I've been a huge Phoenix Suns fan for a long time, and there's a simple reason for that. When I was growing up in the Bay Area, there was a guy playing nearby at Santa Clara University named Steve Nash who was one of the best players I had ever seen. We all wondered how so many people had overlooked him.

I followed Nash's career closely, but when he went to the Suns and was teamed up with Mike D'Antoni, it reached a new level of awesomeness. D'Antoni and Nash transformed the Suns into a ridiculously explosive offense that made NBA basketball what it hadn't been for a while: fun.

I would literally drop whatever it was I was doing to watch Suns games for a three year stretch. I looked forward to games, and planned my schedule around them.

But the run has come to an end, as D'Antoni got the boot right after the Suns lost to the Spurs yet again in the playoffs yesterday.

There's certainly justification for this. The Suns have had a four-year run where they just couldn't get over the hump. Two Western Conference Finals, plus second and first round playoff appearances - but no championships. The team also seemed exceptionally frustrated this year, and didn't play with the same carefree attitude that it had with in the past.

But the worst thing is that it didn't have to be this way. I'm convinced that had the Suns not had Amare and Diaw suspended last year in last playoffs, and not had crooked ref Tom Donaghy call that insanely critical Game 3, they would have won the NBA Championship. Then there'd be no Shaq, no firing, no "what the hell do we do now" questions to be answered.

Regardless of what people thought of D'Antoni - that he didn't value defense, that he was obnoxious, that his scheme was all wrong - the fact is that he made watching basketball incredibly fun. The NBA needs more that. That's also the reason why I hate the Spurs so much. They're boring, and worse, they make me hate basketball.

D'Antoni's firing, along with the Warriors' inability to get to the playoffs this year, may officially mark the death of the up-tempo basketball experience. Whoever replaces D'Antoni won't be using a run-and-gun attack with Shaq there, and the Warriors have their own issues to deal with.

It's a sad end to what was really a gloriously fun little era of basketball. And worse yet, it reinforces the belief that you can't win NBA Championships that way. I will always contend that's not true - as the Suns should have won the Championship last year - but I will be in the minority.

I have no idea what will happen with the Suns this next season, and it will be fun to see Shaq and Nash make one last run, but it won't be quite the same.

I'll miss you Mike.