Posted: May 17, 2005
Phoenix Suns President and General Manager Bryan Colangelo was named the NBA Executive of the Year today by The Sporting News.
Colangelo built the Suns through a series of forward-thinking moves, beginning with the trade of All-Star guard Stephon Marbury to New York in order to create cap room in the summer of 2004, which allowed the Suns to sign the eventual 2004-05 NBA MVP Steve Nash, starter Quentin Richardson and key reserve Steven Hunter. The free agent pickups coupled with the midseason acquisitions of veterans swingman Jim Jackson and forward Walter McCarty, sparked the NBA’s third greatest turnaround in NBA history as the Suns finished a league-best 62-20 after a 29-53 record in 2003-04.
Bryan, 39, joins his father, Jerry, as the only father and son to win the executive award. Jerry, the Suns Chairman and CEO, is a four-time winner (1993, ’89, ’81, ’76).
The 16-year Suns executive beat out Miami Heat President Pat Riley and Bulls Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations John Paxson.
This is the third postseason award the Suns have won after Nash was named the NBA Most Valuable Player and Mike D’Antoni captured the NBA Coach of the Year award.