COUNTDOWN 2025

[Mori Chu]

At #5 there is only one choice: Dick Van Arsdale, The Original Sun. Played for us from 1968-1977 (the Suns became an NBA expansion franchise in 1968). Selected as an All-Star 3 times for us. Played on the 1976 Suns NBA Finals team that lost to the Celtics (though he was not our #1 option by then, averaging only 12.9 ppg that year). His #5 now hangs in the rafters. He passed away just last December at age 81. His twin brother Tom also played for us, but we can get to him tomorrow.

[Superbone]

I loved that dude when I was a youngster. He was Majerle before Majerle. Big time hustle and effort player and skilled too. He was part of our franchise to the end. He joined Al in the broadcast booth for a while as well. RIP.

[Mori Chu]

Today we have #4. It's interesting because a TON of Suns players have worn #4. Tom Van Arsdale (Dick's twin brother), Steve Kerr, Michael Finley, Dennis Scott, Alton Ford, Sean Marks, Marcin Gortat, Tyson Chandler, Jevon Carter, and now Oso Ighodaro, among many others. Probably my favorite of these guys would be Michael Finley, but he played for us for just 2 years before we shipped him out in the Jason Kidd trade, and he's rightfully remembered much more as a Mav/Spur than as a Sun. Who's your fave?

[Superbone]

An interesting tidbit is that Tom Van Arsdale is still alive and is 82 years old. Dick died last year. As far as who was the better player from Dick's NY Times obit:

While the Van Arsdales had remarkably similar statistical careers, Dick was considered the slightly better player, if only by the measure of superior pro teams. He played for the New York Knicks and the Phoenix Suns during 12 N.B.A. seasons, making the playoffs four times, while Tom suited up for five teams, none of which made the playoffs during the same span.

[BKinSJC]

An interesting tidbit is that Tom Van Arsdale is still alive and is 82 years old. Dick died last year. As far as who was the better player from Dick's NY Times obit:

While the Van Arsdales had remarkably similar statistical careers, Dick was considered the slightly better player, if only by the measure of superior pro teams. He played for the New York Knicks and the Phoenix Suns during 12 N.B.A. seasons, making the playoffs four times, while Tom suited up for five teams, none of which made the playoffs during the same span.

Tom Van Arsdale is still by far the player with the most NBA games played without ever getting to the playoffs - 929 career games. Second is Otto Moore (another guy who briefly played for the Suns, in the early 70s) with 682. Among active players, Lauri Markkanen is at 450 and counting, but still has a long way to go.

[Bucktastic365]

Today we have #4. It's interesting because a TON of Suns players have worn #4. Tom Van Arsdale (Dick's twin brother), Steve Kerr, Michael Finley, Dennis Scott, Alton Ford, Sean Marks, Marcin Gortat, Tyson Chandler, Jevon Carter, and now Oso Ighodaro, among many others. Probably my favorite of these guys would be Michael Finley, but he played for us for just 2 years before we shipped him out in the Jason Kidd trade, and he's rightfully remembered much more as a Mav/Spur than as a Sun. Who's your fave?

We NEVER should have traded him; I knew he was special even then as a kid

[Mori Chu]

Today is #3, and the Suns have a very interesting collection of guys who have worn that number. Here's a partial list:

Frank Johnson (1992–1994)
Rex Chapman (1996–2000)
Stephon Marbury (2001–2004)
Quentin Richardson (2004–2005)
Boris Diaw (2005–2008)
Jared Dudley (2008–2013) (2016–2018)
Ish Smith (2013–2014)
Isaiah Thomas (2014–2015)
Brandon Knight (2015–2016)
Trevor Ariza (2018)
Kelly Oubre Jr. (2018–2020)
Chris Paul (2020–2023)
Bradley Beal (2023-2025)

I think the most decorated Sun of the bunch is clearly Chris Paul. But I really loved Rex Chapman in the late '90s, and my man Jared Dudley is in there, too. Diaw, Q Rich, Oubre, ... there are a lot of guys I like on this list. Who you got?

[pickle]

Diaw was awesome for what we wanted to do.

[O_Gardino]

Marbury was great for us despite never having a balanced team. He played some of his best basketball for the Suns.

[England Sun]

For me there is only one number 2 and that is Socks!!!
94 was the year I started watching the Suns and vividly remember falling in love with a team where the small guys wearing massive socks was picked up by the big guy and carried after he scored.
Loved them then. Love them still.

[Mori Chu]

Thanks for posting that, ES! Elliot "Socks" Perry wore #2 for us from 1994-96 and 2000-01. (Doesn't it seem like he played for us for longer than that?) Others to wear the number include Mark Bryant (1996-99), Joe Johnson (2002-05), Goran Dragic (2008-11) (he wore #1 for us from 2012-15), Eric Bledsoe (2013-17), Josh Okogie (2022-25), and currently Nick Richards.

My favorite one of those other guys is Dragic, but I think of him more in uniform #1 than #2. So I'd probably go with Joe Johnson if not Socks. JJ forever symbolizes what might have been, from his facial injury in the 2005 playoffs to the refusal to sign him to a market-value contract and letting him walk. We probably should have won a title with that late-2000s team if we had just kept them together and managed our many assets properly. Alas.

[Superbone]

Marbury was great for us despite never having a balanced team. He played some of his best basketball for the Suns.

Marbury on the GOAT debate:

[Mori Chu]

It's time, kids. We are down to #1, just one day left until we get Suns regular season basketball. And I hope you know who gets the image slot today: our own Devin Armani Booker. Interestingly, several other Suns players have worn #1, including Cedric Ceballos (just for 1997-98), Penny Hardaway (1999-2004), Amare Stoudemire (2006-10), and Goran Dragic (2012-15). Amare and Goran deserve mention, for sure. But Booker is the one who is going to get #1 retired and hung from the Suns' rafters. LET'S GO SUNS!

[Superbone]

Perfect picture for one day left. Suns opener so close now! I'll be excited to be there wearing my new Book jersey and Book 1s.

[Superbone]

[Carno]

I love how the Suns adopted the phx-suns.net countdown tradition.

[Superbone]

I love how the Suns adopted the phx-suns.net countdown tradition.

But they shouldn't have used Jalen Green for #4 since he's not playing the opener.