Talking To Chicks Who Love Hoops (Lori Ann)

Welcome to Talking To Chicks Who Love Hoops. We all know female sports fans are a hot commodity for us dudes. Maybe not as rare as we think but us guys always think they're inferior when it comes to sports knowledge. Well, in this feature, I talk to them about the NBA and check what goes through their heads. And I ask them about everything else in an attempt to make this more fun and versatile instead of just straight sports. And watch out; these chicks might know more than you guys. Hell, they might even know more than yours truly. PAST "TALKING TO CHICKS WHO LOVE HOOPS" ENTRIES 7. Jennifer (roots for the L.A. Lakers) 8. Annie (roots for the New Orleans Hornets) 9. Kim (roots for the Portland TrailBlazers) 10. Mia (roots for the L.A. Lakers) 11. Mayra (roots for the Detroit Pistons) 12. Shae (roots for the Denver Nuggets) In this one, we get a history lesson! Lori Ann has been a longtime Phoenix Suns fan. She definitely exceeds any knowledge I have for the team from the Valley of the Sun. We talk about her Suns, the possibility of Kobe Bryant going to the Lakers, the greatest game of all-time, Neal Walk, and David Cassidy. Yes. David Cassidy. This conversation took place before the Conference Finals ended. My font is in blue and hers is in purple. Let's get it movin'! Lori Ann, I talked to two of my other favorite Suns fans earlier for this feature... but the difference now is that Alvin Gentry had his interim tag removed... and he is now the official coach of the Phoenix Suns. How does that make you feel? In a word: FANtastic! Coach Gentry has worked along-side Mike D'Antoni ("CAPTAIN PLAAAAAAAANET!!" as you and I call him) with the Phoenix Suns. The Suns themselves, are ultra-comfortable with Alvin's style of coaching, and the "run and gun" system. The Suns are a running team, and Coach Gentry wants to let his team RUN! RUN! RUN! The players hold great respect, and have a closeness with Coach Gentry, and respond well to him as a result. Coach Gentry, with his experience as a player and as a coach, is a perfect fit for our Suns and vice-versa! Ha ha. You said you have been a fan for 40 years. I don't even remember how Neal Walk was, to be honest. Tell me how you got started with these Suns. And while we're at it... give me your favorite player and favorite moments of all-time. Make that 41 years .....HA! .......Thanks, Rey-Rey .....now my age is showing ---but only on the inside (thank you very much...hahaha). Neal Walk (6' 10") played Center for our Suns, from 1969 to 1973. I was just a kid when I began watching the Suns; they all looked like old men to me. I referred to Neal Walk as "the hairy guy." I have his original Suns photo. I'll attach it, so you can get my drift. My eldest brother (five years older than me) had complete control over the TV ----typical big brother!? When Jerry Colangelo put the Suns together in Phoenix, my brother thought that he won the gazillion dollar lottery --though we had no state lottery back then. Basically, he forced us to watch Suns Basketball. Honestly, I wasn't too thrilled about that at first. My brother used to go through the ceiling, listening to, and watching Suns Basketball. That alone, got me excited for the game. I knew then, that we had something REALLY special in town: Phoenix Suns Basketball !!! Al McCoy, made listening to, and watching the games, sooooooo exciting ----this was long before he ever uttered his infamous "SHAAZAAAAAAM!!!", as there was NO three-point shot in NBA B'ball. When the 3-point shot was incorporated into the game, we HIGHLY contested it, but that's another story for another day. I'm rambling enough here, as it is....ha! I've had SEVERAL favorite players throughout the Suns' 41 year existence. First, it was "The Hawk": Connie Hawkins. Why? Because my brother said so! (laughing here) ....I'm really serious though. (If my big brother jumped off of a bridge, I would of followed him!) My bro' wouldn't shut up for 2 seconds, while we watched Suns Basketball --it was a game AND a lecture all in one! HA! Keep in mind, that all Suns games were not televised --we'd listen to "Hot Rod Hundley" and Al McCoy over the radio. It was just like being there --whatever that meant. My brother was quite animated, making the radio-games come to life. I had a "thing" for Gail Goodrich--I just thought he was cute; HEY, I was a typical little girl, and Gail Goodrich WAS cute! I was like many of the young girls that watch Suns/NBA B'Ball today, I picked favorite players, by their looks -not necessarily by the talent that each player possessed. Dick Van Arsdale "The Original Sun" as he is known as to this day, was "the bomb!" He also scored the very first bucket in Suns history. Connie Hawkins was THE BEST and the most fun player to see in action. He was the original Dr.J of the NBA -long before Julius Erving ever hit the hardwood. I didn't know that The Hawk was one of the original Harlem Globetrotters, until years later. My brother left that piece of information out ...hmmm. Alvan Adams was another BIG favorite of