Originally published: 1992
Suns 25th Anniversary Book
No doubt you've heard the old joke about the contest where first prize is a week in Cleveland, and second prize is two weeks in Cleveland.
Despite the unfair kidding, Cleveland was a desired destination in February, 1981. The Ohio city served as site for the annual NBA All-Star game. While many of the players eligible to attend might have preferred a warmer climate, the Phoenix Suns thought it was just fine.
They must have, five members of the team went to the game.
The 1980-81 season was the most successful, in terms of wins and losses, for the Suns. Their 57 wins were the most in franchise history, as Phoenix captured its first-ever Pacific Division Championship. As with most winners, the Suns benefited from a strong start. So strong that, when Phoenix defeated the Nets in New Jersey on January 9, the Suns had a 35-10 won-loss record. That was good enough to clinch the best record in the Western Conference at the All-Star break, which in turn gave Suns Head Coach John MacLeod the job of coaching the Western Conference All-Stars February 1 in Cleveland.
MacLeod would have plenty of company on the trip. Besides having assistant coach Al Bianchi along, three of the Suns' players would be on the squad. Guard Walter Davis was elected by the fans as a starter, with guard Dennis Johnson and forward Len "Truck" Robinson coming off the bench. That fact that five members of the Suns were part of the All-Star Game, as well as one of them being voted to the team by fans was taken as a sign that the national spotlight was finally shining on Phoenix.
“We had the best record in the league for the first month, but it was a couple of months before anyone on our club got named player of the week. That's why this all-star thing is so great. We're forcing people to recognize us.”
— Al Bianchi
The most pleased of the group was MacLeod. While never actively seeking publicity, the lack of it for his team bothered him.
"John wouldn't come out and say so," said Bianchi, "but it bothers him that we don't get more recognition from the national press, or, for that matter, from the league.
"We had the best record in the league for the first month, but it was a couple of months before anyone on our club got named player of the week. That's why this all-star thing is so great. We're forcing people to recognize us."
Not everyone recognized MacLeod. The day before the game, MacLeod's Eastern Conference counterpart, Philadelphia's Billy Cunningham arrived at the Ail-Star hotel by limousine. As he made his way into the lobby, he was hounded by autograph seekers and groupies. Off in a corner of the lobby, MacLeod was preparing for a 10-mile jog through snow flurries. Finally, after several minutes, one of the autograph seekers finally noticed him.
"Who's that?" the fan asked a sportswriter. When told it was the head coach of the PhoenixSuns, the fan replied, "What's he doing here?".
Making his third Ail-Star appearance as a coach, Cunningham had already learned how to make certain all 11 players would get playing time while trying to win. MacLeod's major challenge as the game began was to do likewise.
"It will be a real pleasure to coach in a situation where it's virtually impossible to make a bad substitution," MacLeod said before the game.
During the game, it appeared MacLeod did what he needed to do, getting significant time for all of his players, while keeping the game competitive.
By the fourth quarter, the East had jumped to a 97-88 lead. Davis, who was voted to the squad at forward despite starting the season as a guard, moved to the backcourt to key a West rally. His free throws with 3:45 left brought the West to within three. They would get that close on three more occasions, but never closer.
With four seconds left, MacLeod designed a play around a former Suns player to get a three-point field goal which would tie the game. Former Suns guard Paul Westphal, now with Seattle, was to be the man who would launch the shot. He never got open and Sonics center Jack Sikma tried a three-pointer but missed, as the East took a 123-120 victory.
Despite the loss, the Suns were winners. The 1981 NBA Ail-Star Game would prove to be a highlight for the franchise in terms of recognition. More specifically, the best kind of recognition. The kind that comes from your peers.