If for the past two seasons Charles Barkley has been the soul of the Phoenix Suns, leading the way with his bombast and his kick-down-the-door style of play, then Johnson has been the heart of the team.
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Penny Hardaway: By the Time I Get to Phoenix, 1999
Though you might be surprised to hear it, Hardaway insists that the Suns’ elaborate courting process made a big impact on him and made his decision a whole lot easier to leave Orlando and head for Phoenix.
Together Forever: Chris Webber and Penny Hardaway, 1994
Chris Webber and Anfernee (Penny) Hardaway might try to juke comparisons to each other much as they would an overmatched defender, but there’s no dribbling around it.
Eddie Jones: The Reluctant Star, 1998
Jones is getting the star treatment, all right. People aren’t just waiting for autographs; they also wait to give him flowers or candy. They take photos, jockey for handshakes, ask for Eddie’s signature on balls and trading cards.
Charles Barkley: Here Comes Trouble, 1989
You don’t challenge Barkley by telling him what to do, but by telling him what he can’t do. Limit him, sell him short, cut him down, and he’ll die proving you wrong.
Ed Ratleff: Easy Does It, 1975
Coach Johnny Egan says Ratleff’s presence in the Rocket lineup “became a great stabilizing factor. He is the complete team basketball player. Offensively, he is totally unselfish. He just does whatever it takes to win.”
Gary Brokaw: Potential for Magic, 1974-78
As a youth, Brokaw tried to pattern his play after Walt Frazier and Dave Bing. Little did he know that several years later, it would be Frazier and Bing that would be his workaday opponents.
Maurice Lucas: Roughing It in the NBA, 1977
Lucas plays aggressively, and critics say he plays dirty. “I play very aggressively. I play with intelligence,” he said. He paused a moment and added a footnote. “I play rough.”
Larry Bird: Bird is Still the Word, 1991
But whether the final curtain on Bird’s show comes down after one, two, or five more years, he’s certain to retire to Indiana duly cast as Larry the Legend.
Bill Walton: In His Own Words, 1994
Your ability to get near perfection makes it so worthwhile, because the more you work at it, the better you get. Not just the two hours you’re on the court, but the 18, 19, 20 hours a day that you’re awake, thinking about the game . . .
From Way Downtown 