Channing Frye

1.1. High School Career

Raised as a Catholic, Frye attended St. Mary's High School in Phoenix, Arizona. During his high school career, he was highly regarded by scouts, rated as the No. 98 recruit in the nation by Hoop Scoop and the No. 13 center in the country by Fast Break Recruiting Service.

As a junior in the 1999-2000 season, Frye was a dominant force, averaging 15 points, 12 rebounds, nine blocks, and six assists per game. Under coach David Lopez, he led St. Mary's to an impressive 26-7 record, securing a berth in the Class 5A state tournament semi-finals and earning a No. 19 national ranking from USA Today. In his senior year (2000-01), Frye further elevated his performance, averaging 22 points, 15 rebounds, six blocks, and three assists per game. He led St. Mary's to the 2001 Class 5A state championship with a stellar 30-3 record. His exceptional play earned him Player of the Year honors from both the Arizona Republic and the Arizona Gatorade Player of the Year. He was also recognized nationally with fourth-team Parade All-America and McDonald's All-America selections.

1.2. College Career

Frye continued his basketball journey at the University of Arizona, where he played for four successful seasons and became a significant player for the Wildcats.

As a freshman during the 2001-02 season, Frye quickly became a key contributor. He earned a spot in the starting lineup by late December and started 25 of 34 games. His performance earned him Pac-10 All-Freshman team honors, as he averaged 9.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in 23.9 minutes per game.

In his sophomore year (2002-03), Frye received honorable mention All-Pac-10 recognition and was named Pac-10 Player of the Week on February 27, 2003, following a victory over Arizona State. He played in 32 games, starting 27 of them, and averaged 12.6 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks in 25.4 minutes per game.

As a junior in the 2003-04 season, Frye's consistent improvement led to first-team All-Pac-10 and USBWA All-District 9 team honors. He started all 30 games he played, averaging 15.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 2.1 blocks in 30.3 minutes per game.

In his senior year (2004-05), Frye received the University of Arizona's Sapphire Award, which is presented to the outstanding senior male student-athlete. He also earned the 2004-05 Pacific-10 Conference Sportsmanship Award. For the second consecutive year, he was named first-team All-Pac-10 and USBWA All-District 9, in addition to being a first-team NABC All-NCAA District 15 selection. He played and started all 37 games, averaging 15.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 2.3 blocks in 31.0 minutes per game.

Frye concluded his four-year collegiate career at Arizona with a strong record, accumulating eight double-doubles in 12 NCAA Tournament appearances. He also recorded 93 games with double-figure points and 35 games with double-figure rebounds.

2.1. New York Knicks (2005-2007)

Frye was selected by his hometown team, the New York Knicks, with the eighth overall pick in the 2005 NBA draft, making him the first college senior to be chosen in that draft. In his debut season (2005-06), he quickly made an impact, scoring a season-high 30 points on two separate occasions. His promising rookie year was cut short on March 21, 2006, when he sprained his left knee ligament in a game against the Toronto Raptors after Raptors guard Andre Barrett collided with his knee, causing Frye to miss the remainder of the season. Despite the injury, he was selected to the 2005-06 NBA All-Rookie first team, finishing fifth in total points (45) behind Chris Paul (58), Charlie Villanueva (56), Andrew Bogut (55), and Deron Williams (46). He was also named Rookie of the Month in November.

During the 2006-07 season, Frye initially maintained his starting position, despite teammate David Lee statistically outperforming him in several categories, including rebounding and field goal percentage. Knicks' head coach Isiah Thomas justified keeping Frye in the starting lineup by citing his superior perimeter shooting, which was intended to make it harder for opposing teams to double-team the Knicks' leading scorer, Eddy Curry. However, on November 25, 2006, Frye suffered a left ankle sprain against the Chicago Bulls, forcing him to miss approximately three weeks. During his absence, David Lee continued to excel, and upon Frye's return, he began to share playing time with Lee, which resulted in a decrease in his individual statistics compared to the previous season. On February 3, 2007, in a game against the Orlando Magic, Thomas replaced Frye in the starting lineup with the seldom-used center Jerome James, stating that James was "one of the best defensive big men in the game." At the end of the 2006-07 season, on June 28, 2007, Frye was traded along with Steve Francis to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Zach Randolph, Fred Jones, and Dan Dickau.

