The 1993 Phoenix Suns are usually forgotten as victims of Michael Jordan and his Bulls during that year’s Finals. But they were so much more than that.
The list of teams (and Hall of Fame players) that Michael Jordan and his 1990s Chicago Bulls kept in championship dormancy is nearly endless. Heck, it’s more than plausible that the Hakeem Olajuwon-led Houston Rockets teams of the decade wouldn’t have come close to a two-peat had Jordan not prematurely hung up his namesake shoes for the baseball diamond following the ’93 campaign.
If you could pinpoint one overarching theme that ESPN’s The Last Dance revealed to basketball fans, it would likely be Jordan’s insatiable competitive nature and desire to be great.
He stopped at nothing when it came to winning, and thoroughly enjoyed methodically mowing down those obstacles that stood in his way en route to his several title rings.
But based on his own revelations throughout the 10-part documentary, the aspect of preventing others from reaching the mountaintop was just as enjoyable for Jordan as getting there in his own right.
He took great pride in disheveling the championship hopes and dreams of some of the NBA’s best, and the breadth of his “personal” vendettas towards those he competed against only grew in scope with increased talent levels amongst his opponents.
Reggie Miller, Karl Malone, Clyde Drexler, Gary Payton, Shaquille O’Neal – these are just a few of the legendary names he prevented from reaching the pinnacles of achievement they so desperately strove for on a nightly basis.
But there may not have been a more potent collective unit that he effectively squashed into playoff nothingness than the squad he put the least effort into doing so against: the 1993 Phoenix Suns.
This group was not one to overlook by any means though, which speaks tremendous volumes to Jordan’s greatness as a player. And had it not been for the singular juggernaut known as “His Airness”, they may have had the transformative formula to emerge as a timeless dynastic entity of their own.
They were complete in every facet.
A 62-20 regular season marked them as the association’s best club record-wise in the regular season, and they were able to breeze through the Western Conference playoff gauntlet with relative ease, dropping just one home bout in seven total matchups during both that year’s semi and final rounds.
Everything changed in 1993 for the Phoenix Suns
Their 1993 playoff performance showcased a stark improvement over a premature second-round exit the year prior, in which a 53-29 Phoenix Suns troupe was thoroughly manhandled by Clyde Drexler and the eventual conference champion Portland Trail Blazers.
The team’s on-paper performance was far from the only thing that underwent an extreme makeover following the 1992 campaign though.
1993 saw significant changes to almost every level of their regime, top to bottom.
Rookie head coach Paul Westphal took over the coaching reigns from revered (in both name and coaching prowess) headman Cotton Fitzsimmons, who took home the league’s Coach of the Year award in 1989 during his second stint as the team’s sideline aficionado (he first coached there from 1970-72).
Westphal, who became the franchise’s fifth all-time leading scorer as a player, was instrumental in implementing a diversified offensive attack that strayed away from traditional post-and-kick styled onslaughts that virtually dominated the 80’s. He emphasized run-and-gun quick strikes but was entirely unorthodox in the way that he divvied ball-handling responsibilities amongst several different weapons he deemed as capable playmakers.
And none were more potent nor intimidating while barreling down on defenses with a full head of steam than the “Round mound of rebound” himself, Sir Charles Barkley.
Westphal made tremendous waves within his first few expeditions at the helm of the Phoenix Suns by playing a huge role in the acquisition of Barkley, who had already established himself as a consistent All-Star threat, from the Philadelphia 76ers for Jeff Hornacek, Andrew Lang and Tim Perry, the latter two whom only suited up in a combined five games for the Sixers.
Barkley held a widely known reputation as one who was hardly shy when it came to intense combat in between the lines of play (and sometimes outside of them) and that grittiness had an immense ripple effect as soon as he touched down in Arizona.
Charles Barkley and the star-studded Suns
A king needs his knights in shining armor though, and along with Barkley came freshly-christened weaponry in the form of a few new faces, including former Boston Celtics champion Danny Ainge and backup point guard Frank Johnson from the free agent market.
The addition of the newly renovated American West (later renamed Talking Stick) Arena, along with fiery new uniform digs and the legendary “Streaking Sun” logo vaulted their attendance to 5th in the NBA from 17th, and Barkley and company were responsible for an offense that skyrocketed to the No. 1 spot in terms of offensive rating.
He was the (literal) mammoth-sized focal point that solidified their assault, but they were moot without the essential centerpieces that filled out the roster.
Ainge’s veteran presence and title experience was invaluable, while Frank Johnson filled the backup point guard slot they so desperately needed – adding scoring and facilitating to boot. His starter Kevin (who shares no familial relation) had elevated into one of the best one guards in the league, and while he missed 33 games due to injury, the Uber-athletic springboard jumper who usually hovered around 20 points per game still managed to post 16.1, while dishing out 7.8 assists a contest.