Ryan Dunn has stood out as a special young talent for the Phoenix Suns.
In the wake of the team’s lopsided season from failure to meet contending expectations, a flurry of trade speculation, and reported tensions within their locker room, the Phoenix Suns still managed to find a diamond in the rough in Ryan Dunn.
From being chosen as the No. 28 pick of last year’s Draft, Dunn has carved his way into becoming a reliable contributor for the Suns, earning the full trust of Mike Budenholzer which saw him become a starter after Bradley Beal was moved into a bench role.
In 61 games (31 starts) so far in Phoenix, Dunn is registering 6.2 points and 3.1 boards across 17.4 minutes, often taking the task of handling the team’s defensive perimeter with his length and size.
Making it to the NBA was a dream come true for Dunn. And like anybody else within the Association, he was mesmerized by the moment that he finally realized where he belongs.
In his appearance on the Run Your Race podcast, the rookie out of Virginia revealed his ‘Welcome to the NBA’ moment in which defending LeBron James gave him an overwhelming burst of emotions.
“Guarding LeBron James for the first time, pre-season game, I checked in, he didn’t body me but ‘Oh [expletive], it’s ‘Bron.’
“He’s out, I check in, go to the free-throw line, he checks back in, and I’m like ‘OK I’m on the floor with ‘Bron’, it’s crazy,” he said.
“Coach says ‘Ryan you got ‘Bron’, I’m like ‘what?!’, I thought he said one at first, I didn’t think he said ‘Bron.
“Guarding him was my welcome to the NBA moment ‘cos it was like, ‘Wow, I’m here’ … I’m guarding the best player, arguably ever. And I just got a stop.”
The Suns met the Los Angeles Lakers twice during the 2024 preseason, but Dunn seems particularly referring to both teams’ first face-off back in October 24.
The Lakers beat the Suns 123-116 as LeBron James finished with 21 points, eight assists, and four boards. On the other hand, Dunn appeared for 14 minutes and had nine markers and three rebounds.
Born in 2003, Dunn basically grew up and discovered his love for the game during James’ prime years with the Miami Heat.
“I always wanted to go to Miami, I was a LeBron fan growing up, when he left I didn’t want to bandwagon it, I was a Heat fan,” he shared.
Barring a potential playoff matchup, Dunn won’t meet James again this year as both the Lakers and the Suns have finished their regular season series already.
Nevertheless, Dunn can only savor the unforgettable memory that he had by sharing the court with his childhood idol.
