Phoenix Suns
Elliot ‘Socks’ Perry. Another high socks legend of my childhood. Elliot was the 37th pick in the 1991 Draft by the L.A. Clippers. He would only appear in 10 games for the Clippers before he was traded to the Hornets. After spending a couple of years in the CBA, Perry scrapped his way back into the NBA in 1993. With the Phoenix Suns in 1994-95 he was runner up in the voting for the NBA’s Most-Improved Player.
Back in 2000, during a 90-85 Phoenix Suns loss to the NY Knicks, Suns point guard Jason Kidd tied a record he probably wished he hadn’t by committing 14 turnovers in the game. Can you dig deep in NBA lore and tell us the player who also threw the ball away that many times way back in 1978?
Oh yeah! Despite his sloppy night, Jason did happen to also record a Triple Double. 18 points, 12 rebounds, & 10 assists.
After winning a gold medal in the 1976 Olympics, our man Walter ‘The Greyhound’ Davis, went on to be the 5th selection in the 1977 draft by the Phoenix Suns. He averaged a career high 24.2 ppg in his first season winning Rookie of the Year honors, along with a 2nd Team All-NBA selection. The ‘Candy Man’ averaged over 20 ppg for 6 of his first 10 seasons and made 6 all star teams. He is the Phoenix Suns all-time scoring leader with 15,666.
Dudes, you gotta go find some old videos of Walter on YouTube. There’s a reason they called him ‘The Man With The Velvet Touch.’
This is Eddie Arnet Johnson. Today is Eddie’s Birthday. Just don’t confuse him with the other Eddie Johnson. Eddie played 17 seasons in the NBA, and scored the 2nd most points by a player who failed to make an All-Star Team during his career. His 19,202 career points is higher than all but 30 members of the Hall of Fame. He was voted 6th man of the year in 1989 while a member of the Phoenix Suns.
Any Phoenix fans out there that can tell the crowd who the # 30 patch on Eddie’s jersey was in honor of?
Point Guard Kevin Johnson earned the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award for the 1988-89 season. It was KJ’s first full season in Phoenix after being traded there mid-way through his Rookie year from Cleveland. Johnson averaged 20 points per game along with 12 assists that year putting him alongside Magic Johnson & Isiah Thomas as the only other players to average those kinda numbers. Happy Birthday KJ!!
