The 1990–91 Phoenix Suns season was the 23rd season for the Phoenix Suns in the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United S ...

. For the season opener, the Suns traveled to Japan to play their first two games against the

Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference, Northwest Division (NBA), ...

at the

Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium is a sporting complex in Sendagaya, Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. Built in 1954 for the World Wrestling Championship, it was also used as the venue for gymnastics at the 1964 Summer Olympics, and hosted the table tennis competition at the 2020 Summe ...

, making history by being the two first teams in U.S. professional sports to play a regular season game outside of North America. The Suns got off to an 8–7 start early into the season as they traded sixth man Eddie Johnson to the

Seattle SuperSonics The Seattle SuperSonics (commonly known as the Seattle Sonics) were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle. The SuperSonics competed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member club of the league's Western Confe ...

in exchange for

Xavier McDaniel Xavier Maurice McDaniel (born June 4, 1963), nicknamed "X-Man", is an American retired professional basketball player who, at 6 ft 7 in, played both small forward and power forward. He played in college at Wichita State University. Hi ...

. The Suns would post a 7-game winning streak as they won 17 of their next 21 games, holding a 30–16 record at the All-Star break, and ending the season finishing third in the Pacific Division with a 55–27 record. Kevin Johnson and Tom Chambers were both selected for the

1991 NBA All-Star Game The 1991 NBA All-Star Game was an exhibition basketball game between players selected from the National Basketball Association's Western Conference and the Eastern Conference that was played on February 10, 1991, at the Charlotte Coliseum in Ch ...

. Johnson led the Suns with 22.2 points, 10.1 assists and 2.1 steals per game, and was named to the

All-NBA Second Team The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. The voting is conducted by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The team has been sele ...

, while Chambers averaged 19.9 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. In addition,

Jeff Hornacek Jeffrey John Hornacek (; born May 3, 1963) is an American professional basketball coach and a former player who is a coaching consultant for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He previously was the head coach for both the ...

provided the team with 16.9 points, 5.1 assists and 1.4 steals per game, while McDaniel averaged 15.8 points and 7.2 rebounds per game with the Suns after the trade, sixth man

Dan Majerle Daniel Lewis Majerle (; born September 9, 1965), also known by the nickname "Thunder Dan", is an American former professional basketball player and former coach of the Grand Canyon Antelopes. He played 14 years in the National Basketball Associat ...

contributed 13.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, while being named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team, and Mark West and

Andrew Lang Andrew Lang (31 March 1844 – 20 July 1912) was a Scottish poet, novelist, literary critic, and contributor to the field of anthropology. He is best known as a collector of folk and fairy tales. The Andrew Lang lectures at the University ...

both led the team with 2.0 blocks per game each. In the Western Conference First Round of the

playoffs The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...

, the Suns faced the Jazz again, and lost in four games to the 5th-seeded team. Following the season, McDaniel was traded to the

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...

Draft picks

First round pick Jayson Williams did not reach an agreement with team president

Jerry Colangelo Jerry Colangelo (born November 20, 1939) is an American businessman and sports executive. He formerly owned the Phoenix Suns of the NBA, the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA, the Arizona Sandsharks of the Continental Indoor Soccer League, the Arizona ...

over his rookie contract, and after months of discussion Phoenix sent him to the

Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eas ...

in exchange for a conditional first round selection in the

1994 NBA draft The 1994 NBA draft took place on June 29, 1994, at Hoosier Dome in Indianapolis. Two NBA rookies of the year were picked in the first round, as Jason Kidd and Grant Hill were co-winners of the award for the 1994–95 NBA season. Kidd and Hill ...

.Suns Ship Williams for 1st-Round Pick
, ''Casa Grande Dispatch'', October 29, 1990 Rights to Miloš Babić were traded to the

Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...

for the rights of

Stefano Rusconi Stefano Rusconi (born October 2, 1968) is a retired Italian professional basketball player. At a height of tall, he played at the center position. Professional career Rusconi was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers, in the 2nd round (52nd overal ...

Roster

Pre-season

Regular season

Season standings

:y – clinched division title :x – clinched playoff spot :z – clinched division title :y – clinched division title :x – clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

Game log

Playoffs

Game log

, - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 1 , April 25 ,

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...

L 90–129
,

Negele Knight Negele Oscar Knight (born March 6, 1967) is an American former professional basketball player who played six National Basketball Association (NBA) seasons for the Phoenix Suns, San Antonio Spurs, Portland Trail Blazers, Detroit Pistons and Toront ...

(18) ,

(5) , Kevin Johnson (6) ,

Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum is a 14,870-seat multi-purpose indoor arena in Phoenix, Arizona, located at the Arizona State Fairgrounds. It hosted the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association from 1968 to 1992, as well as indoor ...

14,487 , 0–1 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 2 , April 27 ,

W 102–92
,

(25) ,

(8) , Kevin Johnson (12) ,

14,487 , 1–1 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 3 , April 30 , @

L 98–107
, Tom Chambers (26) ,

(10) , Kevin Johnson (10) ,

Salt Palace The Calvin L. Rampton Salt Palace Convention Center, more commonly known as the Salt Palace, is a convention center in Salt Lake City, Utah. Named after Utah's 11th governor, Calvin L. Rampton, the name "Salt Palace" was previously used by two ...

