Meet the newest Phoenix Suns and their Barbie Movie character comparisons

With the Phoenix Suns in the midst of the offseason, most of the attention has shifted to building their roster around the legendary core of Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. Safe to say, Phoenix has been extremely successful so far in doing so with garnering talent by turning untradable contracts into a superstar and minimum contracts into valuable role players. Part of this is the pull of playing for a title contender with exceptional weather during the basketball season while building a hell of a culture, but also the chance to team up with two of the greatest scorers the league has ever seen.

However, something else is brewing this summer, and it is not just the Suns' Summer League team led by the newest rookie Toumani Camara and the scrappy Jordan Goodwin (get well soon). In fact, this phenomenon is not even basketball-related.

Yes, of course, I am referring to the hit blockbuster film soon-to-hit theatres in Barbie. The hype is real for the film starring casual A-list names such as Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as Barbie and Ken respectively, and it is my job to relay the excitement to the NBA and Bright Side community.

But what is the point of bringing up this box office boom, besides the fact their marketing team has been absolutely exceptional leading up to the release date? Not to mention, their pairing up of the film’s hype with the release of Oppenheimer on the same day on July 21st. Speaking of, I may need to add a breakdown of characters from that film including Cillian Murphy based on the response gathered from this article and my enjoyment level found watching that film.

Anyway, in order to educate a larger demographic of the Suns' newest pickups, I believe one of the best ways to do so is to compare these players in more general terms for non-basketball fans. Therefore, I landed on matching each of them up with characters in the Barbie universe who will be appearing in the aforementioned film.

Will this make sense at all? Most likely, no. However, I believe this is a fun mental exercise as well as adding a unique perspective comparing fictional characters to professional basketball players.

Plus my fellow co-workers and avid supporters have an ongoing joke surrounding the film (you know who you are). You can go follow one of them: @Mckhyslip (shameless plug) and ridicule her for getting me so invested in this phenomenon. In all seriousness though, I never thought I would mix basketball with film, so gotta give a ton of credit to her for the inspiration to severely alter the way I look at sports writing.

Enough with all of the introduction though, it is time to get into what everyone has been waiting for.

I am going to leave a disclaimer now that I know little to nothing about Barbie and the entailing universe, so please feel free to correct me with any inaccuracies. I am a Phoenix Suns writer at the end of the day and am not qualified to talk about most mass media seriously. Please look at this as more satire than anything. With that being said, I give you the 2023 offseason Suns pickups, and their aligning Barbie movie comparisons.

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Bradley Beal

Photo by Barry Gossage / NBAE via Getty Images

Barbie Character comp: Barbie

With maybe no surprise to some, the most well-known and coveted character in the Barbie universe, Barbie herself, is paired with Bradley Beal. Beal made his mark in the league ever since being drafted back in the 2012 class. The 3x NBA All-Star has made a case as one of the best all-around scorers in the league, having his most successful season in this regard in 2020-21 averaging an insane 31.3 points per game.

In comparison, Barbie also was very successful during this stretch, with parent company Mattel selling $1.35 billion worth of dolls and accessories. However, the name spans way back to 1959, and like Beal, is very versatile not only appearing in physical doll form with running mate Ken but also in the company’s very own multimedia platform. Through this, the icon appears in many different video games and animated films over the years.

Not to mention Margot Robbie who plays Barbie in the upcoming movie has also accumulated her fair share of accolades throughout her acting career, winning numerous Academy and Global Globe Awards.

Both Beal and Barbie are natural-born leaders who know their strengths and weaknesses and how to lead their teams to success. No matter where they go, whether that is in the “Dream House” or the Footprint Center in Phoenix, both know how to put on a show and add value to their respective organizations. They also are major staples to their respective cultures and play the game fairly, displaying a high sense of honor whether that is in fashion or hoops.

The duo also are very used to being in bright lights of either the runway or playoffs and will do whatever it takes to help their team win. Expect big things from both at all times.

Jordan Goodwin

Photo by Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images

Barbie Character comp: Ken

Now, before you say anything, I do realize that Jordan Goodwin is not as much of a household name as Ken is in their respective domains. However, it is important to consider the relationships between both Barbie comps. Obviously, Ken is a major part of Barbies’s life being her right-hand man throughout her career and life in general. They are seen as a mean 1-2 punch and offer different complementary characteristics that allow them to be effective individually as well as a duo.

Jordan Goodwin on the other hand has deep ties spanning back to his AAU days where Bradley Beal was actually his coach in middle school in the St. Louis area. In fact, in an interview with Bickley & Marotta of Arizona Sports, Goodwin credits Beal for always giving back to the young basketball players in his community,

However, not all of those kids that got a chance to play under Beal got to play with him on the professional level. This is exactly what Goodwin got to do to begin his NBA career with the Washington Wizards. It was not always smooth sailing to get to that point however, as it took a lot of perseverance to eventually work his way up to being signed to a multi-year contract in 2023 after bouncing around Washington’s G-League affiliate.

Now they are reunited in Phoenix, as Goodwin was a part of the trade that sent his former coach and current teammate to the Suns. They will be looking to use their existing familiarity to help guide the team to their first championship in franchise history.

Eric Gordon

Photo by Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images

Barbie Character comp: President Barbie

This was a pretty easy decision with both at the highest level of their leadership positions, offering guidance for a team or nation of fictional characters. Eric Gordon brings 16 seasons of NBA experience as a lights-out shooter and a plus defender which is a huge luxury to have for any contending team. President Barbie brings her respective skills to the Oval Office, ensuring that the law is set and the future of the Barbie Cinematic Universe is in good hands. She also brings relentlessness and determination, as she had to fight and prove her case to gather voters for her presidential campaign.

