3. Do you have a single play from Marion’s tenure with the Suns that stands out as your favorite?
Bourguet: Probably the time Shawn Marion threw down an alley-oop over Kobe Bryant in overtime of Game 6 of the 2006 NBA Playoffs. That was the series where Phoenix went down 3-1 and won the next three to comeback from the seemingly insurmountable deficit. That dunk pretty much sealed the deal in OT on the road and, again, it was over Kobe Bryant.
Chasen: Shawn Marion dunking all over Dirk Nowitzki is a big time favorite of mine. However, another thing that stands out that wasn’t really a play, but a series of plays, was his overtime period in the series clinching game against Dallas in 2005. He scored the first points of the period, and then knocked down a big time three to put the Suns up five. He ended up scoring 11 of his 38 points in the extra period, in what ended up being one of the best playoff games of his career.
Hann: His alley-oop dunk in overtime of Game 6 of the 2006 NBA Playoffs against the Lakers will never be forgotten. The dunk itself had little meaning on the game as the Suns led 118-11 with under two minutes to play at that point in time but it seemed to visually represent everything about being a Sun.
Phoenix had fallen to the brink of elimination, trailing 3-1 in the series before fighting back, winning at home in Game 5 and an overtime nail-biter in Game 6, capped by Marion dunking over Kobe (hated by Suns fans at that point) and sending the Lakers back to Phoenix for an impossible-to-win Game 7.
Sanders: I don’t have a single individual play of Marion’s that stands out for me. Instead, I will present you with a Marion mix video of his Suns career for your viewing pleasure:
Schall: Definitely not any of the hundreds of painfully awkward jump shots. For me it was definitely Marion punking Kobe Bryant during Game 6 of the Sun’s stunning comeback from a 3-1 deficit. Up 116-111 in overtime Boris Diaw caught an outlet pass and lobbed the ball over the head of unsuspecting Bryant only for Marion to fly up and destroy his world. The play perfectly epitomized those Suns teams; unselfish and explosive with a never say die attitude.
Next: No. 4