Phoenix Suns: 20 best player nicknames in team history

Phoenix Suns, Al McCoy (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Phoenix Suns, Al McCoy (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
13 of 21
Dick Van Arsdale, Phoenix Suns (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
Dick Van Arsdale, Phoenix Suns (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)

9. “The Flying Dutchman” Dick Van Arsdale

Seven years ago, the Phoenix Suns did their own list of best nicknames in team history. While their ranking was short and objectively incorrect, they ranked “The Flying Dutchman,” the nickname for Dick Van Arsdale as the best.

Their reasoning is that “The Flying Dutchman” is the favorite nickname of the great Al McCoy, and who are we to argue with him? This name definitely gets a McCoy boost, but no way is it number one.

Sometimes referred to as, “The Original Sun,” Arsdale played alongside Connie “The Hawk” Hawkins for the expansion Phoenix Suns back in 1968 and is in the Ring of Honor.

The nickname itself is solid, as it is both a description of Arsdale’s heritage and also an oxymoron considering Dutch men don’t fly.