“You don’t realize how good you’ve got it until you go elsewhere and it’s not so easy” – Joe Johnson on the tight bond the ‘Seven Seconds’ Suns shared originally appeared on Basketball Network.
As crucial as skills and talent are to achieving team success in the NBA, an underrated component that can make all the difference is team chemistry. A squad can have as many All-Stars on their team as they want, but if those players aren’t on the same page and working together towards the shared goal of an NBA title, they will never reach their full potential.
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History has shown numerous examples of this. From the 2004 Los Angeles Lakers, which featured four Hall of Famers, to the Brooklyn Nets, which boasted two league MVPs in Kevin Durant and James Harden, chemistry issues plagued both teams and prevented them from reaching the promised land.
On the other hand, many teams have exceeded expectations due to their exceptional team chemistry. The Phoenix Suns of the mid-2000s are a prime example of this. Led by superstars Steve Nash and Amar’e Stoudemire, the Suns were known for their high-powered offense and fast-paced style of play. However, what truly set them apart was their tight-knit bond off the court.
Former Suns ace Joe Johnson spoke about this, asserting it was their camaraderie that lifted them above their peers during that special time in Suns basketball.
A tight-knit group
Developing team chemistry can be tricky. It can’t be forced, nor can it be bought. It takes time and effort from each member of the team to build a strong bond that translates onto the court or field. The Suns achieved this by spending quality time together, both on and off the court.
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“My best memory was the camaraderie we had. We all hung out off the court. We went out to eat. We went to each other’s houses and played cards all the time,” Joe remembered. “That was the first time I’d ever experienced something like that. We were a tight group.”
The team’s off-court camaraderie seamlessly translated to their performance on the court, where they moved in perfect sync, as if connected by an invisible thread. The Suns went on to win 62 games during the 2004-05 season, a far cry from their dismal 29-53 record in the previous season. Joe played a huge role in their resurgence, averaging 17.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.
Nash’s leadership was key
Nash’s arrival in the Valley was a substantial reason for the Suns’ turnaround. And while his sublime playmaking helped bring out the best in Stoudemire, Shawn Marion, Quentin Richardson and Johnson, it was his unique leadership that kept the boat from rocking. Suns head coach Mike D’Antoni shared how the Canadian point guard always absorbed the blame whenever something went wrong. It didn’t matter if he had nothing to do with it; he gladly took responsibility.
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“A lot of that chemistry was Steve,” Mike remarked. “We’d lose a game and he’d stand up in the locker room and say, ‘Guys I screwed up. I won’t do it often, but I did.’ Taking responsibility. That’s what a leader does, and he was the best at it.”
The Suns faltered in the postseason during that season, as Joe missed the first two games of the West finals against the San Antonio Spurs due to a displaced orbital fracture over his left eye when he landed face-first in Game 2 of the West semis. After they got eliminated in five games, a contentious contract dispute led Johnson to the Atlanta Hawks, where he soon realized that the chemistry they shared on that Suns squad was one-of-a-kind.
“It was never the same. When I went to Atlanta, I was the old guy trying to show the young guys the way. It was so different,” Iso Joe noted. “I blossomed into a different player, but it was never the same. When you’re on a great team like we had, you don’t realize how good you’ve got it until you go elsewhere and it’s not so easy.”
Although Joe became a bona fide superstar in Atlanta, he never reached the heights he did with the Suns. Johnson continued to put up impressive numbers and even made multiple All-Star appearances, but his time in Phoenix will always hold a special place in his heart.
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This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 10, 2025, where it first appeared.