Just don't say anything nice about Kobe or the Lakers and you should be okay.

Suns best players are their starting guards, Goran Dragic ("dragon") and Eric Bledsoe. Dragic is the white guy wearing #1 who holds the ball a lot, so he is easy to spot. Buy your man a Dragic orange T shirt or something and he will love you forever!

[m1chal]

And remember we don't like the Spurs, too. And few more teams

[Mandiraj]

Awesome, thanks everyone! I certainly have my homework cut out for me but this helps a lot Next time we watch a game I'll be sure to make a few jokes about the Lakers and/or Spurs being lame.
Dragic (Dragon) sounds cool, I'll definitely be watching out for him if for no other reason than his name is a hybrid between Dragon + Magic. That's pretty sweet.

[Superbone]

Awesome, thanks everyone! I certainly have my homework cut out for me but this helps a lot Next time we watch a game I'll be sure to make a few jokes about the Lakers and/or Spurs being lame.
Dragic (Dragon) sounds cool, I'll definitely be watching out for him if for no other reason than his name is a hybrid between Dragon + Magic. That's pretty sweet.

Oh, and make sure to pronounce his name correctly. It is pronounced DRAG - itch. Goran DRAG - itch.

[INFORMER]

Mandy, how long has your boyfriend followed the Suns?

Depending on the answer, you might be able to score some points by randomly stating you hate the following players:

Roberty Horry, Luc Longley, Randy Livingston, Dan Langhi, Hedo Turkoglu, and Michael Beasley.

Randy Livingston fell on Tom Gugliotta's leg and destroyed it, effectively ending any chance Gugliotta had to be a positive contributor to the Suns.

The other names are some of the most hated Suns of all-time.

Also keep in mind the disdain Suns fans have for:

John Paxson: He hit the game winning shot for the Bulls against the Suns in the 1993 NBA Finals.

Mario Elie: hit the "kiss of death" 3-pointer to eliminate the Suns in the 1995 NBA playoffs.

[INFORMER]

Goran DRAG - itch.

And isn't it more like "DRAUG - itch"?

[Superbone]

Goran DRAG - itch.

And isn't it more like "DRAUG - itch"?

OK, now you're splitting hairs. I've heard it both ways. For that level of detail, you'd probably have to ask a Slovenian or Dragic himself.

[SwingMan]

So glad others have chimed in already - after 33 years as a fan, I hadn't the faintest idea where to start.

Lakers & Spurs: Mortal enemies (watch the fucking Lakers luck out & snag #1 overall come May).

Other than that, I think everything for a starting fresher has been stated. The rest comes through seasoning that only the passage of time can provide - kind of like the patina one finds on unrestored antiques, only without the musty odor.

[m1chal]

Goran DRAG - itch.

And isn't it more like "DRAUG - itch"?

OK, now you're splitting hairs. I've heard it both ways. For that level of detail, you'd probably have to ask a Slovenian or Dragic himself.

I'm not a Slovenian but it's a Slavic language after all. I'm pretty sure the right pronounciation should be DRAG - itch, with soft -itch.

[TOO]

Gogi > Dragon

[Charlie Smithy!]

Forvo.com is a fun place to hear pronunciations (some of them quite hilarious, btw) by real people in their native tongue(s).

http://www.forvo.com/word/goran_dragi%C4%87/#sl

Apparently that's how one Slovenian female says the dragon's name.

[TOO]

The internet never ceases to amaze. Shout out to Al Gore.

[Superbone]

Goran DRAG - itch.

And isn't it more like "DRAUG - itch"?

OK, now you're splitting hairs. I've heard it both ways. For that level of detail, you'd probably have to ask a Slovenian or Dragic himself.

I'm not a Slovenian but it's a Slavic language after all. I'm pretty sure the right pronounciation should be DRAG - itch, with soft -itch.

Forvo.com is a fun place to hear pronunciations (some of them quite hilarious, btw) by real people in their native tongue(s).

http://www.forvo.com/word/goran_dragi%C4%87/#sl

Apparently that's how one Slovenian female says the dragon's name.

I rest my case.

[sunset rubdown]

Forvo.com is a fun place to hear pronunciations (some of them quite hilarious, btw) by real people in their native tongue(s).

http://www.forvo.com/word/goran_dragi%C4%87/#sl

Apparently that's how one Slovenian female says the dragon's name.

This.

Goran is one half Serbian (by his father), so his name is pronuncied with soft -itch, like m1chal rightfully said.

[Ring_Wanted]

Take the t away from itch. It's not different from many soccer players, is it? Mijatovic, for instance.

[Phoenix219]

So this is the kind of thing that happens with open registration?

Am I the only cynical one that immediately wondered if this was a troll post? lmao.

Either way, fun thread.

[carey]

Am I the only cynical one that immediately wondered if this was a troll post?

No. You definitely weren't.

[INFORMER]

If it's a troll post, what's the point?