Phoenix Suns Media Day marks the beginning of a season where anything can happen. It is on this day where hopes are high and aspirations are limitless. There were five under-reported takeaways you need to know.
On Monday, the Phoenix Suns hosted reporters and photographers for the annual team media day.
Words were said; pictures were taken. Clichés were uttered, and Polaroids were resurrected.
Acclaimed sports journalists and mundane bloggers alike plucked players’ and coaches’ phrases and extrapolated quotes into likely inaccurate assumptions.
Fun, it seems, was abound.
After all, the Phoenix Suns are currently defeated. They have a new coach, a (fairly) new general manager, and pretty much a whole new roster. At this point, the possibilities are endless.
This is the day where everyone can look forward to the season because with close-up ball handling videos and intimidating photos around every corner, Media Day is a time to showcase the team’s potential and stir up hype.
Hope, as if often does, springs eternal.
Media Day for a struggling NBA team is like the first day of school for a less-than-gifted third-grader. Mom dresses them up all nice. They get their picture taken in different poses, holding cool props like their Superman lunchbox or Sponge Bob backpack. Teachers ask them engaging questions and build up their confidence.
Sure, they barely eked by second grade, but they made it. This year is going to be different.
Then, a few days into the school calendar, a bully pushes them down on the playground, they fail a spelling test, and the teacher they thought was nice chastises them because they’re finger-paint outside the lines. Or something. The criticism is hard to understand yet feels warranted.
But before all the struggles of a the
school
basketball year, there is Media Day. A time to ignore the ugly reality of what is to come and focus on looking good doing it. Throw in some glimmers of hope, and it allows to relax and enjoy the calm before the storm.
Here are five under-the-radar takeaways from you need to know from this joyous occasion: