Then he met several times with team president Jerry Colangelo and began mulling over how much he had enjoyed the season just completed—his first injury-free campaign in the last five. In late June, KJ announced that he'd play one more year after all. "Jerry said we had to talk," he explained. "I dug down deep in my soul for a decision, and this was it." And Colangelo dug down deep in his pocket, signing Johnson to a one-year contract extension that will pay him $8.4 million in 1997-98.

If Johnson was ambivalent about returning before, he's less so now—and not just because of the lucrative contract. When the Suns obtained forward Antonio McDyess from Denver in a three team trade, Phoenix completed its transformion into a team that could contend for its first Western Conference title since 1993. "When we signed [free agents] Cliff [Robinson] and George [McCloud], my personal goal was to win 50 games," said Jason Kidd. "With the addition of Antonio, we can maybe win 10 more games and be one of the top teams in the West." Whether or not that's true, one thing is for certain: If the Suns can sign McDyess (his contract expires at the end of the season), he and Kidd have a chance to develop into one of the strongest 1-2 combinations in the league.

KJ's return also extends his productive partnership with Kidd, a fellow point guard. The two started 22 games together last season, with Kidd mostly playing the point; Phoenix went 15-7 in those games. Johnson enjoyed his best scoring season since 1990-91 and had his best assist average since '93-94. KJ and Kidd ranked third and fourth in the league, respectively, in assists. "I think we've answered the question about having two point guards out there," Kidd says. "Now I get to be on the floor with Kevin, and it makes for a fun, fun game."

Kidd was acquired in a Dec. 26, 1996, trade with Dallas that also brought in center Loren Meyer and guard Tony Dumas (since traded to Cleveland), and though Kidd suffered a hairline fracture of his collarbone in his Phoenix debut on Dec. 28 and missed a month and a half, he assumed the mantle of team leader. "Jason Kidd brings the intangibles that coaches love," says coach Danny Ainge. "Intensity, great defense, a passion for basketball—it's contagious."

Last season the Suns became the first team in NBA history to experience double-digit winning and losing streaks in the same season. They started the season with 13 straight losses, but a late 11-game winning streak secured them yet another spot in history, as the first team to make the playoffs after opening the season with 10 or more straight losses.

During that abysmal streak, coach Cotton Fitzsimmons resigned and was replaced by Ainge, whose only previous head coaching experience was with his son Austin's grade school team. From the ashes of 0-13, Phoenix fashioned quite a season. Ainge made effective use of what he called his smallball lineup, with three or four guards on the floor at a time. In the 14 games in which Ainge started shooting guard Rex Chapman along with Kidd and Johnson, the Suns went 11-3. Phoenix won 20 of its final 26 regular-season games.

Now Ainge expects to carry that momentum into '97-98. "We were moving in the right direction, but we had so many free agents and so much uncertainty," he says. "My outlook today is great." That's because, in addition to landing McDyess, the Suns held on to three other key players besides Johnson: Chapman, center John (Hot Rod) Williams and forward Mark Bryant; they also added Robinson, a forward, and McCloud, a guard. Each could have signed elsewhere for more money. "I think they all felt strongly about what we had going," Ainge says.

For his part, Ainge felt strongly about signing Robinson, who was his teammate in Portland for two seasons. "I love the way he plays," Ainge says of Robinson. "He's what we need—an experienced bigger player." Phoenix had tried to trade for Robinson during the course of last season but was never able to work out a deal.

Robinson signed for the $1 million salary-cap exception, while McCloud and Chapman will play for the league minimum—Chapman for the second straight year. "I wanted to be back in Phoenix," says Chapman, who hit nine three-pointers and scored 42 points in Game 1 of the Seattle series. "If we can stay healthy, with KJ, Mark and Hot Rod back, this will be a very fun year."

Whatever happens, the Suns figure to look a bit different come next season. Only three players—Kidd, forward Danny Manning and guard Steve Nash—are under contract past this season, and the Suns will have to pay big bucks to hold on to the 23-year-old McDyess. Then there's this question: Will 1997-98 be Johnson's final season, or will he return for yet another?

"I'm never saying 'final' again," Johnson says. "That's the thing that has definitely come out of this."

What about "Finals"? Maybe not this year, Kevin, but perhaps if you stick around for a few more....

—Dana Gelin