He is clearly not the most famous character of this 2021 Hall of Fame cuvée. Yet for older Suns fans, Cotton Fitzsimmons is an important, even capital, name in franchise history.
This coach, who died in 2004 of lung cancer at the age of 72, led the Arizona franchise for 549 games, divided into three passages, for a record of 341 wins (62% wins). Only one coach, John MacLeod, has won more games on the Suns bench.
“He was highly respected in the league”, assures the former coach and leader of Phoenix, Jerry Colangelo, at AZ Central, which will induct him into the Pantheon. “The players loved playing for him and he had a great career. He was one of the first to talk about human relations, to build them with the players. He had great communication skills. “
Jerry Colangelo’s choice
His career began in 1970, in the young franchise of Phoenix (two seasons only) which has just missed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on a “coin toss”.
“I had just finished my stint on the bench”, remembers Jerry Colangelo, who replaced Johnny Kerr, the first coach in Suns history. “I had three candidates: KC Jones, just retired from Boston, Tex Winter and Fitzsimmons. To me, Jones was not ready and Winter, while fitting well, seemed less flexible to me. The future of the NBA was about flexibility and Cotton ticked all the boxes. He was not stubborn, in ‘We do what I say and that’s it’ mode. “
Cotton Fitzsimmons is rapidly advancing the Suns as he wins 48 and then 49 games when the franchise had only won 55 games in total in two seasons previously. However, only the first two teams of each division then make the playoffs and Phoenix is third each time …
Cotton Fitzsimmons is frustrated and his performances are noticed. He left for Atlanta in 1972.
“He was damn recruited, while he was under contract”, recalls Jerry Colangelo. “It was tampering, but my attitude was, if we don’t want to be here, then we can go. It was his choice and it didn’t work. “
Indeed, with only one qualification for the playoffs in four seasons, Cotton Fitzsimmons does not work miracles with the Hawks. Then, he will coach Kansas City (where he will be voted coach of the year in 1979) and San Antonio in the 1980s, before returning to Arizona in 1988.
Kevin Johnson and Dan Majerle, it’s him
The team is in a bad state, not very competitive after three seasons without playoffs. The new coach makes a strong choice: the leading scorer of the 1987/1988 season, Larry Nance, is transferred to Cleveland in an exchange where the Suns notably recover Kevin Johnson, and a first round of Draft which will be precious. It will be used to draft Dan Majerle.
The Suns instantly became one of the best teams in the league, losing two straight years in the conference final. In 1989 against Magic Johnson and the Lakers, then in 1990 against the Blazers of Clyde Drexler. The next two seasons are less successful in the playoffs, but in four years Cotton Fitzsimmons has won at least 53 regular season games and Phoenix has become a stronghold in the league.
Again elected coach of the year in 1989, he left office in 1992, but joined the franchise offices. He is therefore no stranger to the arrival of Charles Barkley that same summer 1992. He will even lead the future MVP 1993 in the streets of Phoenix, to bring him to the Suns room, and will have this formula: “Charles, everyone knows you’re going to end up in hell, so we’ll get you used to the heat.” “
Finally, during the 1995/1996 season, he moved for the third and last time on the Suns bench, in place of Paul Westphal. He qualifies Phoenix for the playoffs, but comes out in the first round against Spurs. The following season, Cotton Fitzsimmons did not win any of his first eight matches and his adventure on the NBA benches ended definitively after 1,607 directed matches.
Even today, a few hours before entering the Hall of Fame, he is the 15th most capped coach in history and the 16th most victorious (832 victories in total).
