The Phoenix Suns landing the number one draft pick is being hailed by some as a slam dunk for the entire Phoenix community.
Jake Rosenstein runs "The Duce" near Central Avenue and Lincoln Street, just blocks from Talking Stick Resort Arena. The restaurant opened in 2010, one of the last years the Suns made the playoffs, with diehard fans packing into the business.
"When we first opened things were great, they were in the western conference finals; we drew a ton of business from that," Rosenstein said. "We haven't seen much in the era they've been terrible, but the fact they're actually building toward something is pretty exciting down here."
Rosenstein hopes a top draft pick helps the Suns improve, bringing in bigger crowds to downtown along the way.
"(I am) hugely excited as a Suns fan and hugely excited as a business owner," Rosenstein said.
Others echoed a similar sentiment downtown.
"It's a good day for Phoenix," said Brian Cassidy, Chair of the Warehouse District Council. "It's a great day."
The Warehouse District is the community south of Talking Stick Resort Arena. Cassidy notes the many businesses that have popped up in recent years and says the Suns have played an integral role in downtown growth over the past two decades.
"They literally are the catalyst that got downtown back in the right direction," Cassidy said. "Getting the number one pick will help build on that momentum."
The excitement comes amid murky futures for both the Suns and Diamondbacks. Upgrades are needed at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Meanwhile, the D-Backs have a chance to move out of Chase field around 2022.
"It could take a generation to really recover from the teams leaving downtown," Cassidy said.
But for now, the buzz is about basketball. Rosenstein told ABC15 he hopes to see an influx of business if the top draft pick helps turn the team around.
"It matters to peoples' moods if the teams win," he said. "It impacts us if the teams win."
