Why I’m a fan of the Phoenix Suns

Welcome to the refreshed Bright Side of the Sun! To celebrate the new look and feel of our sports communities, we’re sharing stories of how and why we became fans of our favorite teams. If you’d like to share your story, head over to the FanPosts [link here] to write your own post. Each FanPost will be entered into a drawing to win a $500 Fanatics gift card [contest rules]. We’re collecting all of the stories here [https://www.sbnation.com/why-we-are-fans] and featuring the best ones across our network as well. Come Fan With Us!

I’ve been a fan of the Phoenix Suns ever since I can remember.

Since I’m 38 years old that dates back to the mid-80’s.

From the renascence of the team after the drug scandal, to the 1993 Finals appearance, to Backcourt 2000, to 7SOL, to the period now that I refer to as the Dark Ages I’ve been along for a wild ride.

Being a Suns fan is definitely a tumultuous ride. For every Charles Barkley trade there’s a John Paxson three pointer. For every Nash MVP there’s a vicinity of the bench.

But when I volunteered to write this post as part of SB Nation’s new facelift I knew that I didn’t even really have to write this post. Since I’m a fan I already did.

Six years back the Bright Side of the Sun community did a little meet and greet post where we shared some background information with each other. This happened six years ago and I remembered it like yesterday. This is the kind of stuff I’ve gotten from BSotS.

The Suns have played such a big part of my life. So many memories of the part of life I’ve invested cheering for this team. I feel like my investment has paid big dividends.

Plus, if/when the Suns finally win a championship I feel like I’ll enjoy it more than all the banners hanging in the Staples Center.

My screen-name is my name name.

I go by Jim. My given name is actually James. Some of my friends call me Jimmy. Feel free to call me whatever you like (I’m sure I’ve been called worse).

When I was five years old I sustained an injury to my knee which resulted in hospitalization. My knee had swollen up to several times its normal size and the doctors were somewhat nonplussed as to the exact reason why. I was scheduled to undergo surgery as the doctors became fearful that I may lose the leg. The day before the operation, the Phoenix Suns Gorilla visited the children’s wing of the hospital. He came to my bed and had me get up to give him a high five.

Shortly after the Gorilla’s visit there was noticeable detumescence in the knee. I was released from the hospital (without surgery) two days later and the doctors weren’t able to give my parents a definitive reason why the swelling had subsided.

I don’t remember this event (I was only five), so I’m paraphrasing off of a story I’ve heard my father recall to me numerous times over the years.

I do remember Walter Davis. Sweet D. He was my first favorite Sun. Eddie Johnson, Jeff Hornacek, Cedric Ceballos, Charles Barkley, Shawn Marion, Steve Nash, and Amar’e Stoudemire are a few of the others with a special place in my heart.

I still remember exactly where I was when I heard that Barkley was traded to the Suns.

I probably connect to the Suns subliminally based on lots of bonding experiences with my father associated with basketball (and sports in general).

It is regretful that my grandfather died without watching the Suns win a championship. I hope to celebrate a championship with my father (who is starting to get up there). That’s right, Sarver, I’ll take back all those nasty things I’ve said about you if you’ll deliver the goods….

The other details of my life are fairly uninteresting and inconsequential. I have a beautiful wife and a lovely daughter (neither of whom share my affinity for sports). I am currently pursuing an electrical engineering degree and hope to obtain a graduate degree from Caltech or Berkeley. I am interested in research and development of new technologies.

I very much enjoy sharing my views and opinions on basketball in this forum with all of you. I don’t have friends that I talk about sports with (except for my father) and I really value and appreciate the multifarious nexus of insight and humor everyone on this site provides.

I have received a myriad in terms of education and entertainment from all of you and only hope that I can reciprocally contribute some small percent of what I’ve taken out back in for others to enjoy.

It was only called the mildly irritated house on McDowell until I showed up.

by Jim Coughenour on Jul 1, 2011 | 11:12 PM 2 recs flag actions

This comment was from a “Get to know you” post written by site editor Sean “7 Footer” Sullivan.

Also included in this thread were site editors such as Jacob Padilla and Ray Hrovat and celebrity contributors like Scott Howard, rsavaj, Beavis25, Dragic_is_Magic, Suns68 and Steve Nash, Quantum Physicist. If you want to get a feel for the way this site actually is a community scroll through the comments from the story linked above.

You see, Bright Side of the Sun has always had a familial feel. I came here to get Suns news and ended up with something more wonderful than I could have ever imagined.

I have always felt like I got more out of Bright Side of the Sun than I ever contributed to the site.

That being said...

SB Nation has rolled out a front page refresh and wants to take this opportunity to showcase fans voices across the network and grow our communities. #ComeFanWithUs

With that in mind we'd like to announce that we have a sweepstakes where we're giving away a $500 gift card to Fanatics.com to one reader who writes a FanPost. Here are the details:

Reader sweepstakes instructions

1. Readers (aka people who are not on your masthead) should go to your FanPosts section and write a post with the headline 'Why I'm a fan of (your team)'.

2. Their post should be under 800 words.

3. We will collect these posts into a section and they will be automatically entered into a random drawing.

4. That's it!

Here are the full Official Rules for the reader sweepstakes. Abbreviated:

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. SB Nation Why Are You a Fan Contributor Sweepstakes starts on only to authorized SB Nation contributors who are legal residents of the United States, 18 years or older. Click here for Official Rules and complete details, including entry instructions, odds of winning, alternative method of entry, prize details and restrictions, etc. Void where prohibited or restricted by law. Sponsor: Vox Media, Inc.