What happened: The Phoenix Suns designated Thursday's home contest as Hoops for Troops night powered by Sun Auto Network. The organization shared a message honoring military veterans ahead of the game.

Why it matters: The military appreciation initiative highlights the organization's community outreach efforts during the regular season. The event pairs team community programming with regular-season home dates on the NBA calendar.

What to watch: The Suns face the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday, with tipoff set for 9:00 PM ET.