Community, what does it mean and what does it represent? Well, by definition, it can be said to be a group of people living in the same place and having a particular characteristic in common, or it can be said to be a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result, sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals.
Personally, I think this definition is widely represented by the Suns’ fanbase, and as an outsider, it is amazing to see. With the integration of social media, this is all more present in our everyday lives, as Suns fans everywhere share their stories. As a matter of fact, look at this site for a very example,
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Writers like Holden Sherman and I are not even located in Phoenix, yet we still see the passion that fans pour out and show for each other on social media. We work hard to represent the team and have been rewarded with opportunities to cover games.
We even have podcasts on here that share those stories from around the globe. The Aussie Suns Fans Podcast and Suns Planet Podcast display that every week. With the Aussie Suns Pod, you’ve got hosts Gavin, Boyd, and Nathan, all on the other side of the world, yet they watch early or late to make sure they can share their knowledge and discuss with the fans back in the Valley.
Then there is the Suns Planet Podcast, and I am lucky to be a part of it. First off, the podcast is around the world, as none of us reside in Phoenix: Jake is in Iowa, Kevin is in the Philippines, and I am in Massachusetts. We virtually travel around the world to talk to fans and have met some great people along the way. Some of those include Mathias from Austria, who came to the Valley just recently and got to meet the Suns and John Gambadoro, which is super cool.
Another is my guy Siro from Kenya, who has shown his love and support for the Suns on his social media page, KenyanSunsFan. I have luckily gotten to the point of connecting with Siro and love to chat with him about his favorite team. The fact that he wakes up so early to watch these games, sometimes at 3 in the morning, is proof of his dedication as a fan. Those fans deserve all the love in the world for supporting around the globe, and Siro was rewarded for that very recently.
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A few weeks ago, Siro received a package from SunsUniTracker, one of the biggest supporters of Siro and the person who ultimately gave me my first exposure to Siro as well. He wanted to collect a bunch of Phoenix Suns merch from fans to send, and the support was inspiring. This package was filled with great goodies of everything you could imagine: shirts, hats, jerseys, and so much more for just a fan who showed his great appreciation.
This truly made my day when I saw it, as Siro is so deserving of all the love he receives. For everyone to chip in and to continue his Suns collection is just another great thing about this community. Even weeks later, I still see Siro sharing his love for his gifts, posting pictures in different shirts and hats. Even if they are no longer on the team, just having the merch is more than enough, as he can spread awareness of the team. He gets to represent the team and share his stylish looks with anyone who asks, showing that the Valley is far away.
For me, someone who gets so frustrated by some of the takes people make on Twitter about the team, whenever I see something like this, it makes me step back and evaluate everything. It helps me realize that social media is not, and should not be, as negative as it is. These moments also show me when something good happens on social media, to appreciate and cherish it. To share and ensure as many people as possible hear the story of such a dedicated fan and what he represents, miles and miles away.
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I truly am happy for Siro not only that he chose the Phoenix Suns to represent, but also that he has the backing of such a great community. With everyone continuing to show their support, hopefully, one day he can come to the Valley and see a game in person. A dream he and many others, including myself, cannot wait to see come true.