Gordon was picked up via. free agency and accepted a smaller monetary gain to have a chance to play for Phoenix, which shows his commitment to finding the right role to add value and compete at the highest level. EG will immediately contribute as a world-class perimeter spacer as well as the mentality to help wherever is needed to help the Suns win.

By the way, speaking of range, President Barbie’s range of calling the shots is about equivalent to where Gordon launches three-pointers. This limitless power will provide an abundance of help on the court or when passing the next fashion bill to aid Barbie on her journey to the top.

Yuta Watanabe

Photo by Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images

Barbie Character comp: CEO of Toy Company

After doing some preliminary research, I discovered this character is based on the real CEO of Mattel, Ynon Kreiz. It is actually comical that the casted actor to play Kreiz is none other than the mischievous Will Ferrell. Most importantly though and related to this assignment, it was Kreiz’s idea to get Barbie onto the big screen. One can assume based on this is the CEO is great at strategy and constantly looking for ways to better the brand and company.

The player that came to mind here is sharpshooter Yuta Watanabe, who comes over from the Brooklyn Nets and was teammates with Kevin Durant. Not only is he the ultimate vibes guy with being an extremely likable dude no matter where he has been (Grizzlies, Raptors, Nets), but he also has perfected his craft into being one of the nastiest three-point shooters in the league eclipsing 44% from that range. Mix being elite at your craft with the quality of being personable and you can go far as seen through Watanabe’s career as well as Ynon Kreiz.

In addition, I think a Will Ferrell comparison is fairly valid considering this context of the likability factor as well as the physical metrics. People may not know that Ferrell is 6’3, adding some serious height to the cast of Barbie. Meanwhile, Watanabe is 6’8 with a 6’10 wingspan keeping the vertical theme going.

Drew Eubanks

Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images

Barbie Character comp: Allan

Before going into depth in my research over who the stars of the Barbie movie will be, I had no idea there was someone named Allan. However, after some digging, he apparently is Ken’s less popular best friend and is played by Michael Cera. Cera as some may remember is one of the stars of my personal favorite movie ever in SuperBad. However, do not ask my coworkers this bit of movie trivia because they somehow have not been graced with the presence of this film yet.

Anyway, Allan’s overall style and attire are a little unique compared to his counterparts. Some serious unique drip as people would say. One person that immediately came to mind however when mentioning uniqueness and translating it to basketball playstyle was Drew Eubanks. After learning more about Eubanks, I found a variety of retro-style post moves including some hooks in the post that are Wilt Chamberlain-esque in addition to his shot-blocking and dunking prowess.

Therefore, I think it is safe to say that both are reliable and different in their own regard. Both are not afraid to be true to themselves on and off the court and use their differences to their strengths. Because frankly, there are not many 7-footers pulling those kinds of moves in the league anymore.

Keita Bates-Diop

Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports

Barbie Character comp: Midge

Midge, AKA Barbie’s best friend, is someone she can lean on and count on to be there for her. And frankly, I do not think there will be a more reliable Suns pickup this offseason than Keita Bates-Diop. Bates-Diop is the ultimate Swiss army knife, bringing a knockdown three-point shot, a ridiculous 7’3” wingspan, and NBA maturity to make the right decisions when necessary.

The same can be said for Midge, who had to establish being well-versed in many things Barbie would find value in to be a part of her inner circle. Midge is also the not-as-well-known character within the universe in which the same can be said for KBD. However, when the moment is large, both are capable of stepping up and proving their worth.

Therefore, I think this comparison makes a ton of sense. Well, I guess as much sense as it possibly can considering the context of this article.

Chimezie Metu

Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Barbie Character comp: Mermaid Barbie

Apparently, there is not a lot known about Mermaid Barbie other than she is (shocker) a Mermaid version of Barbie. However, the same can kind of be said for the newest Sun Chimeze Metu. Metu has shown flashes of his NBA talent but never has put it together completely to showcase to a team. Rim protection, slashing, hell even three-point shooting including in the clutch with the shot to beat the Dallas Mavericks last season is a prime example of this.

Regardless, I will be looking forward to both the debut of Metu in Phoenix and Mermaid Barbie on the big screen (who is also played by pop star Dua Lipa). Both will hopefully be extremely underrated to the success of their organizations.

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NOTE: At the time of this article being written, the Phoenix Suns have not officially signed Bol Bol despite being heavily rumored to bringing him on board. If this transaction were to go through, I will add a Barbie character side-by-side. Right now, we will just go with him being someone from a distant sequel just to be safe.

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As of right now, I am eagerly waiting just like the rest of you for the release of the film so I can estimate if my picks made in this article were as accurate as possible. However, please feel free to comment on any changes you would make if you are more educated in the Barbie verse. I am simply a Phoenix Suns writer that was challenged to my writing ability, and I simply do not back down from a challenge.

However, despite my newfound passion for cinema, I am even more excited about how the Suns are shaping out as a roster and am desperately clinging onto Summer League as my only source of hoops like the rest of you (how about that Wemby guy huh?). In the meantime, however, I will attempt to distract myself with top-tier films such as the upcoming Barbie movie and will report back on how my research correlates.

I hope this article is entertaining enough to appeal beyond the very small niche of Barbie Suns fans, and instead act as an ambassador bringing the two worlds together. I appreciate everyone taking the time to dissect this baseless article and hopefully got a laugh or two in the process.

The NBA season could not start soon enough.

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