![\"LANDOVER,](\"https:\/\/platform.brightsideofthesun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2025\/08\/gettyimages-501947296.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,27.5,100,45\")
<\/a><\/p>\nLANDOVER, 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<\/p>\n
Nance played seven seasons in Phoenix, from 1982 to 1988, and his footprint on the franchise is deeper than many realize.<\/p>\n
He sits 10th all-time in minutes played for the Suns, with 15,731. Every name above him (outside of Devin Booker, who\u2019s still writing his legacy) is already enshrined in the Ring of Honor. He\u2019s also 10th in franchise scoring with 8,430 points, nearly 2,000 more than Charles Barkley tallied in Phoenix, though Barkley condensed his r\u00e9sum\u00e9 into four electrifying seasons, an MVP, and a trip to the Finals.<\/p>\n
The case for Nance doesn\u2019t end there. He\u2019s fourth in total rebounds (3,791), 20th in assists (1,248), and remains the Suns\u2019 all-time leader in blocks with 940. That last one, nearly 40 years later, speaks volumes.<\/p>\n
And yet, Nance\u2019s candidacy comes with caveats. In his seven years, he earned only one All-Star nod. The team went 269\u2013263 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.<\/p>\n
So while his individual r\u00e9sum\u00e9 is impressive, his impact didn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re 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\u2019s the debate.<\/p>\n
Who else deserves consideration? Who else should be remembered in the rafters?<\/p>\n
Listen <\/strong>to the latest podcast episode of the Suns JAM Session Podcast below. <\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n Stay up to date on every episode, subscribe to the pod on <\/strong>Apple<\/strong><\/a>, <\/strong>Spotify<\/strong><\/a>, <\/strong>YouTube<\/strong><\/a>, <\/strong>YouTube Podcasts<\/strong><\/a>,<\/strong> Amazon Music<\/strong><\/a>, <\/strong>Podbean<\/strong><\/a>, <\/strong>Castbox<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n