Bulet Cavs show man. We got a special guest as an Arizona native. It is an honor one of my favorite Phoenix Sons of all time, and his jersey is going into rafters the Ring of Honor. I'm Mari Stoudamyer. Welcome brother, long time coming man.
Yeah, yeah, we hear now, we hear now.
I gotta tell you, man, Like, it just feels like ever since Matt Ishbia bought this team, he is done right by US fans and by like the era of Sons basketball that we all love so much.
Absolutely, I mean he's great, bro, Like since he came in, he started this new wave of like excellence with the organization.
Right, crazy, It's awesome, man, And it's so crazy because, like you know, I feel like I pinched myself every time he does some cool shit, like we get the G League team now.
Right, he knows long time right, Yeah for sure.
Bro, games are free on TV, right. You know, it's crazy, man, you are such a staple in this community, not just on the court.
You know.
I think back to like going to Stota Meres and having penny drinks and getting wasted. Stottlem Myers was a stable downtown for so long. I even think to when you had your record label and you had like Judge and Juice and those guys like and you were like doing your part to kind of like help put on like asy hip hop. Like all these years later, Like
how connected are you still to Phoenix? Obviously you know you went to New York and had an amazing run there, but like Phoenix is kind of like where it all started for you.
Yeah, it is. It's where it all started, bro. And I think my time in Phoenix was was great because I was able to put on for the city you were you know what I'm saying, Like you were saying the record label who was doing the It was hosting like talent shows and so local artists would get a chance to to you know, broaden a platform from that standpoint, from a fastest standpoint. I had fasties shows out here
for All Star Weekend and these things. I mean, it was just its just Phoenix became a home to me, you know what I'm saying. So I embraced it. I even trained here in the summertimes, and most people will leave and go to laause the summertime is hot. Whatever exactly, I stayed here and train because the facilities are great, and plus I want to be in top shape and I felt comfortable in my own home training with my trainers, right, you know what I'm saying. It was a good fit for me.
It's crazy, man, because I think back to like the Sun's heyday, the seven seconds or less era of Phoenix Suns basketball, and you know, a lot of highs, a lot of heartbreak. Uh Western Conference Semifinals seven. You and Boris jump off the bench to defend Steve nash yep. I was Actually I made it on tn T because at the time they called me bootleg Kre for a reason because back then I used to bootleg everything, mixtapes like Nicky Nice and all the stories around town. But
I had fuck Robert Ori T shirts that I made. Yeah, I remember those, and I sold that was me and I sold them on the corner in front of the arena and Craig Sager remember that. I remember that one on TV. That's right, That's right, And so that was like it felt like that year was like our years.
Yeah. Man, that was a crazy moment, bro, because no one knew about this rule you can't step in the court, right, No one heard of that the coaching staff didn't know. If they would have known, they would have held us back, or we would have just not stepped in the court, you know what I'm saying. So, and I was always pretty upset about that time too, because it's like, what kind of rule is what kind of punishment is that to suspend someone for a playoff game without a warning,
you know what I'm saying. But the following game I came back, Game six. So what I did was that game I spent a stud of Myers downtown, so I had all my.
Sit there because you couldn't you couldn't even be in the building.
Right right, So I was across the street from the arena, and I went to the restaurant the big screen TV, and we sat in eight Food and watched the game. And then game six, I came back with thirty eight sixteen, you know what I'm saying. But by that time, they had the momentum.
They did, They did, they did.
Man.
You know, it's crazy. I recently, you know, as a fan, like we carry sports fan hate with us, and when Kobe passed away, I like hit me real hard. I used to hate Kobe when he was alive as a player. You know because I co co was Cole was a Son's dagger exactly right. But you know when he died, like I cried, you know, and I was like, it made me like let go of like, you know, some of the toxicity we have a sports fans. With that being said, I'm not sure how much I've let go of the Spurs hate that.
Yeah, I'm not. I'm not I mean Spurs. I mean I have less love for the Spurs. Oh my gosh.
It's I want to like Wenby but he's got that jersey.
Yeah for sure, for sure.
I just think all the heartbreak man, like it's crazy, Like, uh, what was it like for you? Because you know when we think of d'An tony like he wasn't high on defense, but like you had to be the guy to like guard Duncan a lot, you know what I'm saying. What was the hardest part about he wasn't he didn't show much emotion. I mean I remember he hit a three against.
Us in one of those playoffs and then I was just like, that's the most most of you might have seen his entire career. It's crazy.
