Al McCoy, voice of the Phoenix Suns for 51 seasons, dies at 91

Posted by Admin September 21, 2024 NBA

(This story was updated to add new information.)

Al McCoy, the legendary Voice of the Phoenix Suns for five decades, has died, the team announced in a statement on Saturday. He was 91.

“As a father, he taught us the value of respect, loyalty, hard work, and love – both on and off the court. His passion, dedication and kindness touched countless lives, and while he may be gone, the impact he made will be felt for generations to come,” McCoy’s family said, in a statement released by the team.

Phoenix Suns Owner Mat Ishbia added: “From his first call in 1972 to his last in 2023, Al McCoy was there for every defining moment in our history. He was the heartbeat of our organization, a cherished friend, a mentor to many and a legend whose voice brought countless unforgettable moments to life for generations of Suns fans. We are heartbroken by the passing of our beloved Al, the voice of the Phoenix Suns for over five decades. Our thoughts go out to Al’s family, friends and to our entire Suns community.”

Born April 26, 1933 in Williams, Iowa, McCoy became the longest NBA tenured broadcaster who will forever be known for his style, exuberant delivery and unforgettable catchphrases:

“Shazam!” – a 3-pointer.

“It’s a wham, bam slam!” or “Whammo.” – slam dunk.

“Zing go the strings” – basket.

“Swisheroo for two.” – jump shot.

“Heartbreak hotel.” – a missed shot, or a loss.

For all his memorable play-by-play calls over the years, McCoy most remembered broadcasting Game 5 of the 1976 NBA Finals when Garfield Heard hit a turnaround jumper at the buzzer to force a third overtime against the eventual NBA champion Boston Celtics.

“There was no air conditioning in the Boston Garden,” McCoy told The Republic in October 2018 about what he described was an “unusually hot and humid day” in Boston on June 4, 1976.

“When I got to my broadcast location, I saw that they had actually sold the seats right next to me. These four young guys came in, sat next to me with their big bags of beer, wine and chips and dip ready for a party. I did the game with these guys banging on my arm every time Boston had a very good play and of course when (Gar) Heard hit the ‘Shot Heard ‘Round the World’ one of them passed out on my lap.”

Influenced by legendary broadcasters Harry Caray, Bert Wilson and Jack Brickhouse, McCoy began his broadcasting career in 1951 at KJFJ Radio in Webster City, Iowa, when he was a freshman at Drake University.

He arrived in Arizona in 1958 to do play-by-play for the Triple-A Phoenix Giants. He also covered Phoenix Roadrunners, a hockey team, Arizona State football and basketball and filled in as a backup for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

McCoy thought baseball was his calling. Turned out that basketball – Phoenix Suns basketball – suited him best.

“Initially, I always felt that baseball was the game I would wind up with,” he said. “Since the Suns then were the first major league team and basketball was one of my loves it just seemed to be a natural fit.”

McCoy called his first Suns’ game in the preseason in September 1972 and became one of the all-time greats. He retired after the 2022-23 season.

“If he doesn’t go down as one of the top two or three all-time, something’s wrong” former Suns star Eddie Johnson once said.

McCoy received the 18th Annual Curt Gowdy Media Award from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame during the enshrinement weekend in September 2007 in Springfield, Mass.

The Suns later honored him with the Al McCoy Media Center, which was dedicated in October 2007. He was added to the team’s Ring of Honor in 2017.

McCoy also received several local awards such as the Silver Circle Award from the Arizona chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the House of Broadcasting (a radio and television museum).

A multi-winner of Phoenix Magazine’s best play-by-play announcer in its annual “Best of the Valley” publication, McCoy also became the first play-by-play announcer to be inducted into the Arizona Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame on Oct. 19, 2004.

For all his accomplishments, McCoy will forever be remembered as a genuinely nice guy who seemed to get along and relate to anyone. Those qualities made him just as revered in Phoenix as his play-by-play.

“One of the nicest men I’ve ever met in my life,” 1993 NBA MVP and Hall of Famer Charles Barkley said.

In an additional statement provided through the team on Saturday, Barkley added: “This is a sad day for the Suns and the Suns family. Al McCoy represented everything that is great about Phoenix, the Phoenix Suns and people who love basketball. I was blessed and honored to work with Al and I’m gonna miss him.”

“When I think back about people who have made incredible contributions to this franchise for decades, not just years, decades, you’ve got to put Al at the top of the list,” said former Suns team owner Jerry Colangelo, who hired McCoy.

Suns Ring of Honor member Steve Nash, in a statement provided Saturday, said: “I got to work with the great Al McCoy for 10 incredible years. His energy and spirit were unmatched and I’ll never forget all the conversations and laughs we shared. He was the teammate that never wore a jersey. He loved his Phoenix Suns as much as anyone and his legacy will endure for the generations of Suns fans to come. Lots of love to the one and only Al McCoy.”

Current Phoenix Suns’ All-Star Devin Booker added in a statement: “I had the privilege of Al McCoy narrating the first eight years of my career. He was inducted into the Ring of Honor my second season, and it was then I really understood what a special talent he was. And over the course of my career, I’ve learned what an even more special person he was. We will miss Al, and I am so glad our legacies in Phoenix are forever connected.”

Phoenix Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer, who grew up a Suns fan living in Holbrook, commented on McCoy’s passing, saying, “We lost one of my heroes. I can still hear Al’s voice in our living room and backyard calling the plays of Sweet D, Westy and Double A … SHAZAM!!! He brought the Suns into my life, like he did for generations of kids across Arizona. Al was an icon and he will be missed.”

An accomplished jazz piano player, McCoy was also an expert on gourmet restaurants throughout the NBA. He is survived by his three sons, seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Funeral services are pending.

The Arizona Republic’s Chris Coppola contributed to this article.