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Suns & Fans Bid Farewell To Thunder Dan (4/17/2002)

(courtesy of )

By Joe Gilmartin

By now it is a much-chronicled part of franchise folklore that Suns fans booed the first time Dan Majerle's name was mentioned over a public address system, and were promptly and publicly chastised by former Suns' coach Cotton Fitzsimmons. But let the record show that fans wiped the slate clean and then some for that lamentable lapse in draft etiquette (not to mention misjudgment) with what had to be the fondest farewell in Suns' history. All farewells are special, of course. But even measured against that standard, this one was really something.

Coach Frank Johnson had it right in pre-game remarks when he said, "It's fitting that this is fan appreciation night, because we are here tonight to honor a very special player." That first mention of Thunder Dan's name was the signal for the first of some eight or nine standing ovations as the clock wound down on the final game of his 14-year career. And the fact "only" eight of those years were spent in a Phoenix uniform didn't in any way diminish the obvious affection for him.

Suns' "Voice" Al McCoy called Majerle "One of the most popular players ever to wear the uniform of the Suns," and Fitzsimmons hailed him as "a coach's dream." "I told you people you'd be sorry you ever booed this man," he said during a special halftime tribute. "We had two picks that year and we picked Tim Perry with No. 7, and Dan Majerle at No. 14. But hey, we all make mistakes. We should have drafted Dan No. 7, and we never should have traded him to Cleveland."

By the number's, Dan's exit line wasn't two shabby, what with 10 points, a season-high eight rebounds, two assists and two steals. So okay, I left out one stat, namely 3-of-14 from the field. But eight of those misses came in the fourth period as a physically and emotionally drained Majerle tried desperately to fulfill the crowd's wishes for one more "three" to remember him by.

And when it finally came with 23.8 seconds to play it wasn't a thing of beauty but it will remain a joy forever. In the official play-by-play it was recorded prosaically as "Majerle 3PT 25' Jump Shot (Marbury).” But there was a bit more to it than that, as the ball hit the backboard and bounced high off the front of the rim before dropping through. And as the crowd roared in delight, Majerle dropped down to the floor and did a celebratory push-up.

"The whole night was overwhelming and it was a great way to go out," he said during a post-game press conference. "But it took me about 12 shots to make that last one, so you can see why I had to retire (laughs). I was really gassing out there at the end and I didn't have the legs I wanted, but the fans were just fantastic. With all the emotion, not just tonight but the last couple of days, I was exhausted."

Before the game The Gorilla ran on the court waving a huge No. 9 and later presented Majerle with a farewell gift of a glass encased piece of gum chewed by Diamondbacks star Luis Gonzalez. And, although Fitzsimmonns mentioned this was really a small celebration, a prelude so to speak for the big one next year when Majerle is officially installed in the team's Ring of Honor, he did present Majerle with a HumVee golf cart and a new set of clubs.

Majerle arrived at the arena at 5:05, shook hands with a security guard, and admitted he was very nervous. But he didn't play nervous, hitting a three early and defending and rebounding in his usual fashion until he understandably ran out of energy. Majerle thanked Johnson for a giving him meaningful playing time and making the last month of his career fun, and he was visibly moved when his teammates wore headbands with "9" on them. Bo Outlaw was the only player who abstained, but that was only because the headband and his glasses weren't a good fit. But he did wear one in pre-game warm-ups.

Fans also waved cards, ala skating judges, with "9" on them, which was a nice touch as a tribute to his number. But as a score for his career here it clearly fell short of the mark. If there was ever a "10" it was Dan Majerle's career as a Sun. For the record, Majerle finished his career as the top Sun in three-point field goals (800), and fourth in steals (811) and points (2200).

But Majerle's career here was about much more than those impressive numbers and you almost had to be at America West Arena for this one to fully capture just how much fans love him. This was evident not just Wednesday night, but the last few games after he announced his retirement. And as one last gift for fans he provided a high finishing note to an otherwise disappointing season.

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