Nonetheless, I think, like you know, he somehow gets when we talk about the goats. He kind of slips through those conversations when he should be imm he's the greatest power for it of all time, like five rings, going and on. But what was the hardest part about competing against Tim Duncan in those high intensity series and games.
Well, I mean the problem was is that the Spurs were always well coached and were organized right, So and with Tim, he was a player who playoff angles, so that wherever he is on the court, he's figured a way to get a basket or a rebound. And it's not like allowed thirty points, right, it's a few free throws here, it's a jump shot here, a couple offs.
He's like, it works the angles of the game.
You got thirty points and fifteen rebounds. Yeah, Like I'm dunking the ball all night and you don't even know my points are allowed? Right? His are like the end of the game. It's right where you got thirty five and fifteen. Yes, you know, but that's just how he played. He played silently and got his job done.
You got to play with Steve. I consider you to be a top three or four son of all time. I put you in that conversation obviously, a shout out to Walter Davis, shout out to Steve Nash. You know, I put Barkley a little lower because he only played a few years for US. But I think Devin Booker has taken the reins as the he might be up. He might be the go to the Suns all time
for you. I know you, you know you, he had said recently yesterday he actually said that when he was going through a lot of the losing his rookie season, you had kind of reached out to him. But like, what's it like to just see a guy like Book, you know, kind of carry the torch from what you guys built because there was the dark ages and now it's like, all right, we're relevant again. What's your guys'
relationship like? And you know, where would you put book in terms of like the all time son's greats?
Yeah, I think I think Books of a long ways to go, Right, He's really just gonna started man's on his mid twenties, right, you know what I'm saying, And what he accomplished already is incredible. So he's definitely in those top conversations for sure. And so yeah, there was some times where when I played here, we had our run and then there was, like you said, a dark moment, and then they draft the book and then they start to kind of revamp and now they're doing great, right
with KD and these guys. But Devin is definitely at the top of the list when it comes to all time suns and the way he plays a game. We was at the game last night. The way he plays the game is like fundamentally sound.
He's got that, He's got that killer instig man.
Go he goes for it. It goes for it, you know what I'm saying. And that's and that's what you want from a from a coaching standpoint or just suspectator standpoint. You want to see your player go for it. You know what I mean.
For sure, for you Man twenty ten, you end up, well, it was what summer of summer of the end of the twenty ten season right going into twenty eleven, there's the giant I guess, the most memorable offseason probably in basketball history. Because you're a free agent. Lebron's a free agent, Chris bosh is a free agent. You end up with the Knicks. You have an MVP caliber season your first year there, before the injuries happened, What was uh, tell me,
like what what your mind state was? Because it would have been nice to have kept you, It would have been nice to have kept a few people in the suns. We'll get to that, But what was like your mind state year one in New York? You know, like because you were playing with a chip on your shoulder that first year, it was crazy. I think you had you had a bunch of MVP votes, like I think I think you guys were like a little over five hundred,
but you were balling. Like what was that first year with New York?
Like, I mean it was incredible, bros? Like New York was a place always wanted to play in, right, everyone wants to play a massive square garden and to be a nick and to play in New York. And for me to be able to just show my entire skill set, right, so I was able to You're.
Still with Mike D'Antoni too, that's he was he was coaching that year.
So I was with Mike. Mike d'antonia was still coaching then, and so now I'm able to really show my whole package my game, you know what I'm saying. So when I did that, It's like the league wasn't ready for all of what I had in store. So so I took the lead by staring crazy MVP chance. I was leading candid for MVP halfway through the season, and the city was on fire, right, every restaurant I go to,
everything's free. I mean everything was like New York was on fire, bro, So it was it was a beautiful time in New York. That.
Yeah, well, can you give me a little window of what it was like to be around for the Insanity season, because because I think you were you hurt when all that was happening.
Nah, My brother had passed away, okay, and I had went to Florida for like, I think a week or.
So, and then it happened while you, while you were while I was gone.
So but I came back and caught it. So, so what happened was a few players were hurt.
Mellow was out right, Mellow was hurt, You were gone.
I was gone, and there was a few other players that were hurt. So Jamie Land was like the fifteen mail on the roster whatever, twelve mil and the roster right, and so he got a call to say, we need you to play. I need you to start. You gotta you gotta step up for us, and he stepped up and had thirty points game one. All right, you know, thirty points.
Anybody get thirty on any given.
