Who is Al McCoy? The Legendary Voice of the Phoenix Suns

If you are a fan of the Phoenix Suns, then you have most likely heard the voice of Al McCoy. He is a legendary sportscaster who has been calling Suns games for over four decades. But who is Al McCoy, and how did he become one of the most recognizable voices in the NBA? In this article, we will take a closer look at Al McCoy’s background, career highlights, and the impact he has made on the Phoenix Suns and the NBA.

Who is Al McCoy?

Al McCoy is a sportscaster who has been calling NBA games for over 50 years. He was born on December 2, 1933, in Williams, Arizona, and grew up in Bisbee, Arizona. He attended the University of Arizona and began his broadcasting career in 1956 as a disc jockey for a radio station in Tucson.

McCoy’s first experience calling basketball games came in the early 1960s when he began broadcasting University of Arizona basketball games. He then moved to the Phoenix area in the mid-1960s and began calling games for the Phoenix Suns in 1972. He has been the voice of the Suns ever since, with the exception of the 2005-2006 season when he took a break from broadcasting due to health reasons.

In 2019, he stopped broadcasting road games due to difficult vantage points at higher locations in other NBA arenas. However, on Friday, March 17, 2023, McCoy announced that he would retire at the end of the ongoing 2022-2023 season. He is therefore, serving the Suns for the last time.

Career Highlights

Al McCoy has had a long and illustrious career as a sportscaster, and he has been recognized for his contributions to the field in many ways. Here are just a few of the highlights of his career:

• In 2007, McCoy was inducted into the Arizona Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame.
• He was inducted into the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame in 2010.
• In 2018, the Phoenix Suns announced that they would be naming their broadcasting studio after McCoy in honor of his many years of service to the organization.

But perhaps the most significant highlight of McCoy’s career is his iconic catchphrase. Whenever a Suns player hits a three-point shot, McCoy’s voice can be heard saying, “Shazam!” This catchphrase has become synonymous with both Al McCoy and the Phoenix Suns and has been a staple of Suns games for decades.

Impact on the Phoenix Suns and the NBA

Al McCoy’s impact on the Phoenix Suns and the NBA cannot be overstated. He has been calling Suns games for over four decades, and his voice has become a fixture in the lives of Suns fans. His catchphrase, “Shazam,” has become an iconic part of the Suns brand, and his contributions to the organization have been recognized with numerous awards and honors.

McCoy has also been a witness to some of the most memorable moments in Suns history. He was calling games during the Suns’ run to the NBA Finals in 1976 and was there when the team made it to the Western Conference Finals in 1990, 1993, and 2010.