Suns updates and discussion for the 2022-23 season

Covert Rain

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I always felt like there are some grown adults who also deserve some player/fan treatment. Some of us grew up not wealthy enough or in the vicinity to not travel and afford games as a child. Heck even as an adult I still can't afford it LOL
Though my circumstances are completely changed I didn't grow up with money at all. When I was a kid, the Suns used to leave stacks of free tickets on a regular basis at our local Circle K to help try and fill the Madhouse. My friends and I would frequently check, ride our bikes down to that Circle K and grab a bunch of tickets then spend the next couple days convincing one of our parents to drive us there. It's the only way as a kid I was ever able to go.
 

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Though my circumstances are completely changed I didn't grow up with money at all. When I was a kid, the Suns used to leave stacks of free tickets on a regular basis at our local Circle K to help try and fill the Madhouse. My friends and I would frequently check, ride our bikes down to that Circle K and grab a bunch of tickets then spend the next couple days convincing one of our parents to drive us there. It's the only way as a kid I was ever able to go.

Hey you had it easy, I never had the chance to make a suns game until was an adult at 24 years during the Amare/Nash days. I lived too far away and we never had money for those types of trips to Phoenix.
 

Covert Rain

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Hey you had it easy, I never had the chance to make a suns game until was an adult at 24 years during the Amare/Nash days. I lived too far away and we never had money for those types of trips to Phoenix.
I didn't live close either and grew up in a poor neighborhood. Just was lucky that the Suns or someone who worked for them chose our Circle K for a time to dump free tickets. Many times none of our parents could take us because they were working or didn't have the gas to go that far. Just lucky more than anything or we wouldn't have had the chance either. Once they stopped dumping free tickets it would be years before I would see another game in person.
 
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Absolute Zero

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I didn't live close either and grew up in a poor neighborhood. Just was lucky that the Suns or someone who worked for them chose our Circle K for a time to dump free tickets. Many times none of parents could take us because they were working or didn't have the gas to go that far. Just lucky more than anything or we wouldn't have had the chance either. Once they stopped dumping free tickets it would be years before I would see another game in person.

Now I am wondering whether that's how my mom got my brother and I tickets when we were little in the 70's. Circle K's were everywhere. We grew up in Prescott, but moved to Mesa in 3rd grade. She drove us to the madhouse for a few Suns games and some Roadrunner games as well. That's what got me started. After that it was all radio and TV until the Barkley era where we drove up to Portland for a game. I remember seeing Chuck roll into the game in street clothes during warm ups and barely getting out there for a few shots before the game started. Chuck and KJ saw my 1 year old son in a Phoenix Suns outfit and were pointing at him smiling about it which was pretty cool.
 

Finito

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I got a heaping dose of player/fan treatment many years ago when the Suns used to open practice free to the public and one could sit close to the players, coaches and their family.

Also, I attended every draft in Phoenix.

Those are bonds that are not easily forgotten and is a huge reason I am a Suns fan today.

I remember those in the early 90s my mom used to take me to the open practices.

I swear all I need is one Suns championship.
 

Finito

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I didn't live close either and grew up in a poor neighborhood. Just was lucky that the Suns or someone who worked for them chose our Circle K for a time to dump free tickets. Many times none of parents could take us because they were working or didn't have the gas to go that far. Just lucky more than anything or we wouldn't have had the chance either. Once they stopped dumping free tickets it would be years before I would see another game in person.

That was a long time ago but I want to say the promotion at my circle K was but a 12 pack of coke and get two tickets.

Something like that.
 

Covert Rain

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That was a long time ago but I want to say the promotion at my circle K was but a 12 pack of coke and get two tickets.

Something like that.
This wasn't a promotion. They litterally would leave a stack of tickets and the Circle K would just leave them by the register for anybody to take. I asked the Circle K clerk about it one time and he said it was community outreach thing and they were trying to fill the arena. It wasn't all Circle Ks either because we asked our friends at school and none of them were getting them at their Circle K. They starting asking us to grab some for them. LOL.
 

Covert Rain

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Now I am wondering whether that's how my mom got my brother and I tickets when we were little in the 70's. Circle K's were everywhere. We grew up in Prescott, but moved to Mesa in 3rd grade. She drove us to the madhouse for a few Suns games and some Roadrunner games as well. That's what got me started. After that it was all radio and TV until the Barkley era where we drove up to Portland for a game. I remember seeing Chuck roll into the game in street clothes during warm ups and barely getting out there for a few shots before the game started. Chuck and KJ saw my 1 year old son in a Phoenix Suns outfit and were pointing at him smiling about it which was pretty cool.
Were they nosebleed? Because all of these tickets we got were nosebleed which makes sense.
 
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Ouchie-Z-Clown

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This wasn't a promotion. They litterally would leave a stack of tickets and the Circle K would just leave them by the register for anybody to take. I asked the Circle K clerk about it one time and he said it was community outreach thing and they were trying to fill the arena. It wasn't all Circle Ks either because we asked our friends at school and none of them were getting them at their Circle K. They starting asking us to grab some for them. LOL.
That’s truly amazing.
 

Hoop Head

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Hey you had it easy, I never had the chance to make a suns game until was an adult at 24 years during the Amare/Nash days. I lived too far away and we never had money for those types of trips to Phoenix.

