Durant to Suns

[Sparky16]

That’s actually not true. Chuck addressed how he got to Houston on the all the smoke podcast

Houston called him and said hey if we trade for you are you going to want a new contract. That’s how he found out Phoenix was shopping him. He called the Suns and they denied it .

Yeah, thats not how it happened.... He was slinging insults at mgt... aka Colangelo

 

[Carolinacacti]

Chuck is FOS, he was spouting he never wanted to leave Phx..... He forced his trade to the Rockets specifically. Chuck will be forgotten if KD gets PHX a ring and he knows it

Chuck forgotten NO WAY

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Shaq especially has no room to talk. He could have built something in Orlando but bolted. He could have joined almost any small market team to prove he could get it done. He joined the Lakers for a chance to play in a big market with other stars. He then went to play with Wade in Miami. He has ZERO room to talk. Chuck was ring chasing at the very end in Houston but at least he tried to bring it home with the Suns.

The lakers were nothing when shaq got there and he was traded to Miami.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

That's right. They didn't know what they had in Kobe yet (I believe he was drafted the month before Shaq signed) but Shaq went to the Lakers because it was a big market that could attract big free agents that he didn't think could happen in Orlando. He knew the Lakers could draw other stars. It's not like he chose another small market team to prove to the league he could get it done anywhere. Then he went to Miami because he thought Wade was another Kobe in the making and if he went there he would win another title before Kobe. Every move Shaq made was calculated. Hell....he thought he could squeeze another in there with Nash.

Wait, your argument was shaq left a team that had penny - who was considered a BIG star, had already attracted a top free agent in Horace grant, and had been in the finals to go to a lakers team that had little talent because he was ring chasing? That one doesn’t compute.

 

[Hoop Head]

Chuck is FOS, he was spouting he never wanted to leave Phx..... He forced his trade to the Rockets specifically. Chuck will be forgotten if KD gets PHX a ring and he knows it

Barkley will never be forgotten for what he did here with the Suns. 500,000+ showed up for a runners up parade. Literally more people than attended the Bulls 3peat celebration. Barkley is always mentioned as one of the best little big men ever, even without a ring. That doesn't change if KD helps this franchise win a title.

 

[Proximo]

Chuck forgotten NO WAY

Actually he will be forgotten. People die off that were around when he played. You don't here people talking about stars of teams from the 40's or 50's anymore.

 

[Covert Rain]

Wait, your argument was shaq left a team that had penny - who was considered a BIG star, had already attracted a top free agent in Horace grant, and had been in the finals to go to a lakers team that had little talent because he was ring chasing? That one doesn’t compute.

Despite singing Grant, if I recall correctly, Penny had to sit out to get the money he wanted from Orlando. They also low balled Shaq when they tried to resign him. Adding insult to injury told him it was because it was Penny's team.

Shaq wanted to go to a big market team that had deep pockets so that he could potentially play with stars and not worry if the team was going to spend money for big free agents or when they did, impact paying it's stars. The Lakers promised to be aggressive putting players around him regardless of cost. There was only a few teams that could do that.

There were so many teams he could have signed with if it was JUST about a team being his team. He was never going to sign with the Sacramento's of the NBA just to be the man.

 

[SirStefan32]

Barkley will never be forgotten for what he did here with the Suns. 500,000+ showed up for a runners up parade. Literally more people than attended the Bulls 3peat celebration. Barkley is always mentioned as one of the best little big men ever, even without a ring. That doesn't change if KD helps this franchise win a title.

In my mind, if the Suns win the championship, Barkley just needs to say something about, "I don't care what I said about KD before. He gave my Suns the championship, he's great in my book. Nothing else matters right now." Then he needs to put on a KD jersey and show up to the celebration.

 

[Dan H]

You’re making it seem like he did nothing in Orlando and went to the Lakers so he could win.

But that completely ignores the fact that they’d already been to the Finals two years before he went to LA and a month before he went to LA, they won 60 games before losing in the Conference Finals.

And you’re also misremembering the idea that Orlando couldn’t get star FAs… considering that Horace Grant was one of the biggest FA during the summer of 1994, was smack dab in the middle of his prime and he chose Orlando. Everyone thought he was the missing piece.

And the Magic were viewed as the team of future with him and Penny so I really don’t think you can say he went to LA as a ring chaser. This was all pre-Penny knee injuries and that team looked like they were going to battle for control of the East with the Bulls in the present and the far into to the future.

You're absolutely right. There's a video going around where Shaq discusses leaving for LA purely for the money. Orlando didn't want to pay him more than 100M total; he signed for 120M with the Lakers.

 

[Covert Rain]

You’re making it seem like he did nothing in Orlando and went to the Lakers so he could win.

But that completely ignores the fact that they’d already been to the Finals two years before he went to LA and a month before he went to LA, they won 60 games before losing in the Conference Finals.

