When Jerry Colangelo emerged as a driving force behind the effort to bring Major League Baseball to the Valley, George Steinbrenner was among his bigger supporters. Later, when Colangelo was an actual competitor, the relationship wasn’t so friendly.

Quick, answer this question: The Phoenix Suns would not be in the Western Conference finals Monday without . . . ? No. It’s not Amar’e Stoudemire. Nope, not Steve Nash either. Steve Kerr? Uh-uh.