12,616 , 1–2 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 4 , May 2 , @

L 93–101
,

(30) , Tom Chambers (7) , Kevin Johnson (11) ,

12,616 , 1–3 , -

Awards and records

All-Star Game

* Tom Chambers and Kevin Johnson were selected to play in the

, their fourth and second appearances respectively.

Awards

* Kevin Johnson was selected to the

, and finished seventh in

Most Valuable Player In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...

voting. *

was selected to the

NBA All-Defensive Second Team The NBA All-Defensive Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1968–69 NBA season to the best defensive players during the regular season. The All-Defensive Team is generally composed of ten players in two ...

, and finished second in

Sixth Man of the Year The National Basketball Association's Sixth Man of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1982–83 NBA season to the league's best performing player for his team coming off the bench as a substitu ...

voting.

Records

* In a game against the

Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...

on November 10, 1990, the Suns broke the NBA scoring record for a team in a half, by finishing the first two quarters ahead 107–67. * In Game 1 of the Western Conference First Round against the

, Phoenix suffered their worst playoff loss in franchise history up to that point, by losing 129–90.Suns go down big in playoff opener
'' The Daily Courier'', April 26, 1991

Injuries/Missed games

* 10/30/90:

Ricky Blanton Ricky Wayne Blanton (born April 21, 1966) is a retired American professional basketball player who was selected by the National Basketball Association's Phoenix Suns in the 2nd round (46th overall) of the 1989 NBA Draft. A 6'7" and 215 lb for ...

: Viral infection; placed on injured list until waived on November 14 * 10/30/90:

: Pulled hamstring; placed on injured list until November 21 * 10/30/90:

: Leg stress fracture; placed on injured list until November 16 * 11/03/90:

: Sore neck; did not play * 11/07/90:

: Sore neck; did not play * 11/16/90:

Ian Lockhart Ian DeWitt Lockhart (born June 25, 1967 in Nassau, Bahamas) is a Bahamian former professional basketball player. Listed at 6 ft 8 in (203 cm) and 240 lb (109 kg) he played as a small forward. College career Lockhart played college ...

: Knee, ankle injuries: placed on injured list for rest of season * 11/21/90:

Tim Perry Timothy D. Perry (born June 4, 1965) is an American former basketball player. Following his college career with Temple he played professionally for 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association and Liga ACB. Playing career Perry played colle ...

: Sprained ankle; placed on injured list until December 5 * 12/05/90:

: Bruised arm; placed on injured list until December 26 * 12/26/90:

Kenny Battle Kenneth R. Battle (born October 10, 1964) is an American former professional basketball player. High school career In 1984, Battle led Aurora West High School to third place in the Illinois High School Association Class AA state basketball tourn ...

: Sprained ankle; placed on injured list until waived on January 23 * 01/02/91: Tom Chambers: Pulled hamstring; did not play * 01/04/91: Tom Chambers: Pulled hamstring; did not play * 01/05/91: Tom Chambers: Pulled hamstring; did not play * 01/27/91:

Joe Barry Carroll Joe Barry Carroll (born July 24, 1958) is an American former professional basketball player who spent ten seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). After retiring from basketball, he became a wealth advisor, philanthropist, artist, a ...

: Placed on suspended list until February 19 * 01/27/91:

Kurt Rambis Darrell Kurt Rambis (born February 25, 1958) is a Greek-American former professional basketball player and coach who is a senior basketball adviser for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). As a player, he won fou ...

: Sprained ankle; placed on injured list until February 5 * 02/19/91:

: Knee tendinitis; placed on injured list until March 17 * 03/17/91:

: Sore hamstring; placed on injured list until April 21 * 04/05/91: Kevin Johnson: Strained hamstring; did not play * 04/05/91:

: Injured hip; did not play * 04/07/91: Kevin Johnson: Strained hamstring; did not play * 04/07/91:

: Injured hip: did not play * 04/09/91: Tom Chambers: Back spasms; did not play * 04/09/91: Kevin Johnson: Strained hamstring; did not play * 04/09/91:

: Spinal nerve irritation; did not play * 04/12/91: Tom Chambers: Back spasms; did not play * 04/12/91: Kevin Johnson: Strained hamstring; did not play * 04/12/91:

: Spinal nerve irritation; did not play * 04/14/91: Tom Chambers: Back spasms; did not play * 04/14/91: Kevin Johnson: Strained hamstring; did not play * 04/14/91:

: Spinal nerve irritation; did not play * 04/21/91:

: Knee tendinitis; placed on injured list for rest of season

Player statistics

Season

* – Stats with the Suns.
+ – Minimum 50 games played.
^ – Minimum 125 free throws made.

Draft picks

Roster

Pre-season

Regular season

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Game log

Playoffs

Game log

Awards and records

All-Star Game

Awards

Records

Injuries/Missed games

Player statistics

Season

Playoffs

Transactions

Trades

See also

References