The 10 biggest Phoenix Suns villains of all-time
Honorable mention: Marcus Morris. The twin brother of a player who made our top 10 list caused a number of headaches himself during his time in the Valley. Morris famously yelled at then-coach Jeff Hornacek during a timeout and got into some off-court trouble alongside his brother. When he returned to Phoenix as a member of the Pistons, he mocked Suns fans for their lack of noise and passion. (Getty Images)Doug Pensinger
Honorable mention: Bruce Bowen. A five-time member of the NBA All-Defensive First Team, Bowen is on many publications' lists of the dirtiest players in NBA history. Suns fans remember his underhanded tactics, which he got away with more often than not, during multiple playoff series vs. Phoenix. (Getty Images)Ronald Martinez
Honorable mention: Stu Jackson. The former NBA executive VP of basketball operations decided to suspend Amar'e Stoudemire and Boris Diaw for leaving the bench after the Spurs' Robert Horry committed a harsh flagrant foul on Steve Nash in the 2007 NBA playoffs. Stoudemire and Diaw missed Game 5, which the Suns lost, and the Spurs went on to win the series and eventually the NBA Finals. "The rule with respect to leaving the bench are during an altercation is very clear," Jackson said. "If you break it, you will get suspended, regardless of what the circumstances are." (Getty Images)Harry How
Honorable mention: David Stern. The former NBA commissioner didn't endear himself to Suns fans when he vigorously defended the league's decision to suspend Stoudemire and Diaw. "Our players have to learn that they can't leave the bench and move 20 feet down the line, whatever it is, and be subject to all of the possible things that can happen. That's why it's a red-letter rule," Stern told ESPN following the decision. (Getty Images)Mike Stobe
10. Tim Duncan. Arguably the greatest power forward of all-time, the two-time NBA MVP might have tortured the Suns more than any other franchise during his 19 seasons in the NBA. Duncan knocked the Suns out of the playoffs three times, and he hit a devastating 3-pointer -- one of five 3-pointers he ever made in the playoffs -- in Game 1 of the opening round of the 2008 playoffs, as San Antonio went on to win the series in five games. (Getty Images)Lisa Blumenfeld
9. Joe Johnson. Many Suns fans believe Phoenix would have been the 2005 NBA champions had Joe Johnson, who was sidelined with an orbital bone fracture, been healthy throughout the team's playoff run. But the Suns lost to the Spurs in the conference finals, and Johnson decided he wanted out after the season to have a larger role with another team, leading to a trade to the Atlanta Hawks. Suns fans mercilessly booed him for his perceived selfishness when he returned to the Valley as a visiting player the following season, and many have yet to forgive him. (Getty Images)Jonathan Daniel
8. Michael Jordan. You may have heard of this gentleman, who averaged 41 points per game against the Suns during the 1993 NBA Finals. Jordan accounted for all but the final three Bulls points in the fourth quarter of the decisive Game 6 in Phoenix (keep reading for more on that), as he led Chicago to its third straight championship. The Suns, who are still title-less, have yet to make another NBA Finals appearance. (Getty Images)Jonathan Daniel
7. Kobe Bryant. Like Duncan, Kobe tortured the Suns in multiple playoff series throughout his career. He hit a game-winner at the buzzer in Game 4 of the 2006 opening round (though the Suns rallied to win that series in seven games), and he averaged 33.7 points per game against the Suns in the 2010 Western Conference Finals. The Lakers won the 2010 series in six games, and the Suns have yet to return to the playoffs. (Getty Images)Harry How
5. Markieff Morris. Markieff is the more notorious twin brother on this list. Along with his off-court legal issues with his brother, he called out Suns fans for a perceived lack of support, demanded to be traded, threw a towel in then-coach Jeff Hornacek's face and shoved former Suns teammate Archie Goodwin. The Suns eventually honored Morris' trade wish, and he helped guide his new team, the Washington Wizards, to an appearance in the second round of the 2017 Eastern Conference playoffs. (Getty Images)Christian Petersen
4. Tim Donaghy. A 13-year NBA official, Donaghy was fired and served prison time after it was revealed he bet on games he officiated, including multiple games in the Suns' conference finals series against the Spurs that Phoenix eventually lost. Later, Donaghy asserted that the NBA's supervisor of officials in that series "had a dislike" for Suns owner Robert Sarver and did what he could to ensure a Spurs victory. (Getty Images)Ronald Martinez
1. J. Walter Kennedy. The biggest villain on this list is one that most Suns fans likely don't remember -- and his only crime was flipping a coin. Kennedy, the NBA's commissioner from 1963-75, tossed a 1964 Kennedy half-dollar that decided whether the Suns or Milwaukee Bucks would receive the first pick in the 1969 NBA Draft. The Suns called heads; the coin came up tails. The Bucks went on to draft Lew Alcindor, AKA Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who guided the Bucks to an NBA title thwo years later. The Suns are still titleless. Talk about setting the tone for the next 50 years. (Getty Images)New York Post Archives