Griner spends time after Mercury practice getting tips from NBA legend Abdul-Jabbar.

The Valley sports media has been tripping over itself in lauding the hiring of new Phoenix Suns general manager Ryan McDonough, calling it a turning point and a ray of light for a franchise that has been in a death spiral during these past couple years of the Robert Sarver era.

“The richest American company Apple is going to borrow billions & billions to run the company, probably from themselves because you don’t have to pay taxes on borrowed money. While a venter worries about the homeless defecating and urinating in Mesa. When is congress going to stop these wealthy corporations from defecating and urinating on America.”

The Arizona Cardinals didn’t need this.

The Phoenix Suns have a chance to begin their ascension from the ashes this summer. With one lottery pick safely earned among the top five and another still possible — unless Kobe Bryant is intent on dragging the Los Angeles Lakers’ lifeless carcass to the postseason for a public funeral at the hands of San Antonio or Oklahoma City — the first seeds for resurgence are at hand.

Arizona State point guard Jahii Carson is testing the NBA waters.

For Suns fans, rooting against the Lakers has never been so much fun.

Amare Stoudemire’s right knee, the microfracture knee, the knee we all know would surely bring a premature end to one of the most exciting NBA talents in this millennium, is now waving a white flag.

ASU fab freshman Jahii Carson not ready to decide NBA future, instead focusing on rivalry game with UA.

After tinkering around awhile, St. Mary's put its foot down and held up another trophy.

My first thought when the Suns acquired Marcus Morris from the Houston Rockets?

Since 1986, the Scripps Celebrity Super Bowl Poll has been asking big names in entertainment, news, sports and pop culture to predict the outcome of the big game. This year, more than 115 celebrities picked between the San Francisco 49ers, led by quarterback Colin Kaepernick, and the Baltimore Ravens, featuring linebacker Ray Lewis.

The old adage is that coaches are hired to be fired. Alvin Gentry has been a class individual, coach and a credit to his profession. The Suns are in a very bad place right now.

Don’t cry for Alvin Gentry. The time when he needed your sympathy has already passed.

There are two different points I would like to make concerning two of Arizona’s sports teams.

Once the results from baseball’s 2013 Hall of Fame voting were released, the howls began.

A lot of people like to make predictions on what is going to happen. Too few of us take responsibility for their successes and, yes, their failures. Here is what I forecast on December 23, 2011 followed by what actually happened and my report card:

So it appears an NBA mascot shift is in the offing. New Orleans owner Tom Benson, who has been itching to change the name of his team since buying the struggling franchise, wants to rename the ill-titled Hornets – and call his team the New Orleans Pelicans.

The Suns have dubbed their Dec. 6 game against Dallas as “Satisfaction Guarantee Night.” If you don’t have a great time watching Phoenix attempt like the dickens to beat the Mavericks, you can simply saunter up to the ticket window and ask for your money back.

After missing seven of nine shots and scoring just eight points in his debut as a Phoenix Sun, Michael Beasley was asked if he made the first impression he was hoping for to Arizona sports fans.

For a state known more for deserts than evergreens, we can’t believe Arizona’s luck at getting America’s tallest fresh-cut Christmas tree — at least, according to the organizers of holiday festivities at the Outlets at Anthem.

Lakers fans had to be overjoyed this summer when Steve Nash and Dwight Howard were air-dropped into Hollywood from heaven, ostensibly putting Kobe Bryant back on track to collect more jewelry.

For a university with the second-largest enrollment in the country, last Friday morning at Arizona State was surprisingly serene.

Integrating business with food, adding his own creations with a customized touch on every dish, Sam Szeto is known as “Dragon Sam” to his customers and friends.