Phoenix Suns · Franchise era 2 of 7
A steady Western presence: the Phoenix Suns story
Franchise era
1976–77—1987–88
A steady Western presence
Phoenix Suns
The story in one sentence
The Suns remained a frequent playoff team behind fluid offense before off-court turmoil forced a broad reset.
01
Westphal and Davis keep Phoenix competitive
02
Walter Davis, Paul Westphal and Larry Nance gave the era its recognizable core.
03
Its ending created the conditions for barkley and the 1993 finals.
Timeline
How it unfolded
Before 1976–77
What came before
Phoenix grew from expansion team into an improbable finalist, pushing Boston through one of the greatest Finals games ever.
1979
Western Conference Finals: Phoenix Suns vs Seattle SuperSonics
1984
Western Conference Semifinals: Phoenix Suns vs Utah Jazz
1984
Western Conference Finals: Phoenix Suns vs Los Angeles Lakers
After 1987–88
What came next
A revitalized roster became elite before Barkley's arrival; his MVP season then carried Phoenix to 62 wins and the Finals.
The core