Valley of the Suns
Fansided

Suns All-Decade Teams Part One – 1960s-70s

By Patrick Nash

MILWAUKEE - 1970: Gail Goodrich #25 of the Phoenix Suns goes up for a shot against the Milwaukee Bucks during the 1970 season at the MECCA Arena in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1970 NBAE (Photo by Vernon Biever/NBAE via Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE - 1970: Gail Goodrich #25 of the Phoenix Suns goes up for a shot against the Milwaukee Bucks during the 1970 season at the MECCA Arena in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1970 NBAE (Photo by Vernon Biever/NBAE via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
9 of 11
Next

Backup: Truck Robinson

LANDOVER, MD – CIRCA 1982: Truck Robinson #21 of the New York Knicks shoots against the Washington Bullets shoots during an NBA basketball game circa 1982 at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland. Robinson played for the Knicks from 1982-85. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD – CIRCA 1982: Truck Robinson #21 of the New York Knicks shoots against the Washington Bullets shoots during an NBA basketball game circa 1982 at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland. Robinson played for the Knicks from 1982-85. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

Robinson joined the team in 1978 and brought to the crew the game of of great big men – one of the absolute best – playing for the Suns in the 70s.

Stretching into the early 1980s, ‘Truck’ Robinson, as he was known, was a big and tough power forward, the kind of inside presence that Jerry Colangelo loved to acquire for his roster. Aside from his 18.1 points and 9.5 rebound average in his three and a half seasons with the Suns, Truck helped to lead the franchise to regular season heights that they had never even came close to before. In his first two full seasons the Suns finished a combined 112-52, winning 57 games in 1980-81, a franchise record that stood until Charles Barkley’s first season in 1992-93.

Unfortunately for both he and the Suns, with the acquisition of a star in Truck Robinson came Championship expectations that were never accomplished. His relationship with the franchise soured and he was traded for Maurice Lucas in 1982 after a 46-36 regular season record and a 2-1 first round loss to the Denver Nuggets.

Home/Suns News