---

The Phoenix Suns presented the 2005-06 Majerle Hustle Award to Suns guard Raja Bell tonight during a halftime presentation of the Suns versus the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets at US Airways Center.

Created by Suns Chairman and CEO Jerry Colangelo, the award is presented at the end of each season to the Suns player who most personified the qualities of Suns Ring of Honor member Dan Majerle. At Majerle’s Ring of Honor induction on March 9, 2003, Colangelo said, “When you think of Dan Majerle, you think of a guy who gave maximum effort in every game, every practice…in everything he did. It is this work ethic that inspired the creation of the award.”

The winner of the 2006 Majerle Hustle Award was selected based on the results of five voting categories: Suns fans, Suns players, Suns coaches, Suns employees and by Majerle himself. Each voting group carried equal weight in the final selection.

In addition to the award, a $9,000 donation will be made to the charity of the Bell’s choice. All-Star forward Shawn Marion was the recipient of last season's award, while Bo Outlaw won the inaugural award in 2003, followed by Casey Jacobsen in 2004.

The Suns also honored the best fans in the NBA with a fun filled Fan Appreciation Night. Twelve lucky fans received authentic game jerseys presented to each fan by the players immediately following the game. In addition, the first 7,000 fans in attendance received a free coffee mug featuring Shawn Marion courtesy of The RoomStore.