SEPTEMBER 2017 6 | FRONTDOORSMEDIA .COM The Phoenix Suns are on a seven-year run of not making the playoffs, something almost unthinkable back in the days of Charles Barkley and Steve Nash. It’s been rough during that time. The team’s popularity, which was once universal, has taken a hit. The result is the Suns are doing what most teams in their predicament do — draft young talent in hopes that superstars emerge. There are serious signs it’s working. Exhibit A: shooting guard Devin Booker, who scored 70 points in a game against the Boston Celtics last year and is number one on most lists of emerging NBA superstars. Other youngsters such as Tyler Ulis, Marquese Chriss, Josh Jackson and Alan Williams have upside as well and are joined by a core of veterans led by point guard Eric Bledsoe. Even in an extremely challenging Western Conference, the Suns should be … better. They may not be playoff-ready, but they’re getting there. Forget about all that for a minute. There are things in life more important than basketball. The interesting thing is that this new group of young players knows it. Team insiders are thrilled about the group’s potential on the floor. But they continue to be awed by the youngsters’ commitment to community involvement off the court. Despite the fact that almost two-thirds of the roster is under 24 years old — and five of them aren’t even old enough to legally buy a drink — they’re already making their mark through helping causes close to their hearts. “This group is a little different in that they are coming together almost like a college freshman or sophomore class,” one team official told me. “They do things together, and there’s a great deal of unity, but then you have the older guys helping lead the way.” Start with the budding superstar, 20-year- old Booker. He puts his time in for causes {ahead of the curve} NEXT DOORS Tom Evans | CONTRIBUTING EDITOR OFF THE COURT NEW SUNS CORE IS WINNING –

SEPTEMBER 2017 FRONTDOORSMEDIA .COM | 7 such as the Special Olympics because he has a sibling with a disability and he understands what the children and their families go through. For the past two years, Booker has invited a Special Olympian to accompany him to the NBA Draft Lottery in New York. This year he invited an 11-year- old named Noah Smith from Surprise. Booker told the Arizona Republic: “It’s not just about the Phoenix Suns players, it’s not about myself, it’s just about the organization as a whole and that includes the fans, and Noah and his family are really big fans of us.” Forward Alan “Big Sauce” Williams, who we profiled in the May 2017 issue of Frontdoors Magazine , just wrapped up a free basketball camp for underprivileged children (Booker and Chriss were there to help). Having attended North High School in Phoenix, Williams has repeatedly expressed a desire to give back to the community he grew up in. Other players return to their hometowns for their personal giving. Guard Tyler Ulis coached a basketball camp in Chicago this summer. Veteran forward Jared Dudley — whose influence is all over the charitable involvement of the younger players — had one in San Diego (Booker was at that one too). Bledsoe returned to his hometown of Birmingham, Alabama and gave away a thousand backpacks to children in need. NEXT DOORS CONTINUED Alan Williams Photo: Barry Gossage, NBA Photos