mine! I'm so glad he's still with the Suns Organization, as is Dick Van Arsdale and Neal Walk. Yeah, I liked "the hairy guy" ---- first off, his name is Neal. My big brother's name is Neil --- my hero as a kid. Neal Walk REALLY stood out when he played, too. Later, I was a "DJ" Dennis Johnson fanatic. I was crushed when we traded him to Boston! ...may he rest in peace. Then came Garfield (Gar') Heard, Leonard "Truck" Robinson, and Ricky Sobers. I met ALL three at Sky Harbor Airport ---they were HUGE! I was fifteen or sixteen at the time. They dressed like John Travolta, in "Saturday Night Fever" -- heck --everyone wore silk shirts and polyester pants back then. I got autographs from all three players. They had just returned from a 1976 Playoff game at Golden State ---sad ending to THAT season. Then came KJ - Kevin Johnson: my all-time favorite Sun to this day. I could write a book about KJ. The ONLY fan-letter I ever wrote, was to KJ. He even wrote me back on paper..ha! -- on the original Phoenix Suns stationary. Most girls at that age, were writing letters to David Cassidy of The Partridge Family. I wrote to a basketball player, though I DID have a crush on David Cassidy ---we ALL did! Danny was really the funniest on that show, but we're talking Suns Basketball, so I'll shut up and stay on-topic. My current favorite Sun, is LB!!!!!!!!!! (Yes, you HAVE to yell it!) I love Leandro Barbosa! He's a great player, agile, quick "beep-beep" . and such a humble and well-mannered guy! Of course "MVST3VE" is the most talented player we have, though EACH player possesses certain skills, which make for our great TEAM! My All-time favorite Suns moments: The first most memorable Suns moment that comes to mind, is KJ's "daddy of ALL dunks" over Hakeem Olajuwon ----UNBELI EVABLE ---and KJ was SOOOOO pumped!!! Secondly, perhaps my MOST memorable Suns moment of all-time, was Gar' Heard's "Shot Heard 'Round The World", sending our team into our FIRST Finals' bout against Boston (1976), into TRIPLE OT !!! WHAT A YEAR ---WHAT A SERIES, and arguably The BEST NBA Finals in NBA history. I'm pretty sure I already know your answer about how the Suns did this year. So now that Gentry is officially the coach, what else do you think the Suns have to do to get back to the elite? Or do they have to do anything? After all, Amare was out for the last part of the season... and that arguably cost them a playoff berth. Last year was a revolving door of players and coaches. What a game kill !!! With Coach Gentry at the helm and well in place now, I think we have all we need at present. Let's lock the door(s) and let THIS team cohere and develop! I'm not too sure about Amaré returning in a Suns uniform, if at all. He is still healing very slowly from his second eye injury. As long as our current roster stays in shape, we'll be a-okay. It wouldn't hurt if we acquired another big man, too. The Suns WILL be an elite team again, as long as we KEEP these guys together ---no more revolving door. Let's put a lid on it already!? Seems like all you Suns fans are rooting for the Nuggets. What's wrong with the Lakers? Is Denver that much better of a city than L.A.? Ha ha ha ha. Southern California's got awesome weather! Very funny, Rey-Rey ....NOT! You MUST understand that the LA Lakers have been our #1 nemesis for decades! Portland was up there too, at one time. But the Lakers ----- c'mon! It's not so much that we're rooting for Denver. It's that we're rooting against the Lakers! If the Lakers were in the Playoffs against satan himself --we'd be pulling for satan to beat the Lakers! WOW ....I can't believe I said that! (GO AWAY satan! I am NOT on your side!) I think you get the idea here, Rey-Rey. Now, if the *Spurs were playing the Lakers in the WC Playoff Finals .....???? ...... *FAINT* !!? ......... Lastly, do you have any favorite players (past or present) outside of the Phoenix Suns? Hey, remember when Kobe Bryant was rumored to go to the Phoenix Suns when he was a free agent? You would've loved that, wouldn't you? Okay YOU! Now you're being facetious! Don't MAKE me come over there, Rey-Rey!!? ...HA! Kobe will NEVER EVER be a Sun...period! I DO like watching Ray Allen play. He's got a GREAT stroke, and handles himself beautifully, on and off the court. Yeah, he's pretty, too! Since our Suns are out of the '09 Playoff picture, I'm pulling for Cleveland to win it all. My Dad was born there, and my "sister" lives in Akron. I taught her all about her LeBron'aliers (which I originally NEVER followed). Before she decided to get a TV, I used to watch the Cavs for her, and send her play-by-play reports of HER team. Now, she's 100% tuned in with her Cavs. That's how I became familiar with the Cavaliers. Daniel "Boobie" Gibson, is a little gem; I call him "The Kid." I came to know the Cavs on a first-name basis. THIS is a first for me, as I have NEVER paid much attention to ANY team other than MY PHOENIX SUNS! Rey-Rey .....we detest and despise the Lakers. It's simply a Suns "thing"......Get used to it, my friend !!? PS. The weather in Arizona is MUCH nicer than