Devin Booker gives Al McCoy signed jersey after Suns set franchise record

The 2021-22 Phoenix Suns are officially the greatest regular-season team in franchise history.

With a 121-110 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night at Footprint Center, the Suns set a new franchise record with 63 wins in a single campaign.

And after clinching win No. 63 while simultaneously eliminating the Lakers from playoff contention, Phoenix’s No. 1 paid his respects to Suns legend and radio voice Al McCoy.

In addition to his written message on the jersey, Booker had a verbal one for McCoy: “50th season baby, franchise record. Love you, man. Appreciate you for real.”

McCoy kept the written message from Booker to himself but spoke on the moment shared with the franchise star when he joined Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta on Wednesday.

“It’s kind of personal but it’s a moment I will never forget,” McCoy said. “He’s such a terrific guy.

“We talk about him as a special player but we don’t want to forget about a special person that Devin Booker is: What he does for the community, what he does for the unfortunate, for children, and for him to do that last night for me, to give me his jersey with the record-breaking win, it’s just a moment I’ll never forget, no question about it.”

Booker finished with a game-high 32 points to go along with seven rebounds and four assists.

The Suns already clinched homecourt advantage throughout the NBA playoffs with the league’s best regular-season record.

And now at 63-16, this Phoenix team stands alone atop the mountain of the greatest regular-season squads in Valley history.

Two previous Suns squads have finished 62-20, with the first coming in the 1992-93 season behind MVP Charles Barkley followed by the 2004-05 campaign that saw Steve Nash take home his first of back-to-back MVPs.

So with only three games left until the start of the playoffs, will Booker be able to follow in the footsteps of Barkley and Nash and win his first MVP award?

Or will he be able to do what no Sun has ever been able to do in Phoenix and bring home the Larry O’Brien Trophy to the Valley?

Follow @jwa1994