You know what I'm saying. It comes back with another thirty. Like well all right, well, and I'm in Florida watching the games. I'm like, dang Germany, Lynn going off and then play the Lakers had thirty in on Kobe. I'm like, wait, hold on that, hold on, something ain't right, what's going on? And then I get back to New York and the city's crazy. It's upside down. I mean, everybody's everywhere cheering channing. The crowd was crazy in the streets, every single restaurant, everywhere was like.
It was a movement.
It was a movie.
It was all that was on TV.
It's crazy, bro. And it lasted for a good two weeks. It was fun.
It was like two weeks. Yeah. Well then like because like Mellow came back and I feel like, like I think he's talked about it, like but like there was like weird energy there, but like Lynn, Jeremy Lynn. Saturday was a moment.
So yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean I was back. I was back Also, we played the game against Toronto and it was down to the last you know, a few seconds and I'm like, all right, it's my time to hit the game winner. Jerman Lynd kind of moves everybody out the way. I'm like, okay, all right, Jerry, I got this. I got this and pulled up for the three. Won the game.
Wow.
So we were like, I'm gonna let him, I'm gonna let him shine, I'm gonna let him be who he is and have fun. But it all changed Mellow came back. Then it kind of got a little a little shaky because Jermanlyine wasn't playing much and the ball wasn't going to him as much, so it kind of dropped there. But it was a good run for him.
You've played with a lot of amazing players, I mean, obviously even throughout the later years of your career. H when you're on certain rosters like back to back MVP, Steve Nash, Mellow. Who's who, in your opinion, would be the best player you played with or just your best teammate you had.
Man, I had a lot of cool teammates. Bro I had a lot of fun, right. I was always invite my teammates out to dinner, to gatherings.
To Wyant, Yeah you didn't have a nightclub.
You know what I'm saying. I was, I was viting all my guys out to hang out because I think the best thing about it was is to build team Canaderie. For sure, because I'm on the court, I'm telling I'm the leader that team, and I'm telling my guys, you gotta do this, you gotta do that. It's like, after, you know, demanding so much, they be like, man, I can't you know, I can't take I can't take this. But if we go out, we have a good time.
You see. It's all coming from a good place. And now when I demand my teammates to do something, it's not reprimmending.
They know you guys are friends my guys. Yeah, you know what I'm saying.
And so I think for us in Phoenix, the team we had with Nash, Sean Joe.
Johnson, We're gonna get to that team.
But yeah, you know what I'm saying, those guys will come out and will hang out like Nash will come out of hang out in the clubs with us. Who would have thought, you know what I'm saying, Yeah, yeah, with the guys. Yeah, you know what I'm saying, And so that team camaraderie helped. So I would say Steve Nash is probably my favorite teammate that I played with, not only as an unselfished player and he played with a certain type of passion for the game, but I enjoyed playing with Steve.
Your guys is two man game the lob man listen. And I feel like somehow how Nash was like a decade before it's time because I keep I think about like the three point eer of the game, and how good Nash is a shooter, Like how much he might have averaged if the game was you know the way it.
Is, he shoot more threes. Now, I mean we left the league in three point shooting I think shooting what twelve three is a game?
Yep, and got players that would probably be the last place.
Yeah, and we led the league in three point shooting a percentages during that stretch. So we started this whole wave of now three point shooters, right, we started that whole thing for sure?
Is it is there something about the seven seconds or less thing that you feel like gets a bad rep because you know, we always hear D'Antoni wasn't like he didn't coach a lot of defense, right, yeah, Like, and I've talked to other players who've said that, like Baron Davis. Yeah, I mean, you know, but it obviously works to the point where the Suns were the number one seed the
number two seed, like very like it. You know, caught a couple of tough breaks in the playoffs, but like, you know, I feel like that brand of basketball somehow, Like when you talk to basketball and nerds, they're like, yeah, but you'll never win a ring with that.
But well, I mean the thing is, we could have won a ring for sure, right, we had a couple of couple of breaks. Yeah, we had you had a couple of breaks, a couple of bad releases, right, certain players. We could have signed Joe for like fifty something million, and then he went to go sign for one hundred and something million and become a six time All Star, Like, we could have had him on our squad for a
long time. Twenty ten team eight eight or nineteen we lost against the Lakers in the Western Finals.
That was twy t Robin Lopez was starting center.
Yeah, yeah, exactly, and I had him playing well, he's playing along side of me.
Yeah, and then and then Ron Artest decided he wanted to start making threes, right, and then.
We go and not and not bring me back to to to for the following year. And we're right there the Western Finals, so we had chances to win with.