smoggy LA! Thanks for the chat, ya' big lug, you! ---It was fun! GO SUNS !!! - Lori Ann SUPERFAN Rey-Rey Simply a Suns thing. The rivalry runs deep. Ha ha ha. Now, Lori Ann, I'm not stupid. I KNOW Suns fans detest the Lakers. But, hey, I don't play that game. I'm probably as objective as you can get for an L.A. fan. It's been no secret that I love Steve Nash's game and told our friend, Sara, that in the 2004-05 MVP race that it was NO CONTEST that Nash won that award. And, yeah, I did root for D'Antoni's boys to win it all in that season and, after they eliminated the Lakers, in '06-'07, when Robert Horry said hello to Nash at the scorer's table. So when you say that the Suns are going to be A-OK... are you talking NBA Title for these Suns? The West is tough. We all know what the Lakers are capable of, Denver grew up in this year's playoffs, Houston figures to be around, San Antonio will ALWAYS be around, and don't forget Portland, Utah, New Orleans, and Dallas. It will be an uphill climb for these Suns. Rey-Rey, I think it's going to take the Suns a few years to REALLY cohere. Unfortunately, time is NOT on our side regarding a few veterans, ie., Steve Nash, Shaq, and Amaré, if he returns to the lineup. Our best shot at an NBA title, WILL be the upcoming '09-2010 season. After that, the Suns are obviously going to have to make trades and acquisitions, as players retire and/or are traded. We've still got a LOT of young talent on this team. Anything could happen. You don't expect Amare Stoudemire to be around. Do you like him as a player? Or has he worn out his welcome here? I love Amaré Stoudemire! It's a question of his health, as well as what the Suns management decides to do, as well as what Amaré wants to do. I'd most definitely welcome him back with open arms! I can't say I watched Gar Heard, Connie Hawkins, and Alvan Adams. After all, I was born AFTER those players were in their prime... but I did see highlights, including the Gar Heard shot. That must have been a thrill at the time. I'll see if I can find those games themselves sometime. Check the Suns archives and YouTube. I'm not much of a video watcher online, but I know there is a LOT of old NBA footage on the Internet. Good luck in your search. I mean, let's face it; Kobe going to the Suns was a REAL possibility. Would you have embraced him had he GONE to the Suns? Or would you have let go of Phoenix because of that? Hey, you never know in this crazy NBA. We didn't think Iverson and Billups were going to be traded for each other and look what happened. First and foremost, I could NEVER in a million years let go of MY PHOENIX SUNS! I've been a Suns fan since the inception of this team. No way, no how, would I EVER walk away from MY Suns! Regarding Kobe Bryant as a Phoenix Sun: No. I would not embrace him as a Phoenix Sun. That's all I have to say about that. I still would NOT abandon MY team, no matter what happens. Yes, Rey-Rey, just when you think you have a great team with great chemistry, the whole thing can be blown to smithereens --- we all saw this firsthand when D'Antoni walked and Shawn Marion was traded. Okay, I think you've been watching the Playoffs. Give me your thoughts... predictions... etc. Everything you can think of about the Playoffs. And tell me why L.A. won't win it besides the fact that you don't like them. You know what? Never mind. That'll probably be the only reason why you wouldn't pick L.A. to win. Ha ha. I cannot predict that the Lakers will not win the 2009 NBA Championship. Simply put, I'm not pulling for them to do so. Hey, I'm a Suns fan ....it comes with the territory. I had a good feeling that Cleveland would take the title this year. Right now, the only thing I'm certain of, is that nothing is for certain ....ha! One game at a time, and may the best team win. I don't want the 2009 Finals to be won by the referees. I want the BEST team to win --period. GO CAVS! .....hahaha..... It's really cool that your sister is into basketball now. But, man, I know David Stern is having his wet dream of Kobe Vs LeBron. I would have no problem with that but I'd like to see some CLEAN, WELL-PLAYED games. That makes two of us, Rey-Rey! NBA refereeing is out of control. The league came close to folding in the early 80's --let's NOT go there again! Looking forward to your rebuttal. Rey-Rey P.S. It's too bad that KJ dunk was the same series the Suns lost against the Rockets. Ha ha. Yes, that loss to Houston was a tough blow indeed! KJ's "Daddy of ALL dunks" somehow softened the blow just a smidgeon. Suns fans seem to better recall KJ's dunk over Hakeem Olajuwon, than the Playoff elimination. In GREAT hope - GO SUNS !!!! Lori Ann SUPERFAN So hopefully, that wasn't TOO long. Ha ha ha ha. I'd like to thank Lori Ann for taking the time to write all of this. I know more about the Suns history now after reading that. Hopefully, you Suns fans do, too. We need more longtime fans like Lori. That's one dedicated superfan right there. Follow me on Twitter. I am there as @TheNoLookPass. And you can follow Lori Ann over there as well. She is @PS1968.