It was just another offseason afternoon in Phoenix, Arizona for Channing Frye back on June 28th. He made plans to meet with some buddies to watch the NBA Draft later that night but that was long before the fateful phone call came from a familiar voice.

Channing had been traded.

"I got that call from Isiah (Thomas) and that's when I knew," Frye told HOOPSWORLD. "Every person sometime just grows-up out of situations. This is where I'm supposed to be."

Sportstickers and the "world wide leader in sports" shared the latest news even before Frye could. But in those fleeting minutes while he embraced re-birth, Channing also struggled to accept the fact he'd been dealt from the New York Knicks to the Portland Trail Blazers in a package for Zach Randolph.

"Everyone threw me a huge party because they knew the things that were going down in New York and how I was maybe ready for a change. For me it was kind of hard to get over. You figure, 'No, I'm not going to be that guy that gets traded'. But I ended up going to church and praying about it.

"Then all of a sudden all that stuff happens in New York (Thomas' sexual harassment case) and I knew this is where I am supposed to be. I appreciate Isiah moving me and I wish him the best in everything."

Sitting on a metal bench at the Blazers practice facility fresh off a tiring two hour full-court scrimmage, Frye spoke with comfort and ease about his dramatic two seasons in New York. There were no clichés'. No sugar coating it. This is simply Channing being Channing.

A first round selection (eight overall) in 2005, Frye was quickly labeled a franchise cornerstone and lived on the block under then head coach Larry Brown until a knee injury ended his promising rookie season. The following year, Brown was headless and team president Isiah Thomas started roaming the sidelines in New York. Thomas not only featured Eddy Curry in the post, but also as the heart and soul of the Knicks offense. Channing was pushed to the perimeter and the cusp on confusion.

It was a sign of things to come.

It was the reason for the phone call.

Despite playing in 72 games and averaging 9.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game last year, Frye was clearly not himself. Moving all the way from Arizona to New York the year before was crazy. Playing basketball for one of the games most gloried franchises as an NBA novice was something else. But nothing ever prepared him, or anyone for that matter, for the Knicks media moshpit.

"This is awesome man, because I can finally say what I really want to say and I don't have to worry about it being slandered," Frye said when asked to compare the media markets in New York and Portland.  "I'm not afraid to be myself. And not that I was out there, it's just a little too much. I don't want to be the center of attention, because there are so many guys fighting for that. Out here, I'm still not the center of attention but I can be myself."

That's not the only difference Frye has noticed since arriving in Portland this summer. Even his third training camp in the league is a welcomed change.

"This is the hardest training camp I've been too, for the pure fact that competition is fierce everyday because everyone is so hungry. The guys in New York are older so they knew what they were going to do and it was just another training camp. But here, everyone is getting better so you constantly have to challenge yourself to get better everyday."

Frye admits all day long Portland is the perfect fit for him both mentally and physically and he's anxious to see what comes from this team. With head coach Nate McMillan likely running an up-tempo offense this season, expect the lowpost combination of Frye, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Joel Przybilla to run regardless of their role or the minutes they receive.

Besides, there are matters far more important at stake.

"It makes me appreciate this so much more. It's rare to get on a team where if someone starts, they've really earned this. They are really earning this. It's not who is getting paid the most or who has a bigger contract. It's about who's really hooping, who's really meshing, and who's going to win it.

"So whether I start or not, and I think the guys would agree, we just want to win."

After everything Channing Frye has been through in his short time in the league-the heavy expectations, the unforgettable experience and the journey along the way- it's amazing what a phone call from New York to Phoenix can do for a guy's sense of purpose and overall outlook on life.

"This is an opportunity and you just have to let it go and appreciate it. My heart is really in Portland. I couldn't be happier."