That style, right, But well, that was that was Gentry though, that was Gentry. That was Alvin Gentry, who had more of a defensive mind. I was going to say, like that season, somehow we forget about it, but that was the closest you guys got to the finals and Marion was not on that team. It was very it was like, and that was like a very underrated Grant Hill season. Yeah, absolutely, Robin Lopez underrated season from the step.
Up big for j Rich, stretch four, stretch five, which is now the game.
Is now the game and we were so close and the Lakers ripped our hearts out. But like that season, your final season, like it would have been crazy to get a ring man like it was right there.
Yeah for sure.
Yeah. I mean going against Kobe though, that was because you.
Know, Kobe wasn't the easy gotta go against Bro. You can't stop Kobe.
I think back to the times though, where we bounced them out as they eight seed after Shack left. Right, anytime I get into arguments with Laker fans.
We beat we beat the Lakers. We got Kobe out of there in the first round, in the first round, for sure, you know what I'm saying.
I always bring that up because always do the Lebron or Jordan verus Kobe because you know, I live in La, so the LA fans they don't want to hear anything. And I'm like, well, when Kobe was just Kobe and there was no other guys eight seed and we got them up out of there too, straight straight over the Lakers, talk to me about that seed, So listen the what ifs?
Right?
You brought up Joe Johnson, which is one of the more heartbreaking UH free agency departures because we think about what could have been right, Like I remember being at
those games with Joe. I remember being at that Clippers game where Tim Thomas hit that three in the corner against the Clippers in the playoffs and the Clippers had like samper, what like when as a player, what's the morale like when the Joe Johnson thing happens and you're like, this is this is an easy this this, I mean, it has to kind of mess with you a little bit where you're.
Like, yeah, I mean, Joe's my guy, like we both.
And it's such an obvious basketball move to make.
Yeah, yeah, you would think. So Joe was there my rookie year, right, so we we was like around the same age, and so we had great, you know, camaraderie as young players. It's going to grow in this league, right, we figured we'll be you know, on the same squad for it for some time and keep growing and keep getting better. And we had a solid playoff run, solid you know, when we had q Rich and those guys.
We went to the Western Finals. And so when when Joe leaves, I'm like, all right, well that's just a bad move. He didn't really ask for a lot and he wanted to stay. And as a player, I'm like two years in, I can't really say much and try to demand anything at that moment. You know what I'm saying. I like, I don't know how this whole work, whole
thing works. So it was tough when Joe left, but we had to keep pushing, pushing, and I think they knew, like they had Stodamire and they Nash, which is the cornerstone guys and Sean So whatever whatever players you bring around them, it's gonna be successful regardless. So I think that was the mindset. Also with the ownership, I.
Was gonna say, was there, Like I feel like back then it wasn't as publicized because we were winning so much. The Sarvor thing, you know. I feel like later on during the dark years I call them, people were like sell the team. Hashtag sell the team. Yeah, did you guys realize, like your the ownership for the Sons at that point in time is a little bit different than some of the more marquee franchises in the league.
Yeah, it was getting crazy, Bro. I mean I came. I came into the Sons when we had Jerry Colangelo, who was an awesome, awesome owner for sure, and then it was a goat bro. And then and then Brian Colangelo was our GM and he would bring players in. It was signed players, and it wasn't it wasn't like a stingy type of organization, like you the best players want to come here, We're going to pay you to come and we're going to play the win. Right. That kind of shifted when Sarva came, it was like more
so trying to reconstruct deals. Joe's gone, not resigning statum Like it was a whole thing that took place, which wasn't the same energy as it was with mister Colangelo. But long story short, we still had our core guys who still had.
Success for sure, did they did? Ishpia and the Sons leave it up to you whether you wanted to retire one or thirty two.
Well, I've always put put it out there that I want to retire thirty two, even before.
It's came on, because books won. So it's like at that point, it's.
Like even before a book came on, the team.
Right right, right right, so because thirty two, I feel like, you man, both both sides, both jerseys you had. I mean, yeah, thirty thirty twos were it started. Like when I'm buying a retro, I'm buying the retro thirty two, you know.
So where it started. And the thing about the thirty two jersey is, there's only one player that will ever see or know in today's game, in the game of basketball, that have ever been the first to get Rookie of the Year out of high school. You will never see that again, they have never been other first, So that thirty two jersey represents that out of all the high school players that came out into the NBA, the first person to do it was that thirty two jersey in Phoenix.
You know what I'm saying, And that's that's a trivia question on board games, like these games you.
