When you find yourself in a relationship, you quickly learn there’s a lot of give and take. Plenty of moments where both people have to meet in the middle. Balance is what makes a relationship work, and one of the places that balance gets tested most often is the television remote.
Sometimes you win, and you get to spend a Tuesday night watching a random baseball game. Sometimes you lose, and suddenly you find yourself far more emotionally invested in The Valley or The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
than you ever thought possible.
I’m fortunate because when Phoenix Suns basketball is on, I usually win the battle for the remote. I can always claim I’m watching for work. In reality, I’m usually “banished” to my office, where I can watch the game in peace, focus on what’s happening, and take notes without distractions.
That being said, I’ve had my fair share of watching shows I would never voluntarily choose. That’s part of the deal. You pick your battles, and sometimes those battles lead you to watch some concoction called Love Island. Love Island Season 8 premiered on June 2, and thankfully I’ve avoided it entirely so far. With my wife and daughter at home, they can spend their time watching that while I’m in my office watching the NBA Finals.
What is it, exactly? From what I can gather, a bunch of single contestants live together on an island. The guys make breakfast every morning. There’s a lot of kissing, a few cold sores, and apparently a lot of drama.
I did get summoned into the living room last night, however, because Love Island Season 8 has a Phoenix Suns connection. One of the contestants, Aniya Harvey, is the daughter of a former Phoenix Suns player.
Donnell Harvey. Do you remember him?
Once upon a time, he spent half a season in Phoenix, appearing in 36 games and making seven starts during the 2003-04 campaign alongside Stephon Marbury. The 22nd overall pick in the 2000 NBA Draft played five seasons in the NBA and arrived in Phoenix via a trade that sent out a 2004 second-round pick.
Truthfully, I don’t remember much about Harvey. The highlights are pretty nice, though.
So, of course, I thought I’d do a little digging on Donnell, trying to find a little trivia nugget for you. He played 147 games alongside Juwan Howard, the most of any teammate. He is one of 27 players to wear jersey number 4, the most used number in franchise history, doing so between Alton Ford and Jackson Vroman. He averaged 3.9 points per game as a Sun, tying him with 3 other players in franchise history to do so: Greg Howard, Jerrod Mustaf, and Bo Outlaw.
So if you find yourself sitting around with your wife, or maybe a teenage daughter, you can casually mention that one of the contestants on Love Island has a connection to the Phoenix Suns. Now you know. I’ve done my due diligence. I’ve helped bring a little balance to your relationship and given you a conversation starter for the next family viewing session.
You’re welcome. And welcome to offseason storytelling.
