Al McCoy, ‘Voice of the Suns,’ dies at 91
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — The Valley community is mourning the loss of a beloved longtime member of the Phoenix Suns organization. Al McCoy, who served as the “Voice of the Suns” for over five decades, has died at age 91.
McCoy has battled health issues since last year, causing him to miss 13 home games during his final tenure with the Suns.
Known for his legendary catchphrases and fast play-by-play commentary, McCoy served as the Suns broadcaster since 1972. Many recognized his classic catchphrases, and you’ve surely heard “Zing go the Strings,” “Heartbreak Hotel,” and “Shazam” while watching Suns games.
He called many memorable Suns plays and seasons over 50 years; among the most notable was the Suns 1975-76 season, where the team defeated the Seattle Supersonics in the Western Conference Semifinals. That team then went on to beat the Golden State Warriors to move onto the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics.
McCoy called the first-ever triple overtime game in NBA Finals history — Game 5 of the 1976 NBA Finals, featuring the Suns and Celtics.
He also called the second triple-overtime game in NBA Finals history — Game 3 of the 1993 Finals with the Suns, led by Charles Barkley, and Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls.
To add to his amazing list of accolades, McCoy is the longest-tenured broadcaster in NBA history. Former sportscaster Steve Albert once said “I put him [McCoy] up there with Vin Scully and Ernie Harwell, and all the greats, all the legends.”
McCoy attended Drake University, where he majored in drama-speech and minored in broadcast journalism. After getting married, Al and Georgia McCoy moved to Phoenix in the summer of 1958. He was hired by KOOL-FM as a broadcaster for the then-Phoenix Giants, a minor league baseball team.
In 1972, McCoy broadcasted his first game with the Suns during the NBA preseason as they faced off against the Utah Stars. From there, it was history.
In 2017, he was inducted into the Phoenix Suns Ring of Honor, and the team dedicated their game-winning performance that night to McCoy. In his induction speech, McCoy said, “If you will continue to accept me, and if God keeps smiling on me, I’m just gonna keep going.”
On April 10, 2022, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego issued an official proclamation declaring the date as “Al McCoy Day,” in honor of his 50th season.
Statement from the McCoy family:
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