For half a decade in the 1970s, the Suns had plenty of star power but few wins to show for it. Connie Hawkins and Charlie Scott – larger-than-life pioneers in the ABA and perennial All-Stars in the NBA – put points on the board and fans in the seats. That was good for Phoenix, which was still finding its way as one of the newest teams in the league.
By the summer of 1975, however, discontent had reached a franchise-high. The Suns’ lone taste of the playoffs (1970) had become far too faded. Hawkins, the team’s first superstar, had been traded less than two years earlier.