Phoenix Suns announcer Al McCoy acknowledges the crowd during his ring of honor induction ceremony at half time of an NBA basketball game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Friday, March 3, 2017, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Jan/Feb 2025 (Volume 17, Issue 1)
By Michael Swanger
Like so many young boys, Al McCoy dreamed of competing in professional sports. Unlike so many of them who grew up fantasizing about hitting a walk-off home run, or swishing a game-winning shot at the buzzer, McCoy imagined himself calling play-by-play for sporting events at Chicago Stadium, Madison Square Garden or Boston Garden.
Inspired by sportscasts he heard on his AM radio, the young McCoy would practice his game-calling skills on his family’s farm in Williams during the 1930s and 1940s for an audience of the family’s pigs and cattle.
“I grew up on a farm on Iowa, and I wouldn’t give that up for anything. It was a great place to grow up and be raised,” he once told an interviewer.
In all likelihood, the legendary career that McCoy enjoyed for more than half-a-century exceeded the imagination of the Hamilton County farm boy who died on Sept. 21, 2024, at age 91.
McCoy employed his enthusiasm, work ethic and natural talents to become the longest-tenured broadcaster in NBA history, serving as the play-by-play announcer for the Phoenix Suns from 1972 to 2023. Revered by fans, players and coaches for his exuberant delivery and unique catchphrases like “Shazam!” for a 3-pointer, “Whammo” for a slam dunk, and “Zing go the strings” for a basket, McCoy was known as the “Voice of the Phoenix Suns” for five decades. In 2022, the Suns celebrated “Al McCoy Night” to honor the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee.
“He was the heartbeat of our organization, a cherished friend, a mentor to many and a legend whose voice brought countless unforgettable moments to life for generations of Suns fans,” said Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia in a statement.
McCoy began his broadcasting career in 1951 at KJFJ in Webster City during his freshman year at Drake University where he majored in drama and speech and minored in broadcasting journalism. He also worked for WHO while at Drake and played jazz piano with local and touring Big Bands to earn extra money. During his year of graduate school at the University of Iowa, McCoy worked for other Iowa stations including KXIC. After Iowa City, he moved to Chicago and New York before landing permanently in Phoenix.
By all accounts, McCoy is also remembered as a genuinely nice person. Hall of Famer Charles Barkley, whom McCoy nicknamed “Sir Charles,” once said McCoy was “One of the nicest men I’ve ever met in my life.”
A longtime subscriber of Iowa History Journal, McCoy would sometimes send brief notes of encouragement when renewing his subscription. “Keep up the great work Michael!” or “Love the magazine!” On occasion he would submit a letter to the editor, too.
He was the real McCoy.
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