Channing Frye: Happy to be home

by Seth Pollack on Jul 14, 2009 10:14 PM MDT in Phoenix Suns News

Channing Frye was introduced to the Phoenix fans today with a late afternoon press conference. Here's some notes from Sports 620 KTAR's Craig Grialou:

It took Channing Frye all of ten seconds to bring up the fact that he and Steve Kerr are UA alums
Frye said he received interest from Cleveland, Denver and Washington but just felt the Suns were the right choice
Several times he talked about being "home" and playing for his hometown team -- he said Elliot Perry was his favorite Suns player when he was growing up
Frye had nothing bad to say about Portland which renounced his rights ... "time to move on"
The press release lists Frye as 6-11, 245-pounds. He says he is 6-11, 252-pounds
He will wear #8
Kerr called the Frye signing an "important one." He said Frye was "number one on our list" because of his shooting ability and able to run the floor
Kerr feels Frye helps with the pick-and-roll defense and can see Frye and Robin Lopez playing on the floor together
Interesting comment from Kerr was that he sees Frye as a long-term Phoenix Suns player, not just the two-years that he is signed for
Gentry said Frye was "made to play in (this) system," comparing him to how Tim Thomas was used while he was here. Gentry also called Frye a "tremendous compliment to Amare"

Kerr must have gone straight to the airport after the press conference because he arrived here in Vegas around 8:30pm. He and Sarver were seen meeting, along with David Griffin, in the stands of the Thomas and Mack Center while Blake Griffin put on a show during the Clippers / Hornets game.

Kerr told me that Earl Clark will play tomorrow and that Goran Dragic practiced today but will be a game time decision. He strained his groin after slipping in the first game.

Be sure to book mark Channing's blog which I am told is quite entertaining at times...

Audio clips from Frye's press conference

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Comments

Liking this more and more.

Of course both the Suns and Frye are saying all the right things, but I like the karmic significance of two things:

1) Channing Frye will be wearing Eddie Johnson’s old number which is just all kinds of cool.
2) Channing Frye was a big enough Suns fan as a kid to have Eliot Perry as his favorite player.

Yeah, karma never won a ring, but barring injury, I think this is warming up to be a feel-good kind of season. (Can we just confirm a Nash extension? kthanksbai.)

by Mike Lisboa on Jul 14, 2009 10:26 PM MDT reply actions

If there ever was a Phoenix Sun, Frye is it…As a fan for 30 something years….You just know a Sun when you see him.

by Wil Cantrell on Jul 14, 2009 10:45 PM MDT up reply actions

truer words never spoken..

ppl are suns or arent…i could tell with grant hill, and raja and boris…i also saw it with garnett tho that was not meant to be…sigh..

by Fritzy on Jul 15, 2009 12:36 AM MDT up reply actions

I think he wil fit in perfectly.

by PhxSuns# on Jul 14, 2009 11:16 PM MDT reply actions

aw man I miss him already… :(

by pxilpooshr on Jul 15, 2009 4:27 AM MDT reply actions

I miss you Frye

Good luck in Phoenix and don’t burn us too hard when you come back to Portland :)

"We believe" -Rudy Fernandez

by twiggs on Jul 15, 2009 7:10 AM MDT reply actions

If you read this, Channing, Good Luck!

my favorite person to ever play on the Blazers. Hope you are very happy there

"its tough to play with one eye, unless you're a pirate." Delonte West
"una canasta a Pau en la cara" Rudy

by Honka Playboy on Jul 15, 2009 7:37 AM MDT reply actions

As a blazer fan, I'm happy to see he found a home.

His style should fit in well with you guys.

On a side note- Channing is probably the coolest dude there is. You’ve got a real upstanding person on your roster now.

by Arby on Jul 15, 2009 9:02 AM MDT reply actions

Another blazer fan...

Wishing Frye good luck and success. The Blazers just weren’t built so that he oculd get a lot of minutes. I think he’s a much better player than he got a chance to show in Portland.

by raoulduke on Jul 15, 2009 11:06 AM MDT reply actions