Dre Brown, barber for many out-of-town athletes, built business from a mother’s gift

SCOTTSDALE – From NBA star Jamal Murray to NFL star DK Metcalf, Mug and Mane owner Dre Brown is the go-to Scottsdale barber for many celebrities and athletes. From a Christmas present, Brown found his love for cutting hair and using his gift to help others.

Dre Brown, who opened Mug and Mane Barber Lounge in Scottsdale in July 2018, inspires the community through haircuts and fundraising. (Photo by Bobby Murphy/Cronkite News)

Quite Frank-ly, Vogel checks every box to take Phoenix Suns to championship level

PHOENIX – Frank Vogel addressed the Valley for the first time Tuesday in an introductory press conference as new Suns coach with GM James Jones.

Frank Vogel won an NBA championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020 and was twice named an NBA All-Star Game coach. (Photo courtesy of Phoenix Suns)

Stars in the Valley? Phoenix City Council favors hosting NBA, WNBA showcases in near future

PHOENIX – The Phoenix City Council will be working with the Suns and Mercury to place bids for the NBA and WNBA for hosting future All-Star games after a unanimous vote during Wednesday’s city council meeting.

Phoenix last hosted the NBA All-Star Game in 2009, when Footprint Center transformed into a stage for the league's biggest stars. After the Phoenix City Council's 9-0 vote Wednesday to support its return, the showcase could return in 2025. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Native Sun: How Saben Lee’s NBA dreams from Corona Del Sol days led to Arizona homecoming

PHOENIX – Former Corona Del Sol standout Saben Lee endured setbacks throughout high school and college, but all of his trials led him back home for a dream opportunity with the Suns.

Phoenix Suns guard Saben Lee attended Corona del Sol High School in Tempe, where he dedicated countless hours to his craft with the help of his father and became a two-time first-team All-State selection before signing to play at Vanderbilt. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Phoenix Suns eager to reverse postseason failures in upcoming NBA playoffs

PHOENIX – The Suns hope to end a franchise-long streak of heartbreaking playoff outings and lift up the Larry O’Brien trophy. To do that, however, Phoenix will need to go against history, unwritten rules and other factors that will stand in the way of its first title.

The Phoenix Suns ended the 2021-22 season on a bitter note against the Dallas Mavericks. Entering Sunday's first round of the NBA playoffs, Devin Booker & Co. start fresh in pursuit of erasing the franchise's dismal postseason history. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Phoenix Suns prepared for early test vs. Los Angeles Clippers in NBA playoffs

PHOENIX – The trio of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Chris Paul will have to play to their capabilities to stop Kawhi Leonard’s Los Angeles Clippers, but they are more than up to the task.

Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul dealt with injury during the 2022-23 regular season but goes into a first-round series against his former team, the Los Angeles Clippers, fully healthy. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

‘Pick your poison’: Kevin Durant’s impact abundantly clear as NBA playoffs approach

PHOENIX – Since trading for Kevin Durant, the Phoenix Suns are a perfect 8-0 when Durant is in the lineup, and it’s no secret the 13-time All-Star will pose a headache for the Los Angeles Clippers in their first-round series.

Since his trade in February, Kevin Durant has averaged 26 points in eight games while shooting 57% from the field and 53% from 3-point range. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)

Another assist: Suns guard Chris Paul helps kids read, learn with his new children’s book

PHOENIX – Chris Paul partnered with Page Turners Make Great Learners to promote his new children’s book and encourage children to read more. The 12-time NBA All-Star had so much fun doing a virtual read-along event, he invited a classroom of kids from an Atlanta-area school to a game when the Suns visited the Atlanta Hawks and met the young readers face-to-face.

Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul has helped increase representation in publishing by authoring two children's books. "Once upon a time, I couldn’t see myself on the bookshelves," PTMGL founder Fefe Handy said. (File photo by Harrison Zhang/Cronkite News)

Game changers: Two years after historic broadcast, rise of women shakes up industry

PHOENIX – The first all-women’s NBA basketball broadcast happened in 2021 and two years later, women continue to make names for themselves, but sometimes change is still glacially slow.

Ann Meyers Drysdale, left, and Cindy Brunson are trailblazers helping to change the makeup of the broadcast industry while inspiring the next generation of women. (Photo courtesy of Ann Meyers Drysdale)

Success in recent NBA drafts laid foundation for Suns’ blockbuster Kevin Durant trade

PHOENIX – Since 2018, the Phoenix Suns have become one of the best teams in the NBA, and recently traded for Kevin Durant. their recent trades and drafting could lead to an NBA championship.

Kevin Durant, who the Suns acquired in a blockbuster trade last month, is expected to return to the lineup Wednesday for his home debut after missing 10 games due to a sprained ankle. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)

‘Anything is possible’ for Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia, who has had a lifelong love affair with basketball

PHOENIX – Before he became the leader of the largest mortgage lending company in the country, Mat Ishbia was a driveway floor general dreaming of playing in the NBA. He never achieved the goal he imagined during those icy Detroit winters while shooting hoops with his brother Justin and his best friend Jon Borovich in the 1990s. But Ishbia might have achieved the next best thing when the former Michigan State walk-on purchased the Phoenix Suns.

Mat Ishbia shifted the NBA landscape by trading for superstar Kevin Durant during his first day as Phoenix Suns owner. The deal marked the first move of many in his efforts to bring a championship to the Valley. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)

New Suns acquisition Kevin Durant: ‘I know what a championship would mean to this city’

PHOENIX – The deal was done but fans had yet to hear Kevin Durant speak. That changed Thursday when the newest Phoenix Suns player met the media in front of a cheering crowd.

Durant acknowledges the crowd after he was introduced and said, “I know what a championship would mean to this city.” (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)