PHOENIX– In the season opener, Phoenix Suns head coach Jordan Ott had the first of what could be many ‘valley moments'. It was an atypical game, considering the Suns were down by as many as 20 during the second quarter.
But both Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks showed no real surprise at the 120-116 comeback win over the Sacramento Kings. Actually, they were expecting to win for their first-time head coach.
A win like Wednesday's highlighted the Suns' new culture, which is rooted in toughness, defense, and camaraderie.
As soon as Ott went into the locker room, the team already had a water bath prepared for him. He fully expected it and embraced how hard his team worked to get the win.
Booker himself has seen his fair share of head coaches, but something already feels different about Ott.
Devin Booker shared when Jordan Ott walked in the locker room and the team celebrated his first win.
“It’s big time. It’s his ‘Welcome to the Valley’ moment.” pic.twitter.com/8SPyW0XuOO
— Hayden Cilley (@HaydenCilley) October 23, 2025
“We gave him a water bath in there,” Booker explained postgame. “They put together a nice little video of his family and friends to congratulate him. It's big time.
“It's a welcome to the valley moment. Got the first one under his belt, and we're all rallying behind.”
The Suns rallied around Jordan Ott's first win
Before his first ever game as a head coach, nothing felt different for Ott. The preparation was the same, the feeling was the same, and the execution was the same.
Despite having messages from family, friends, as well as colleagues and even the media, he didn't seem phased. The only thing that was really different was the title of assistant being swapped for head coach.
Once he hit the locker room, he knew what he was in for.
“I anticipated some water, but I anticipated on the front end. They got me on the back end. And like you can get like room temperature water, that was not room temperature water,” Ott said, chuckling.
He took a pause, and reflected on how deep the win truly is for his guys.
“But it is not about me, I mean, they're out there playing,” Ott said. “We're just a part of it, we're along for the ride. Any way we can help them, that's what we're gonna be out there doing.
“Very grateful again for the opportunity to staff I'm with. And the players, I mean, it's always about the players.”
Dillon Brooks might be Jordan Ott's No. 1 supporter
If anything is for certain, it could be how Brooks and Ott's basketball ideologies intertwine. For instance, both are a bit of underdogs and play (or coach) with a chip on their shoulder.
Ott was a finalist for the Charlotte Hornets coaching job in 2024, where Charles Lee took the job. Still, he ended up leading one of the best offenses that the NBA has ever seen in terms of points per game and offensive rating.
Even with being a head coach, that same fire and intensity is there. And it matches perfectly with Brooks.
Getting the win was something the latter felt was totally deserved.
“Grinding it out to get to where he is today, he's special,” Brooks said. “He's in that office at the practice facility every single day till 8-9 p.m. I know that I've been there too.
“Over the summer, he's rebounding, he's passing the ball, he's into the workouts, you see that.”
It's the little things that have caught people's attention across the league. However, Ott's former colleagues already knew that, but now the players are experiencing it firsthand.
As the Suns will face the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday, it'll be another crucial test to see how many more of these ‘Valley moments' will surface.
