Once upon a time, it was an easy question to answer: which former Suns player deserves to have their number retired but hasn’t yet? For years, the debate bounced between Shawn Marion and Amar’e Stoudemire. Both were franchise cornerstones, both carried the Suns to greatness, and both had somehow been left out of the rafters.
One of the first things Mat Ishbia did after taking ownership was to fix that oversight. He gave Marion and Stoudemire their rightful place in Suns lore, immortalized not with some digital placeholder but with banners that actually hang. Remember, before Ishbia, the “Ring of Honor” lived as a ribbon circling the bowl at PHX Arena. And after the 2020 remodel, it got reduced even further. Digitized, sterilized, stripped of its weight. It was gross. Ishbia corrected that, restoring permanence to something that should feel permanent. For that alone, kudos.
But now? The question gets harder. Because for the most part, the Suns have gotten it right. All the greats are up there. Twelve numbers hang in the rafters today. It’s a heavy, almost crowded collection.
So if you were to add somebody new, who would it be?
As I scan through the annals of Suns history, one name stands out. One number, really. 22. The number Larry Nance wore.
LANDOVER, MD – CIRCA 1982: Larry Nance #22 of the Phoenix Suns drives on Dave Batton #40 of the Washington Bullets during an NBA basketball game circa 1982 at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland. Nance played for the Suns from 1981-88. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) Getty Images
Nance played seven seasons in Phoenix, from 1982 to 1988, and his footprint on the franchise is deeper than many realize.
He sits 10th all-time in minutes played for the Suns, with 15,731. Every name above him (outside of Devin Booker, who’s still writing his legacy) is already enshrined in the Ring of Honor. He’s also 10th in franchise scoring with 8,430 points, nearly 2,000 more than Charles Barkley tallied in Phoenix, though Barkley condensed his résumé into four electrifying seasons, an MVP, and a trip to the Finals.
The case for Nance doesn’t end there. He’s fourth in total rebounds (3,791), 20th in assists (1,248), and remains the Suns’ all-time leader in blocks with 940. That last one, nearly 40 years later, speaks volumes.
And yet, Nance’s candidacy comes with caveats. In his seven years, he earned only one All-Star nod. The team went 269–263 in that stretch. Competitive, but hardly dominant. His era also overlapped with one of the darkest chapters in Suns history: the mid-80s cocaine scandal that rocked the franchise and overshadowed much of what happened on the court.
So while his individual résumé is impressive, his impact didn’t quite elevate to the seismic level of the legends who already hang in the rafters. His memory lingers, though. Suns fans remember the man who won the inaugural Slam Dunk Contest in 1984, skying in purple and orange, throwing down with both power and elegance.
If you’re searching for another name to make the case for in the Ring of Honor, Larry Nance is perhaps the strongest candidate left. The numbers support him. The memories support him. But does the legacy? That’s the debate.
Who else deserves consideration? Who else should be remembered in the rafters?
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