Play because most people will say Lebron, but it was you, right, Yeah, that's so. It's so crazy, man. I remember when we after you and and and marrying within what was that like a three year winner or whatever it was, It felt like and we got Nash. It just felt like tides were turning and they were turning, man Like. It's crazy too because I feel like you were probably like one of the best in game dunkers of all time. You obviously did the dunk Contest in what one year,
I think twice. This last dunk contest was rough.
Yeah, I mean it wasn't It wasn't worth watching.
It was rough. Like do you think they could ever fix the dunk contest?
Yeah? You can. You gotta get guys who can dump in the game, like you got you got Zion, you have Jalen Green, you have you know, John Morant. You get these guys in the dunk contest. When I was coming up, we got in the dunk contest. That's the thing, like.
Kobe did the dunk content.
You want to be great, you you want to be great, you go in the dunk Contest.
I also think there's something to say about the judges changing every year because some of these judges that they're like, hey, this guy played for the Pace in nineteen eighty four, and you know I was watching, like, I just don't know how Jalen Brown made it to the finals. God bless Jaylen Brown. He's an amazing guy.
And I don't understand that d Brown the Deep Brown.
He hit it at the end on the floor, You're.
On the ground and then you go, is that a dad was at the Deep Brown? Which one is it was?
It was crazy, man, it was crazy, just for me. For me, man, I just want to say, like, you're you were part of the best memories of a son as a Suns fan until recently. We did go to the finals recently, but like my childhood, Yeah, it's stat It's it's Marion, It's it's it's Steve Nash. That Steve Nash. Those back to back MVPs, Right, yep. A lot of guys like to look back at those, specifically Shack for the second one. Do you feel like Nash deserved that second MVP over Shaquille and you, I.
Think what happened was because that second year I was injured and Nash still was able to propel the team to a sixty win season or fifties eight.
Win season without his nonumber one guy.
Without his man, without the leading scorer, leading.
Rebound leader, everything. Yeah, you were our guy. You were like, you know what I'm saying.
And so for him to still manage that and still have you know, I think it was the best record in the NBA at the time. That is a lot to be said. And so I think that's why he was able to win that m v P the second one, because he was able to like withstand his number one guy out and still being the top team in the league.
Who was the most annoying player to play against? That You have to either guard who guarded you most annoying player? Yeah, just somebody who just like, God, damn it, this guy's gonna guard me all day.
Like I mean, I didn't like guarding Elton Brand Elton Brand.
He very slept on dude.
People forget it about old Brand.
Hey, what he was with with Philly and eb What he does.
What he does is when you go when the rebound, you go for the rebound he gets, he goes out of bounds.
What you're not supposed to do, right.
And then your ball goes up. But he comes back and just dug you in. Like that's just so aggravating to me, you know what I'm saying. Yeah, but you always get the inside position and get the off. It's a rebound a score. I'm like, hold on, man, I can't watch him out of bounds and watch the ball. So I was tough. And also Kevin Garnett, he was always like he couldn't he couldn't stop me. But it was but he like to grab and hold and it's like he's a defensive prouesst one of the things. So
it's like you got to bring your a game. But yet he gets away with a few holes and grass because his mentality, you know what I'm saying, So which is which was? Which is always good to play against?
Last thing wanted to ask, man, just like tell me, like you know, for the people of Arizona, for the people of Phoenix who are watching this. Obviously all the basketball fans are watching this just like you know, this is a big deal being a part of the Ring of Honor. Some of the names that are up there with you way overdue. Uh. You know, what is your message to the Suns fans?
Well, I think my messages is more so is you know, the appreciation that the fans have for me, and they watched me grow from a teenager all the way through my twenties, right, and and to be and to be able to now, you know, be inducted into the Ring of Honor with a jersey retirement. They've they've been with
me from the start, you know. And so seeing the growth, seeing the the determination, the will to persevere through injury, to be in top shape, to try to contend for a championship, the heart that I put in the basketball court, the way I played in the passion I played with. The fans appreciate that, you know, and I want to let them know I appreciate them for their appreciation. You know what I'm saying. Would you have a coach I coached two years for player development with.
The Nets remember that, Yep, when Nash was there.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, but it's something that could happen, but right now, I'm not looking forward.
You think got a rough deal over there in Brooklyn, It.
Was a rough deal. He did the best he could, which I thought he did a pretty good job, but it was a rough stretch.
Well, listen, man, I appreciate you, appreciate your time, and thank you for the memories. Man, yes, sir, out of my ladies and gentlemen, let's go thirty two boom.