Channing Frye has become a fan favorite in the city of Cleveland, but it sounds like the Cavs big man might be ready to hang it up.
Following Thursday night’s game against the Knicks inside Madison Square Garden, Frye sent out a message on Instagram, noting that it was his last time playing at the famous venue.
Frye, now 35 years of age and in his 13th season of NBA service, has served as a mentor to Cleveland’s young core for much of this season. However, with so many injuries to the team’s rotation throughout the season, there have been times when head coach Larry Drew has called his number. He’s answered the bell each time.
There is a reason why Frye was feeling a bit reminiscent after Thursday’s game. The Knicks are the team that took him with the 8th overall pick in the 2005 draft. He went on to play for several other teams over the course of his career, including the Cavs, Portland Trail Blazers, Phoenix Suns, Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Lakers.
Frye’s legacy with the Cavs in particular is already cemented, as he is one of the last remaining vestiges of the team’s 2016 championship-winning squad. Though they were down 3–1 after a Game 4 loss to the Golden State Warriors, the Cavs went on to win the series in seven games, becoming the first team in Finals history to overcome a 3–1 deficit to win the NBA championship.
When it comes to smooth-shooting big men, there aren’t many better than Frye. When The Deep Fryer gets hot, opposing sides know they can’t leave him open, lest they get turned into “barbecue chicken,” as he would say with a smile.
In 883 career games played, Frye has racked up averages of 8.8 points on 44.1 percent shooting from the field (38.7 percent from beyond the arc), 4.5 rebounds and one assist in 22.3 minutes per outing.
It will be sad to see Frye go, if this is indeed his last season. But as the old saying goes, all good things must come to an end.
