Notable debuts in Arizona sports history

May 28, 2013, 4:59 PM | Updated: May 29, 2013, 4:31 pm

Arizona Sports

Brittney Griner’s Phoenix Mercury debut Monday was seen by 10,200 people at the US Airways Center along with countless others who were watching on ESPN.

It was a big deal. She is a big deal.

Though she is the biggest thing to hit the WNBA, the 6-foot-8 rookie is just another in a long list of sports stars to call the Valley home. Each one of them had a debut — some better than others — and we thought it’d be fun to take a look back.

So, presented in no particular order, here are some of the more notable debuts in Arizona sports history.

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Shaquille O'Neal, Phoenix Suns
February 20, 2008
From the moment he pointed to his ring finger when first introduced to the Phoenix crowd until the time he took the court, O'Neal's arrival was met with high expectations, excitement and reservation. Shaq posted a line of 15 points, nine rebounds, three assists and two blocks in his first game with the team, which happened to come at home in a 130-124 loss to the L.A. Lakers.

Jake Plummer, Arizona Cardinals
October 19, 1997
Having guided the hometown Sun Devils to a Rose Bowl appearance as a collegiate athlete, Plummer had a lot of folks pulling for him as a Cardinal. His first action came in relief of Stoney Case on the road against the Philadelphia Eagles, where he completed 5 of 9 passes for 98 yards with one touchdown. The Cardinals ended up falling 13-10 in overtime.

Wayne Gretzky, Phoenix Coyotes
October 5, 2005
Rarely does a head coach arrive with much fanfare, but "The Great One" is a little different. Gretzky lost his first two games as a coach, both to the Vancouver Canucks and L.A. Kings by scores of 3-2, but won his home debut by a score of 2-1 over the Minnesota Wild.

Kurt Warner, Arizona Cardinals
September 11, 2005
The former Super Bowl winning QB completed 27 of 46 passes for 264 yards with one touchdown and one interception in a 42-19 road loss to the New York Giants.

Curt Schilling, Arizona Diamondbacks
July 28, 2000
Acquired in a mid-season trade, Schilling took the mound in Florida and limited the Marlins to one run on six hits while walking two and striking out five in a 4-1 D-backs win. Of course, his home debut was even better, as Schilling tossed a shutout against the Atlanta Braves.

Matt Leinart, Arizona Cardinals
October 1,2006
Arizona's quarterback of the future subbed in for an ineffective Kurt Warner and completed 6-of-9 passes for 54 yards. He was picked off once and also lost one fumble as Arizona fell 32-10. Leinart got the start in a home game vs. the Chiefs the following week, where he completed 22-of-35 passes for 253 yards with two touchdowns and one interception in a close loss.

Justin Upton, Arizona Diamondbacks
August 2, 2007
The top pick in the 2006 MLB Amateur Draft, Upton made his Major League debut as a pinch hitter in a road game with the San Diego Padres. He popped out foul to first base. His home debut went significantly better, as Upton went 3-for-4 with a home run, one RBI and two runs scored in a loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Anfernee Hardaway, Phoenix Suns
November 4, 1999
The second half of "Backcourt 2000", Hardaway scored 18 points while grabbing three rebounds and dishing out three assists in an 84-80 home win over the Philadelphia 76ers.

Kevin Kolb, Arizona Cardinals
September 11, 2011
Acquired in hopes of being the answer for the team at the quarterback position, Kolb completed 18 of 27 passes for 309 yards with two touchdowns in a home win over the Carolina Panthers.

Diana Taurasi, Phoenix Mercury
May 20, 2004
Selected first overall out of UConn, the three-time NCAA national champion scored 22 points and tallied three rebounds, three assists and three blocks in a 72-66 home loss to the Sacramento Monarchs.

Jeremy Roenick, Phoenix Coyotes
October 14, 1996
Acquired in a big trade with the Chicago Blackhawks, the outspoken star tallied an assist in a 6-3 opening night loss to the Edmonton Oilers in Phoenix.

Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns
November 3, 2004
The team's big free agent signing over the summer, Nash returned to the Suns and posted a line of 12 points with four assists and three rebounds in a 112-82 home win over the Atlanta Hawks. He played just 24 minutes on the night.

Brittney Griner, Phoenix Mercury
May 27, 2013
The number one selection in the 2013 WNBA Draft, Griner battled early foul trouble and finished with 17 points, eight rebounds, four blocks and two dunks as the Mercury fell to the Chicago Sky 102-80 at the US Airways Center.

Emmitt Smith, Arizona Cardinals
September 7, 2003
The future Hall of Famer was not ready to hang up his cleats, and the Cardinals offered their former rival a starting job. Smith gained 64 yards on 13 carries in a 42-24 road loss to the Detroit Lions in the 2003 opener.

Jason Kidd, Phoenix Suns
December 28, 1996
The Phoenix Suns pulled off a blockbuster trade to land the former No. 2 overall pick, and his first game with the team saw him score six points while dishing out nine assists and grabbing seven rebounds in the first half of a 103-98 road win over the Vancouver Grizzlies. However, Kidd broke his collarbone in the game, and didn't see action again until a month and a half later.

Randy Johnson, Arizona Diamondbacks
April 5, 1999
The "Big Unit" tossed seven innings of two-run ball for the D-backs in Los Angeles against the Dodgers. He allowed five hits and walked six while striking out nine. He left the game with a 6-2 lead, but saw the bullpen cough it up en route to an 8-6 loss in 11 innings.

Charles Barkley, Phoenix Suns
November 7, 1992
Arguably the biggest thing to hit the Valley since the wheel, "Sir Charles" dominated to the tune of 37 points, 21 rebounds and eight assists as the Suns knocked off the L.A. Clippers 111-105 at America West Arena.

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