September 21, 2024, marks a day of mourning for the Phoenix Suns and their fans. They bid farewell to Al McCoy, the “voice of the Suns” with whom an era of classic radio broadcasting came to an end. The news of McCoy’s passing came from the franchise, home to McCoy for 51 crucial years of his life.
“As a father, he taught us the value of respect, loyalty, hard work and love – both on and off the court. His passion, dedication and kindness touched countless lives, and while he may be gone, the impact he made will be felt for generations to come,” the McCoy family said but no cause of death was revealed by any parties. To pay their last respect to the catchphrase master, some notable names came forward.
The Suns’ former superstar, Charles Barkley stated as per ESPN, “This is a sad day for the Suns and the Suns family.” It was McCoy who gave the player-turned-analyst his popular nickname, Sir Charles. Grieving over the sportscaster’s loss, Barkley added, “Al McCoy represented everything that is great about Phoenix, the Phoenix Suns and people who love basketball. I was blessed and honored to work with Al and I’m gonna miss him.” The news not only brought sorrow to the stars of the previous generation but also to those of the current era, including Devin Booker.
McCoy narrated the initial eight years of Devin Booker‘s career and the guard expressed his privilege for it. However, Booker confessed that he initially didn’t know about McCoy’s outstanding abilities. This was until a great achievement. “He was inducted into the Ring of Honor my second season, and it was then I really understood what a special talent he was. And over the course of my career, I’ve learned what an even more special person he was.” Lastly, Booker said: “We will miss Al, and I am so glad our legacies in Phoenix are forever connected.” Booker rightly addressed that McCoy was a remarkable talent who transformed the broadcasting industry.
When McCoy started his journey as a commentator his area of expertise covered several sports rather than just basketball. He was exceptionally knowledgeable in football, baseball, ice hockey, boxing, and pro wrestling. But to cement his legacy in the Phoenix walls, he had to record his broadcast of a 1966 preseason basketball game.
When the NBA presented Phoenix with a new basketball team, McCoy sent the record to the Suns GM. Impressed by his broadcasting style, Jerry Colangelo hired McCoy to look at the team’s play-by-play on local channels in 1968. However, McCoy remained unsatisfied with the unstable situation as his Phoenix family grew. So he suggested to the GM about an in-house production. When Colangelo turned it down, McCoy refused to sign any further contract. For the next four seasons, the Suns tried other broadcasters. However, none were as good as McCoy so they ultimately gave in. They agreed to produce their own broadcasts and named him the Vice President of it.
McCoy handled both TV and Radio broadcasts. However, in 2003, he shifted to Radio as the NBA ended the practice of handling both simultaneously. McCoy’s love for radio came from an early age. As a young boy, he entertained himself by listening to it on the small farms of Iowa. He listened to discussions on powercuts, as they were a frequent thing there.
From 1972 until his last day as the Suns’ voice on May 11, 2023, the Hall of Famer held true to his words. “Every player that has ever put on a Suns uniform… is special to me, always will be.” McCoy’s traditional broadcasting style, combined with his dynamic catchphrases, became his unique selling point for highlighting both plays and players. These elements are what future generations of commentators will strive to emulate for a lasting career in the industry.
Al McCoy was the voice of the Phoenix Suns for more than 51 years, but he also represented a time in basketball that is much different than what we see today. Al had a knack for making every Suns game sound like a big event, regardless of who was playing or what the score was. His enthusiasm was contagious and his voice was a constant source of entertainment for Suns fans for decades.
