Charles Barkley Led Suns to Historic Finals Run

It's been over 30 years since the Phoenix Suns lost in the 1993 NBA Finals to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls as part of their first three-peat of the decade.

Leading the Suns that year was league MVP Charles Barkley, who led the team to a 62-20 record in his second year with the franchise.

Barkley's efforts in that postseason, along with other playoff runs during his career, placed him at No. 28 in Bleacher Report writer Andy Bailey's list of best NBA postseason performers.

"One more player who never won a title, and Charles Barkley may be at the very top of that list of names," Bailey wrote.

"He certainly had his share of close calls, including the 1993 NBA Finals against Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, but Barkley obviously never came through. And that's often the first line in discussions about his legacy.

"But it probably doesn't need to be.

"Basketball is a team sport, and Barkley did his part in just about every playoff run during his peak. From 1986 to 1996, Barkley played for the 76ers and Suns and averaged 25.8 points, 13.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.0 blocks in the playoffs.

"And that stretch included the 1994 postseason, when he led the league in box plus/minus."

The Suns have only made it to the NBA Finals one time since Barkley fueled the team's spark in 1993, but the team still failed to walk away hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

Despite their failure in the Finals, the 1993 Suns are considered to be one of the greatest teams in franchise history, and Barkley is a big part of the reason why.

The team is still celebrated in the area to this day, and another NBA Finals runner-up will soon join them among the squads that fell just short.