FanPost

My Plea to LaMarcus Aldridge

Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports

Dear Mr. Aldridge, I have been a Suns fan for 22 years. I live and die with this team. As such, I passionately hate the Lakers, Spurs, Rockets and Mavericks. I have good reasons for hating all of them, but that's not what this is about. It's not about telling you that all those teams have nearly 30 championships and the Suns have 0. It's not about recounting all the heartbreaking losses we've suffered at the hands of some great Lakers, Spurs, Rockets and Mavericks teams that went on to win championships. It's not about telling you that choosing to sign with either of those teams would break the hearts of countless Suns fans.

No.

This is about telling you why you absolutely should sign with the Phoenix Suns because it's the best choice for you at this point in your basketball career. I will break this down for you in a few short points:

Why you should pass on the Spurs:

  • They are old. They've been old for years and it's not changing much. Sure, they re-signed Kawhi and Green, but they're still old and you can't bank on being able to replace Timmy, Manu and Tony with high caliber players. Once they're gone, you'll be lucky to get replacements anywhere near their talent level. Sports are cyclical, and at some point the Spurs will have to go through a re-building process. Do you want to be there when that happens?
  • They have already won so much. If you go there and happen to win a title or two, they won't be yours, they'll just be more notches on the Spurs belt. They'll belong to Pop, and Timmy, and Manu, and Tony, and Sean Elliot, and Robert Horry, and... you get my point? It'd be like a great football player joining the Patriots and winning a Super Bowl. It just won't mean as much for the individual in the eyes of the fans.
  • You'll probably play a lot of center there. After all, Tim Duncan has always been a power forward, right?

Why you should pass on the Rockets:

  • They have 2 huge stars already, both of which have had issues playing/getting along with teammates at times. Like it or not, you'd be third fiddle on the team. You'd be Chris Bosh. You'd be Kevin Love. You'll be criticized most if you don't get it done, but receive less credit if you do. If you win, it will be Harden's title, or Dwight's title, not yours. Just like if the Cavs win it will be Lebron's 3rd title, not Kevin's 1st. Follow me?
  • They have also won their share of titles. None will ever be as important or cherished as those that Hakeem and Co. brought to Houston.
  • You'd have to wear those hideous uniforms. Yuck!

Why you should pass on the Mavericks:

  • They're kinda old, too. At least Dirk is. Monta might be on his way out. Rondo is gone. Now Tyson is gone, too. They're ready to start rebuilding soon. Almost the same situation as the Spurs.
  • Again, they've won a title recently that will always be the most important one to their fans and to NBA fans. It's the title that Dirk brought Mark and the city of Dallas. Nothing will ever match that.
  • They're called the Mavericks. How can you not thing of sweaty Tom Cruise flirting with sweaty Val Kilmer every time you hear that name?

Why you absolutely should choose the Suns:

  • You'd instantly be the biggest star on the most beloved team in this city.
  • You'd add the veteran and superstar presence that could get this young, talented team to the next level and help them contend for championships for years.
  • If you win a title, it will be one of the most important titles in sports history for a team. The Suns are commonly referred to as the best NBA team to never win a title. Our hearts have been broken so many times that it still hurts. You could help change that.
  • If you join the Suns and win a title, it will be yours. You will be seen as the reason it happened. You will be the centerpiece that a championship is won with.
  • You won't have to rebuild here. We've done that. We've got the pieces in place to be good. Young talent locked up, great coach, great front office, great fans. You could make us a great team for years.
  • Look what happened when Charles Barkley came here. That could happen again.
  • You'd get to be in Phoenix. Not too far from LA, only hot for about 6 months...
  • There are whispers of a new arena in the near future. The current arena is great, but who doesn't like a new arena?
  • I think people would respect you more if you choose the Suns. It shows something about a man's character to be willing to take on a bigger challenge and carve your own path rather than jump into a situation that seems a bit easier. Just my take, anyway.

Please consider all of this when making your decision. There's no reason to think that you can't have the best opportunity to win in Phoenix and have it be more meaningful than any place else. And you won't have all the pressure of being the guy who goes "home" to play and all that. Make the right choice, for my sake as a fan, and for your sake as a player. You've already shown you have great decision making skills by passing on the Lakers. Keep it up!

Sincerely, A massive Suns fan