And you’re also misremembering the idea that Orlando couldn’t get star FAs… considering that Horace Grant was one of the biggest FA during the summer of 1994, was smack dab in the middle of his prime and he chose Orlando. Everyone thought he was the missing piece.

And the Magic were viewed as the team of future with him and Penny so I really don’t think you can say he went to LA as a ring chaser. This was all pre-Penny knee injuries and that team looked like they were going to battle for control of the East with the Bulls in the present and the far into to the future.

Never said he did nothing in Orlando. Never said Orlando could get no free agents. Orlando low balled Penny which is why he sat out. They low balled Shaq when he was up. Orlando had limits and didn't have LAs market or pockets. LA promised Shaq they would put stars around him. Shaq wanted to get paid and get a ring. He wasn't going to a doormat in the NBA just to be the man which according to some pundits is why KD shouldn't get credit. By the way, I am not saying Shaq's decision was a bad thing. Getting paid and wanting to win is a good thing. Only saying that he wasn't going to pick a small market doormat team to be the man. It wasn't about that.

The idea that Chuck and/or Shaq is criticizing Durant for coming here is utter ridiculousness. The Suns have never won a thing. Booker has had to claw his way to respect just to be considered an All-star. CP3 isn't the player he was. Yet Durant doesn't get credit per them because he didn't go to a doormat to be the man and lead them to a title? I get that argument about him before but with the Suns?!?!?

Yeah....B.S.

 

[95pro]

100M tax free versus 120M CA taxes? There was more to it than his contract.

 

[Phrazbit]

Never said he did nothing in Orlando. Never said Orlando could get no free agents. Orlando low balled Penny which is why he sat out. They low balled Shaq when he was up. Orlando had limits and didn't have LAs market or pockets. LA promised Shaq they would put stars around him. Shaq wanted to get paid and get a ring. He wasn't going to a doormat in the NBA just to be the man which according to some pundits is why KD shouldn't get credit. By the way, I am not saying Shaq's decision was a bad thing. Getting paid and wanting to win is a good thing. Only saying that he wasn't going to pick a small market doormat team to be the man. It wasn't about that.

The idea that Chuck and/or Shaq is criticizing Durant for coming here is utter ridiculousness. The Suns have never won a thing. Booker has had to claw his way to respect just to be considered an All-star. CP3 isn't the player he was. Yet Durant doesn't get credit per them because he didn't go to a doormat to be the man and lead them to a title? I get that argument about him before but with the Suns?!?!?

Yeah....B.S.

I don't get the impression they are critisizing him for coming to Phoenix, they're saying his rings in Golden State don't really count.

 

[Hoop Head]

100M tax free versus 120M CA taxes? There was more to it than his contract.

Wasn't tax free. No state tax, which wasn't making a $20 million difference. Not even close. Throw in the opportunity to star in films in LA as well as playing for a storied franchise like the Lakers after being recruited by the logo.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I don't get the impression they are critisizing him for coming to Phoenix, they're saying his rings in Golden State don't really count.

Yup. I agree to an extent. They count, but there is a major shine off them. They won titles with out Durant before he was there and after he left. He’s never led a franchise to the mountain top as THE guy.

This is his chance to do so.

 

[Phrazbit]

Yup. I agree to an extent. They count, but there is a major shine off them. They won titles with out Durant before he was there and after he left. He’s never led a franchise to the mountain top as THE guy.

This is his chance to do so.

Yeah, agreed. Those Golden State teams he won with would have been huge title favorites even if he'd never signed with them.

If he wins here, that would be different.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Yup. I agree to an extent. They count, but there is a major shine off them. They won titles with out Durant before he was there and after he left. He’s never led a franchise to the mountain top as THE guy.

This is his chance to do so.

Yep. Here he would take a team there that has never won it all. It would mean more to him I am sure.

 

[Sparky16]

Actually he will be forgotten. People die off that were around when he played. You don't here people talking about stars of teams from the 40's or 50's anymore.

Yeah and Championships are always brought up not 2nd place teams

 

[Carolinacacti]

No one on this board right now will forget Chuck.

 

[Hoop Head]

Barkley will be remembered longer and more fondly than Sarver, who owned the team for 18 years.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Ow this conversation has gotten weird. Who's Sarver?

 

[Hoop Head]

Ow this conversation has gotten weird. Who's Sarver?

This guy

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He hung around the team too much for almost 2 decades and modeled himself after a perverted Scrooge McDuck.

 

[SunsTzu]

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[Chaplin]

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Dang

 

[Dr. Jones]

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Dang

Jeeebus!

 

[JCSunsfan]

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That's quite shocking. It's like Okogie replaced Mikal and KD replaced Cam.

Small sample size. Charlotte and Chicago. But still impressiveZ

Now throw our bench numbers up there!