2.2. Portland Trail Blazers (2007-2009)

Upon joining the Portland Trail Blazers, Frye wore jersey No. 44, as Brandon Roy already occupied No. 7, which Frye had worn with the Knicks. During his two seasons in Portland, Frye served primarily as a back-up center. In the 2007-08 season, he averaged 6.8 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.

In September 2008, Frye underwent surgery to remove bone spurs from his left ankle. Throughout the 2008-09 season, he continued in a back-up role, but struggled to secure consistent playing time due to the team's strong depth in the forward and center positions. As a result, he averaged career-lows of 4.2 points and 2.2 rebounds per game, and his presence on the court became less impactful.

2.3. Phoenix Suns (2009-2014)

On July 14, 2009, Frye signed with the Phoenix Suns on a reported two-year contract worth 3.80 M USD, with an option for the second year. His tenure with the Suns marked a significant period of his career, as his playing style, particularly his three-point shooting, aligned well with the team's strategy. In February 2010, Frye was selected to participate in the NBA All-Star Weekend Three-Point Shootout, becoming the first center invited to the event since Sam Perkins in 1997.

After opting out of his initial contract, Frye signed a new five-year, 30.00 M USD contract with the Suns on July 8, 2010. However, his career faced a serious challenge in the summer of 2012 when a routine team physical screening revealed that he had an enlarged heart due to dilated cardiomyopathy. This condition forced him to sit out the entire 2012-13 season. During his recovery, Frye filled in as a broadcaster for the Suns' pre-game shows, beginning with the November 2 home game against the Detroit Pistons. To aid his recovery, he engaged in activities such as yoga and golf, gradually progressing to more basketball-specific challenges like running and mid-range shooting. By August 30, he was medically cleared to play for the Suns, just before the team's 2013 training camp practices began. He made his return to the court on October 9, 2013, in a preseason win against the Portland Trail Blazers (104-98). His first regular season appearance after his recovery was on October 30, 2013, in a 104-91 victory over the Trail Blazers. In the 2013-14 season, he played all 82 games as a starter and returned to his previous level of performance.

On June 23, 2014, Frye opted out of the final year of his contract with the Suns, becoming a free agent.

2.4. Orlando Magic (2014-2016)

On July 14, 2014, Frye signed a reported four-year, 32.00 M USD contract with the Orlando Magic. However, his first season with the Magic proved to be disappointing on the court, as he averaged his lowest points and rebounds per game since his final season with the Portland Trail Blazers.

2.5. Cleveland Cavaliers (2016-2018)

On February 18, 2016, Frye was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a multi-team deal that included Jared Cunningham and a future second-round pick being sent to Orlando. The Cavaliers acquired Frye specifically for his ability to "stretch the floor" with his outside shooting. In just his second game as a Cavalier on February 24, he demonstrated this skill by hitting four three-pointers and finishing with 15 points off the bench in a 114-103 win over the Charlotte Hornets.

During the Cavaliers' 2016 second-round playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks, Frye played a crucial role in helping the team take a 3-0 lead with a dominant performance in Game 3, scoring 27 points on 10-of-13 shooting, including 7-of-9 from three-point range. The Cavaliers went on to sweep the Hawks and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they defeated the Toronto Raptors in six games. Frye's role in the 2016 NBA Finals was somewhat reduced, as he played minor minutes in the first four games and did not appear in the final three. Despite falling behind 3-1 after a Game 4 loss to the Golden State Warriors, the Cavaliers staged a historic comeback, winning the series in seven games and securing the NBA Championship.

On November 13, 2016, Frye scored a season-high 20 points in the Cavaliers' 100-93 victory over the Charlotte Hornets. On February 14, 2017, with Kevin Love sidelined due to injury, Frye stepped into the starting lineup and contributed 21 points and 10 rebounds in a 116-108 win against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Frye played an important part in the Cavaliers' dominant 12-1 run through the first three rounds of the 2017 NBA Playoffs, which led them back to the NBA Finals. However, they ultimately lost the series in five games to the Golden State Warriors.

2.6. Los Angeles Lakers (2018)

On February 8, 2018, the Cavaliers traded Frye, along with Isaiah Thomas and a 2018 first-round draft pick, to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr.. His tenure with the Lakers was brief.

2.7. Return to Cleveland and Retirement (2018-2019)

On July 19, 2018, Frye re-signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers, marking his second stint with the franchise. On March 1, 2019, he announced that the 2018-19 season would be his final season in the NBA, concluding his professional basketball career.

6.1. NBA Regular Season

6.2. NBA Playoffs

6.3. College