The Arizona Sports and Entertainment Commission (ASEC) announced on Thursday that former Suns coach John MacLeod was elected into the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame.
Since 1957, the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame has been honoring athletes, coaches, administrators and others who have made significant contributions to Arizona sports. This year’s class will be in attendance and recognized during the 46th Arizona Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 27 at the Tempe Center for the Arts. Tickets are on sale now at www.azsportsent.com.
MacLeod is the winningest head coach in Suns history with 579 games won during 14 years in the 1970s and 1980s that also included nine playoff appearances. Back when they were the only game in town, MacLeod was synonymous with the Suns, leading exciting and consistent teams year after year. MacLeod was inducted into the Suns Ring of Honor in 2002 and the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 2005. The highlight of MacLeod's tenure in Phoenix came in the 1975-76 season when he led the "Sunderella Suns" to the NBA Finals.
Among the other members of the 2016 class are Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Randy Johnson and Arizona Cardinals safety Adrian Wilson. Previous Suns inductees include Dick Van Arsdale (1981), Alvan Adams (1988), Jerry Colangelo (2002), Al McCoy (2009), Charles Barkley (2015) and Cotton Fitzsimmons (2015).