In celebration of the 30th anniversary of the historic 1992-93 Phoenix Suns, the Suns’ classic rising sunburst uniform returns for the upcoming 2022-2023 season, along with a unique 30th-anniversary logo.
Eleven-time All-Star and ‘93 Most Valuable Player Charles Barkley led the team to the NBA Finals, earning the Suns franchise and the city of Phoenix global recognition. The streaking sun across the chest of the jersey is one of the most popular looks in franchise history. The new Nike Hardwood Classic Edition uniform, presented by PayPal, is a modern version of the cult classic.
“This is one of the most iconic uniforms in all of sports. They mark an era of fantastic success for the franchise during a time of significant growth for the NBA as a whole,” said Chris Grasha, creative director, Phoenix Suns. “Fans have been looking to see these return to the court for a long time and the 30th anniversary of that historic season is the perfect time to bring them back.”
The vibrant sunburst look was the first major redesign of the team’s uniforms in more than 20 years. The uniform debuted on November 7, 1992, Barkley’s first game as a Phoenix Sun and the first regular season game to be played at the new downtown Phoenix arena (then named America West Arena, now Footprint Center). The iconic team included Suns standouts Kevin Johnson, Dan Majerle, Mark West, Cedric Ceballos, Oliver Miller, Tim Kempton, and Tom Chambers.
Suns Ring of Honor member Paul Westphal coached the team to a record 62 regular season wins, a record that stood for 29 years. The Suns defeated the Seattle Supersonics to become the Western Conference Champions but ultimately fell to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in a hard-fought six game NBA Finals series. This marked the second time the franchise made it to the Finals after its first appearance in 1976. The Suns wore the rising sunburst jerseys through 2000, never missing the playoffs in the eight-year run the uniforms were in the rotation.
The contemporary design pays tribute to the classic style with the purple base, the beloved rising sunburst logo, and the white “SUNS” wordmark across the chest in the same 90s-inspired font. The asymmetrical short design is lined with orange trim and features the “PHOENIX” wordmark diagonally on the leg. PayPal, the Suns official jersey patch partner since 2018, is featured on the upper left shoulder opposite the truly classic Nike Sportswear logo.
The Suns will wear the uniform throughout the 2022-2023 season and celebrate the 30th anniversary by hosting corresponding 90s nights. A collection of apparel will be released in the coming weeks to accompany the season-long anniversary celebration.
Text JERSEY to 41807 to sign up for SMS text messages to receive information and first access to online jersey drops. More information available AT SUNS.COM/JERSEYS.
