Channing Frye is a former professional basketball player who won the NBA Championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016, earning a substantial amount throughout his career.
Former NBA player Channing Frye, who played for six different teams between 2005 and 2019, achieved a notable milestone in his career when the Cleveland Cavaliers won the NBA Championship in 2016. Frye's professional basketball journey spanned across the New York Knicks, Portland Trail Blazers, Phoenix Suns, Orlando Magic, and Los Angeles Lakers. Throughout his NBA career, Frye earned a total of approximately $70 million in salary. In 2009, he signed a two-year contract with the Suns for $3.8 million, and in 2010, he inked a five-year deal worth $30 million. Frye then signed a four-year contract with Orlando in 2014 for $32 million. Born on May 17, 1983, in White Plains, New York to Karen and Thomas, Channing Frye began his basketball journey at St. Mary's High School in Phoenix, Arizona, where he excelled as a star player. As a junior, he averaged 15 points and 12 rebounds per game, leading his team to a 26-7 record and a spot in the Class 5A state tournament semifinals. During his senior year, Frye averaged 22 points and 15 rebounds per game, guiding his team to a 30-3 record and the Class 5A state championship. Frye pursued his higher education at the University of Arizona, where he played for the Wildcats basketball team. In his freshman year, he averaged 9.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, earning a spot on the Pac-10 All-Freshman team. As a sophomore, Frye averaged 12.6 points and eight rebounds per game, and as a junior, he averaged 15.9 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. In his senior year, Frye averaged 15.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, winning the University of Arizona's Sapphire Award as the most outstanding senior male student-athlete. In the 2005 NBA draft, Frye was selected by the New York Knicks with the eighth overall pick. During his rookie season, he averaged 12.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game before an injury in late March cut his season short. In his second and final season with the Knicks in 2006-07, Frye averaged 9.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. Frye was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers in 2007, where he served as a backup center during the 2007-08 season, averaging 6.8 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. After the season, he underwent surgery to remove bone spurs from his ankle. In the 2008-09 season, Frye played as a backup once again, averaging career lows of 4.2 points and 2.2 rebounds per game. However, he made his first postseason appearance as the Trail Blazers reached the first round of the playoffs. In the summer of 2009, Frye signed with the Phoenix Suns. He had a solid first season with the team, averaging 11.2 points and 5.3 rebounds per game as the Suns advanced to the Western Conference Finals. In the playoffs, Frye averaged career postseason highs of 8.2 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. He had another strong season with the Suns in 2010-11, averaging 12.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game, both regular-season career highs. In 2011-12, Frye averaged 10.5 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. Due to health issues, Frye had to sit out the entirety of the following season after a physical screening revealed he had an enlarged heart. After recovering, he returned for the 2013-14 season, playing in a career-high 82 games while averaging 11.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. Frye signed with the Orlando Magic in the summer of 2014. However, his first season with the team was disappointing, averaging 7.3 points and 3.9 rebounds per game in 75 games. Frye performed even worse in the 2015-16 season, averaging just 5.2 points and 3.2 rebounds per game in 44 games. In the middle of the 2015-16 season, Frye was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The team went on to finish first in the Central Division, advancing to the playoffs. There, the Cavaliers swept both the Detroit Pistons and the Atlanta Hawks to reach the Eastern Conference Finals, where they defeated the Toronto Raptors. In the 2016 NBA Finals, the Cavaliers came back from a 3-1 deficit to beat the Golden State Warriors in seven games, securing the NBA Championship for Frye and the team. The Cavaliers reached the NBA Finals again in 2017 in a rematch with the Warriors, but the Warriors emerged victorious in five games. Frye was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in February 2018. However, he only played nine games with the team before returning to the Cavaliers for the 2018-19 season. In that season, his final one in the NBA, Frye averaged 3.6 points and 1.4 rebounds in 36 games. After retiring from the NBA, Frye began co-hosting the new podcast "Talkin' Blazers Podcast" on the NBC Sports Northwest network. Later, he started serving as a studio analyst for NBATV and TNT. Channing Frye and his wife Lauren have four children together. The couple established the Frye Family Foundation in 2010 with the aim of giving back to communities in Oregon and Arizona, where Frye spent a significant portion of his career.