The Phoenix Suns won and Bol Bol had a night but I was watching something better.
Rumor has it the Phoenix Suns finally won a basketball game. I wouldn’t know. I didn’t watch a single second of it. Feel free to blame me, Bright Side. This was the fourth time this season I chose to do something other than watch my beloved Suns. And in those games? The Suns are undefeated. 4–0. Maybe I’m the problem.
Do you believe in superstitions? That where you are, what you do, and how you move through the universe actually impact things beyond your control? I don’t. But I do love coincidences, the way numbers line up, the patterns they form when you squint hard enough.
So yeah, the Suns won. Looking at the box score, Bol Bol had himself a night. I’ll watch the highlights later, after you’re done reading this.
But instead of watching, I did something else. I revisited basketball in its purest form. I went to my first Valley Suns game at Mullet Arena. And I had a blast. It was small, intimate, raw. The way the sport is meant to feel. No endless commercial breaks. No long, drawn-out stoppages. No offense rebounds…lol. Hell, if you get fouled outside of two minutes, you take one free throw for the whole trip. Efficiency at its finest. The Valley Suns played the Rip City Remix in a close battle down the stretch, and I lost my damn voice screaming.
what he said ⬆️
— Valley Suns (@GLeagueSuns) March 1, 2025
If you get the chance to go to Tempe and watch the Valley Suns, do it. Let yourself remember why you love this game. The competition, the fire, the passion, the way a group of guys fights together, knowing damn well the dream of the NBA is within reach. It was a baptism. A revival. And I left already scheming ways to bring a Bright Side Night to the Valley Suns next season. Kids need to see this up close. To be this close. To feel basketball instead of just watching it.
Oh, and I finally caught a T-shirt. Sorry, Ryan. Gotta be quicker than that.
So yeah, the Suns won. And so did the Valley Suns. And in a way, so did I. Because for one night, with a few Coors Lights in my system and the echo of sneakers squeaking in a packed arena, I felt something I haven’t in a while. I enjoyed basketball again. And maybe, just maybe, you did too.
Bright Side Baller Season Standings
From the bench to the spotlight, Tyus Jones rose from the ashes and delivered a masterclass, sinking five three-pointers against the Pelicans on Thursday night to secure his fifth Bright Side Baller honor. Good on you, Tyus.
Bright Side Baller Nominees
Bol Bol
25 points (9-of-12, 5-of-8 3PT), 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 turnover, 2 blocks, +4 +/-
Kevin Durant
17 points (7-of-10, 2-of-2 3PT), 2 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, 2 turnovers, +22 +/-
Royce O’Neale
18 points (6-of-9, 6-of-9 3PT), 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 turnover, +12 +/-
Nick Richards
19 points (8-of-11, 0-of-0 3PT), 12 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 turnovers, 1 block, -4 +/-
Devin Booker
17 points (6-of-13, 3-of-9 3PT), 9 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, +13 +/-
Mason Plumlee
6 points (2-of-5, 0-of-0 3PT), 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 0 turnovers, +25 +/-
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