Royce O'Neale

On a floor consisting of future first-ballot Hall of Famers, scoring champions, and bonafide All-Stars, memorable moments undoubtedly arrived in abundance on October 26, 2024. Allow the Phoenix Suns’ superstar forward to tell it, though, and there’s one sequence that proved worthy of being shown by coaches to players across the basketball globe. Authoring said play, Royce O’Neale — perfectly connected in chemistry with his inbounding teammate — wins a footrace against the Dallas Mavericks’ transition defense, barreling into Klay Thompson to balance himself into a floater. Unfinished, O’Neale prepares himself to deliver an seldom-seen offense-to-defense highlight, striding the length of the floor before elevating to swat Jaden Hardy’s layup attempt into a different dimension. Tallied for a game-high +18 plus-minus, O’Neale’’s contributions among the second unit were nothing short of healthy, as the Phoenix Suns cruised to a 12-point win in their home opener. By the final buzzer, O’Neale finished with seven points, nine rebounds, four assists, one block, and one 3-pointer.