There was a celebration the shadow of Sky Harbor International Airport Wednesday night as the Phoenix Suns' players returned from Los Angeles after beating the Clippers to advance to the NBA Finals for just the third time in history.
Fans came to greet them, clad in purple and orange, regaling tales of that 19-63 season that somehow ended just 26 months ago.
The fans arrived in an hours-long procession, waving flags and banners from their honking cars. When they emerged, they were wearing jerseys of Devin Booker and Steve Nash, but also of Shannon Brown and Dragan Bender, mementos of a decade worth of scarred memories.