Shane Doan
? Hockey just doesn’t resonate with
the masses.
Luis Gonzalez
has to be on the short list because
of his game-winning hit in the 2001 World Series,
good-guy image and love affair with the community
(although it must be pointed out that his restaurant
venture was short-lived).
And the late
Pat Tillman
certainly qualifies for the
sacrifices he made.
But Majerle belongs in the conversation as someone
who has been front and center as an enormously
popular player, coach and businessman in metro
Phoenix for 25 years. Although he played for two
other teams professionally, this was always his home.
“He’s iconic. He’s a legend in this community,” said
Jerry Colangelo
, the former owner of the Suns
and Diamondbacks who now serves as a special
assistant to GCU President/CEO
Brian Mueller
in the University’s transition to NCAA Division I
athletics. “He established himself as one of most
popular players ever to wear a Suns uniform. You get
the whole package with Dan Majerle.”
A.J. Sulka
, a longtime friend who runs Majerle’s
restaurants, said he is admittedly biased on this topic,
“but the thing that always separated Dan from those
guys, for me, was Dan was so accessible and involved
in the community.”
“I’ve never seen him turn down one autograph or
picture,” Sulka added. “I’ve seen a lot of celebrities
or athletes come into the restaurant and a lot of
them don’t want to be bothered. But Dan is
unique. He’s got that personality that is sincere
and genuine.
“But all this iconic stuff, that’s just the cherry on top.
The benefit of hiring Dan is all the other stuff, the
hard work, the loyalty. He’s all Grand Canyon now.
And once he’s in, he’s in.”
Diving in with the ’Lopes
In the end, no matter how well-known or well-
liked Majerle is, he will be judged on his ability as a
basketball coach.
To that end, he hit the ground running in his first
few weeks on the job as he began interviews for
his coaching staff, talked to current players, started
the recruiting process of new players and made the
rounds with seemingly every media outlet.
Summer, 1988
Played for the U.S. Olympic
team that won a bronze
medal in Seoul, South Korea.
June 28, 1988
Chosen by the Phoenix Suns with
the 14th overall pick in the NBA
draft, which the Suns acquired
(along with Kevin Johnson, Mark
West and Tyrone Corbin) in a trade
from the Cleveland Cavaliers for
Larry Nance. When Majerle’s name
was announced, Suns fans booed
the selection. That led Suns coach
Cotton Fitzsimmons to chastise Suns
fans, telling them they would never
boo Majerle again.
Played college ball at Central Michigan
University, where he averaged more
than 20 points in three of his four
seasons and was an All-Mid-American
Conference selection in each of those
years. Averaged 23.7 points and 10.8
rebounds as a senior and finished his
college career ranked second all-time at
CMU in scoring (2,055), steals (171) and
field-goal percentage (.536).
Mid-1980s
Was a two-time Class A all-
state selection at Traverse
City High School, where he
averaged 37.5 points and 16
rebounds per game as a senior.
Early 1980s
Born Daniel Lewis Majerle
in Traverse City, Mich.
Sept. 9, 1965
Feb. 12, 1995
Started for Western
Conference in NBA All-
Star Game played in
Phoenix. As the Suns’
sixth man, he became
the first reserve in NBA
history to be voted an
All-Star starter. He was
also named to the All-
Star team in ’92 and ’93.
Scored a career-high
37 points against
Charlotte Hornets.
Nov. 29, 1991
Timeline
Dan Majerle
Through the Years
New Grand Canyon University basketball coach
Dan Majerle enjoyed an All-Star career as one of
the most popular players in Phoenix Suns history.
His “Thunder Dan” nickname originated from his
rugged play and thunderous dunks early in his
career, and he later changed his game to become
more of a perimeter shooter and defensive
specialist during the Suns’ playoff runs in the
early 1990s. Here are some highlights of his life,
including a 14-year NBA career as a player.
Photo by NBA/Getty
Photo by Barry Gossage/Phoenix Suns
Photo by Barry Gossage/Phoenix Suns