You were lucky, I didn't make it to a Suns game until Nash was done. Never had the time or the money at the same time. However I did make it to Nash's Ring of Honor induction, which was awesome. First game I went to were the Bledsoe/Dragic Suns. Probably made it to 40 games since then, which has somehow made me more of a fan. I was always a basketball fan first but somehow never went to the games in person. Been to a few dozen baseball games and probably a dozen NFL and NHL games.
 

Absolute Zero

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Were they nosebleed? Because all of these tickets we got were nosebleed which makes sense.

Boy that is really testing my my memory, 40 years or so ago. I think some of them may have been. But I also recall sitting in the mid level. Seems that it was easier to move around to different seats back then and we took advantage.
 

Ouchie-Z-Clown

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We were lucky enough that our dad would take us on rare occasions to the madhouse when we were little. Actually surprised we didn’t go to more because he was such a hoops nut. But he may also have been the most frugal man ever during our childhood, so that may have been the reason. Always remember falling asleep in the deep cushiony velvet backseat of my fathers car listening to KTAR postgame on the drive home.

We were also family friends with the daughter of Irv Kosloff who owned the 76ers until 1976. They gave us courtside seats to one game. I was five. There was someone sitting in my seat. My dad had me go up to the individual and tell him he was in my seat. The guy stood up. And kept going up. Way up. It was bill Walton. I’m sure my father got a kick outta that.
 
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Mainstreet

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I remember keeping my eyes glued on the attendance at games back then. It seemed like about 10,000 tickets were the breakeven point. The Suns were often under that number. I was so afraid Phoenix would lose the team until Jerry Colangelo bought the team and got them a new arena.
 

Superbone

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Yeah he’s really good friends with Michael Rubin. That’s why the DBook hate is weird to me. He seems like a good dude, just extremely competitive on the court. I mean he won the community assist award 2 years ago.
Suns fans love him. I think it's just that opposing fans don't like him barking at their players and take it personally. Kind of like how we hated Danny Ainge back in the day until he became a Sun.
 

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I told ya KDs injury could be a blessing. It forced the benches balls to drop...FINALLY!
Lets hope this trend keeps going when KD is added.
 

Cheesebeef

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We were lucky enough that our dad would take us on rare occasions to the madhouse when we were little. Actually surprised we didn’t go to more because he was such a hoops nut. But he may also have been the most frugal man ever during our childhood, so that may have been the reason. Always remember falling asleep in the deep cushiony velvet backseat of my fathers car listening to KTAR postgame on the drive home.

We were also family friends with the daughter of Irv Kosloff who owned the 76ers until 1976. They gave us courtside seats to one game. I was five. There was someone sitting in my seat. My dad had me go up to the individual and tell him he was in my seat. The guy stood up. And kept going up. Way up. It was bill Walton. I’m sure my father got a kick outta that.
Dad also had 5 games per year the first couple Barkley years. I remember going to some great games. A 1994 late season regular season game against the Sonics where we pulled off a comeback that ended with Barkley finger shooting at a Box full of rowdy and loud Sonic fans. I think Brother Who Shall Not post went to that game with me.

A Finals rematch on a Sunday against the MJ-less but still very good Bulls that we won when the Bulls missed a three to tie it. Game 2 of Suns Spurs in 1993 playoffs. Unfortunately the Game 3 L against Houston where Ainge spiked Elie in the face beginning of the end of that series meltdown.

But the biggest game we had tickets to was the one that never came to pass… lower Bowl tickets to Game 7 of SUNS V. BULLS. A game for THE AGES! Until Paxson for 3.

UGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

Oddly enough, I rarely got to see a big time Barkley or KJ performance. Usually ended up a big AC Green game… which were never that big or super exciting.
 

Raindog

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We were lucky enough that our dad would take us on rare occasions to the madhouse when we were little. Actually surprised we didn’t go to more because he was such a hoops nut. But he may also have been the most frugal man ever during our childhood, so that may have been the reason. Always remember falling asleep in the deep cushiony velvet backseat of my fathers car listening to KTAR postgame on the drive home.

We were also family friends with the daughter of Irv Kosloff who owned the 76ers until 1976. They gave us courtside seats to one game. I was five. There was someone sitting in my seat. My dad had me go up to the individual and tell him he was in my seat. The guy stood up. And kept going up. Way up. It was bill Walton. I’m sure my father got a kick outta that.
Heh, funny story. Coincidentally, my first day of college arriving on the campus of Stanford with my parents, who should go riding past us on a bicycle but none other than Bill Walton, who happened to be attending law school there during his injury riddled Clippers years.

I excitedly pointed it out to my parents, who were most assuredly not sports fans and had the most nonchalant "who?" response ever.
 

95pro

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I told ya KDs injury could be a blessing. It forced the benches balls to drop...FINALLY!
Lets hope this trend keeps going when KD is added.

It forced Monty to actually scout his own players and play to their strengths, rather than plugging randoms into his system.
 

95pro

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I didn't live close either and grew up in a poor neighborhood. Just was lucky that the Suns or someone who worked for them chose our Circle K for a time to dump free tickets. Many times none of our parents could take us because they were working or didn't have the gas to go that far. Just lucky more than anything or we wouldn't have had the chance either. Once they stopped dumping free tickets it would be years before I would see another game in person.

So as in close, I was like 4-5 hours away in the sticks LOL. So you are lucky to have seen games for free with friends and a bike ride away.
 

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