Who is the greatest Phoenix Sun of all-time?
Is it Charles Barkley?
Steve Nash?
Walter Davis?
Alvan Adams?
Devin Booker?
There is an argument to be made for each, given the impact they’ve had on the franchise and their legacy in purple and orange.
That said, they’re all the wrong answer.
There is only one man in the conversation.
And that man is Al McCoy.
He has had the longest tenure of anyone with the organization, having spent 51 seasons with the team and providing the soundtrack to every joyous and heartbreaking moment in franchise history.
His catchphrases have become ingrained in the Valley’s lexicon.
Whether you started listening to him on KTAR, saw him on Channel 45 alongside Cotton Fitzsimmons, or only know of him from clips on social media, the second you hear his dulcet tones, you instantly know who it is and that the Purple Gang from Phoenix is about to do something truly special on the court.
From the “Shot Heard ‘Round the World,” the “Cotton Express” and Barkley’s game-winner over David Robinson to the “Nash Rambler,” Book’s bubble buzzer-beater and the “Valley-Oop,” McCoy was on the call for every “Shazam” and every time we checked into the “Heartbreak Hotel.” He helped us experience every emotion known to man and somehow always made them feel even stronger.
While welcoming him into our homes on television and radio, he became more than just a man with a mic. He began to feel like a friend, and then, simply a member of the family. Al McCoy was a constant in life that you could count on to be there at least 82 nights a year while others came and went.
But Al was much more than just what was seen or heard on the team broadcast. He was a kind man with many talents. He loved to play the piano, and many times you could find him in the hotel lobby on a road trip tickling the ivory. He was immensely funny when you got to know him and always had an opinion to offer. He also had a story based on his experiences for every situation. Plus, he was always willing to talk to fans and pose for a picture when asked, remaining humble through it all. He was the biggest ambassador of basketball in the Valley.
But it wasn’t just basketball that Al was passionate about. He was an avid baseball fan, even calling Phoenix Giants of the Pacific Coast League’s games in the 1950s. He was also behind the mic for the Phoenix Roadrunners minor league hockey team and even ASU Football.
It’s not bad for a kid who grew up in Iowa with no electricity and only a battery-powered radio as his gateway to the world of sports and dreams beyond his small town.
In a world full of division, a voice like Al McCoy’s was always able to bring us together as Phoenix Suns fans above all else.
Al died Saturday peacefully at home.
But, as they say, heroes never truly die. He’ll live on in the hearts and minds of those who grew up and lived in the Valley. His presence will be felt every time a fan walks into the “Purple Palace” (a.k.a. the Footprint Center), in every call one of the broadcasters he helped along the way makes, and in every basketball game in the state.
Al McCoy is the greatest Sun of all-time, and it isn’t even close.
While we may never see you again, we’ll be seeing you all the time. So, on behalf of the Valley and Suns fans everywhere, Al, so long, for now.
