Channing Frye will call it a career after this season, his 13th in the NBA.
Frye making it to 13 seasons and becoming an NBA champion is a tremendous story, given he had to sit out a full season in 2012-13 due to an enlarged heart that threatened to end his career prematurely. Instead, he was able to return to the court and play another six seasons, picking up a championship with the Cavs in 2015-16, during which he was far more than just a veteran presence in Cleveland as he hit over 56 percent of his three-point attempts through 17 appearances that postseason.
On Sunday, Frye made his second to last appearance in The Q with the Cavs as they hosted the Spurs, and for the occasion Cleveland’s players wore special shooting shirts with his name and number on the back before the game. That wasn’t the only touching tribute from his teammates, as Kevin Love ceded his starting spot to Frye for the game and, when he checked in for Frye, he paid homage to his teammate by wearing his college jersey from Arizona over his Cavs jersey as he entered the game.
You gotta love this jersey, @Channing_Frye.@KevinLove rocking the throwback @APlayersProgram #45.#ThankYouChanning pic.twitter.com/Eg8ANFe5iV
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) April 7, 2019
It’s a really cool moment as Love and Frye have become close friends through their time in Cleveland. Love has enjoyed giving Frye a hard time this season as he calls it a career, but made sure to offer a special tribute on Sunday.
Frye was among the first big men to consistently step out to the three-point line and fire threes, as he was unleashed in that role by Mike D’Antoni in Phoenix. He spent his career as a lethal pick-and-pop threat and, while never a star, has always been a great locker room presence and had a greater influence on the game than many would think with the way he spaced the floor as a power forward and center.
