This is the story of a homegrown basketball talent who stuck to his roots.
A guy who's proud to represent the place where he grew up, giving back to the fans he was once one of. A guy who, when given the chance, turned down the allure of a big free-agent contract elsewhere and re-signed with the place he could truly call home.
In other words, this is not the story of LeBron James.
Channing Frye may have been born 3,000 miles away in Westchester County, N.Y., but it was in Phoenix where he came of age. He grew up within the city limits, he was a basketball standout at St. Mary's, the private Catholic high school, and when Lute Olson came calling with an offer to play at Frye's beloved University of Arizona, he eagerly took it.
Eventually, Frye became a Phoenix Sun, and when he got the chance this summer to re-sign with his childhood favorite team, he didn't look back. It didn't take long for the two sides to work out the details: five years, $30 million and a happy future for all parties involved.
Both sides wanted this. Frye is an Arizonan for life, and he jumped at the chance to get a big contract from a championship contender in his own backyard. He was more than happy to get another go at it with Steve Nash and the boys next season. And for their money, the Suns get a committed, hard-working young big man with a unique skill set. Frye can rebound, defend and also space the floor with his deadly outside shooting. Everyone wins.
Frye wasn't always this happy. He spent two seasons with the Knicks, who drafted him out of the U of A with the No. 8 overall pick in 2005. He worked his way into the starting lineup, but he went unnoticed on a bad team and couldn't realize his full potential.
He spent two seasons in Portland, after the Blazers picked him up as a throw-in in their Zach Randolph–Steve Francis trade back in the summer of 2007. Frye was relegated to the bench behind LaMarcus Aldridge, and he never got a chance to terrorize the glass or become the dangerous shooter he was capable of being.
It was only in Phoenix where he found his niche. Frye made more 3-pointers in his first month as a Sun than in the rest of his career combined. He finished the season fourth in the NBA in treys, sinking 172. He was getting more minutes and more touches than ever, and he was a perfect fit. Frye's shooting spaced the floor — Nash, Amare Stoudemire and Grant Hill were there to capitalize. It was perfect.
Frye staying in Phoenix is one of the feel-good stories of the summer. He could have gone elsewhere for more money; he stayed in Arizona, though, because it's where he's from, it's where he's made himself a home and it's where he's found teammates he loves.
Last season, the Suns made it all the way to the West finals before being dispatched by the eventual champion Lakers. But next year, they'll have Frye, Nash, Hill and Jason Richardson back. They'll still have a tougher-than-nails bench with Robin Lopez and Goran Dragic leading the way, and to fill the void left by Amare they've added a pair of scorers, Josh Childress and Hakim Warrick.
The Suns made a whole lot of good basketball decisions this summer. They also made one great sentimental choice, ensuring that a kid can stay with the team he's idolized his whole career.
Channing Frye is staying home, and he loves it.
