Without question, Channing Frye has established himself as a beloved member of the Cleveland Cavaliers organization — both on and off the court. A witty sense of humor may be Frye’s most noticeable attribute in a public setting, but when the former University of Arizona standout takes the hardwood, it’s all business.
Long before his days of podcasting, Frye was making waves in the NCAA’s Pac-10 Conference where he twice earned First Team honors (2004, 2005) as well as a Pac-10 All-Freshman Team nod in 2002.
As a result of his stellar four-year collegiate career, Frye entered the 2005 NBA Draft with a high degree of interest from several teams, including the New York Knicks, who selected the 6-11 big man with their eighth overall pick.
Frye showed immediate signs of progress in the NBA, recording 30 points on two separate occasions during the early phases of the Knicks’ 2005-06 season. However, on March 21, 2006, he sprained a ligament in his left knee in a game against the Toronto Raptors, which forced him to miss the remainder of that season.
During the Knicks’ 2006-07 season, Frye saw his role in the starting rotation diminish. Despite his ability to stretch the floor with long-distance bombs from beyond the arc as well as his prowess on the glass, (then) head coach Isaiah Thomas elected to take Frye out of the starting lineup in February of in favor of Jerome James.
In his 137 games played for the Knickerbockers, Frye racked up averages of 10.9 points on 46 percent shooting from the field, 5.7 rebounds, and 0.7 blocks per contest.
As he was reminiscing a bit on Tuesday night, Frye sent out a tweet to express his regret for not being able to make more of an impact while he was with the Knicks.
Despite the fact that his stint in New York City was short-lived, Frye persevered. As a result, he went on to become an NBA champion in 2016 with the Cavaliers.
