Phoenix Suns changing Ring of Honor back to permanent banners

PHOENIX SUNS

Aug 30, 2023, 8:04 PM

Radio broadcast announcer for Phoenix Suns, Al McCoy has his name inducted into the Phoenix Suns "Ring of Honor" during half of the NBA game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Talking Stick Resort Arena on March 3, 2017 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

BY KELLAN OLSON

Arizona Sports

In the latest move from new owner Mat Ishbia to receive near-unanimous approval from the fanbase, the Phoenix Suns are altering its Ring of Honor at Footprint Center next season.

There will now be banners hung from the rafters for the 15 current members, a change from the renovated Footprint Center, which previously had the Ring of Honor as part of an ever-changing LED ribbon board below the upper deck that would have it pop up there from time to time, along with advertisements and other messages. Prior to the renovations, the arena had banners hanging in that same spot for the members, as seen in the picture above.

“The members of the Ring of Honor played a central role in creating the organization’s storied history and it was important that we honor them in a way that will always be on display,” Ishbia said in a press release.

“These legends helped define the Suns and are integral members of our family, connecting all generations of our fans throughout the past 55 years. The permanent banners and murals will serve as a constant tribute to their contributions to the team’s history and how they paved the way for the next era of Suns basketball.”

The new banners will be revealed on Oct. 28 at halftime of the home opener. In addition, murals from local artists will be painted around the concourse of the upper levels.

The banners will have the player’s last name and number, while those for non-players will include the years of tenure instead of a player number. The 10 current members as players are Alvan Adams, Charles Barkley, Tom Chambers, Walter Davis, Connie Hawkins, Kevin Johnson, Dan Majerle, Steve Nash, Dick Van Arsdale and Paul Westphal. The five non-players are former owner Jerry Colangelo, former head coaches Cotton Fitzsimmons and Jon MacLeod, former play-by-play radio voice Al McCoy and former head trainer Joe Proski.

As the Suns announced earlier in the summer, two more players will be joining this season in Shawn Marion and Amar’e Stoudemire. The team has yet to announce the date they will be inducted.

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