No one can ever top Colangelo

Years ago, I worked for The Home Depot.  A coworker of mine was an older gentleman whose retirement hadn’t quite stuck the way he hoped.  Bored out of his mind sitting around the house, he decided to don a hideous orange apron and make some extra dough while keeping himself busy.

Every once in a while, we’d talk Suns basketball (this was during Nash’s first MVP season) and while knowledgeable, he admittedly didn’t follow the team all that closely any more, and didn’t plan to despite my pleas and the Suns incredibly entertaining brand of basketball.

The reasons cited were your standard, run of the mill cultural differences, getting too old, that kind of thing.  Except the last one he gave.

Colangelo no longer ran the show.

It turns out my friend was once a Suns season ticket holder and had been for a number of years.  1988 rolled around and due to a rough economic spot in his life, he and his wife were forced to cancel their season tickets.  They made the necessary calls and were soon no longer Suns season ticket holders.

Finishing up dinner one night not long after canceling their season tickets, there was a knock at the door.  My friend answered to find Jerry Colangelo, donning a three piece suit, hoping to discuss what brought on the cancellation of their season tickets and how he could bring them back into the fold.

Colangelo had a cup of coffee, made his pitch, thanked them for their time and continued support of the Phoenix Suns, and went on his way, leaving behind a couple of renewed season ticket holders.

I realize this was twenty years ago, things were different, and times change, but can you imagine any of these guys doing something like that?  There’s a reason the Suns have always been one of the best run and most well respected franchises in the NBA and all the sports world.

Jerry Colangelo.

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