With guard Leandro Barbosa inking a five-year extension back in August, Suns fans breathed another sigh of relief on Friday when the organization re-signed the 2006 Most Improved Player Boris Diaw to a five-year extension of his own.

The forward/center enjoyed a career year in Phoenix last season, setting personal bests with 13.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists per contest.

“I want to thank the organization for this opportunity and am really happy the Phoenix Suns want to see me here for a few more years,” Diaw said. “I was confident we’d get this done because I knew the Suns wanted me to stay longer and that I wanted to stay for longer.”

A year ago, Diaw came into Training Camp as a potential backup point guard but would ultimately emerge a starter, as well as one of the league’s most versatile players.

“I thought Boris could play,” Head Coach Mike D’Antoni said. “I liked his game but I had no idea he was this good. I knew he could pass and that he knew the game, but he surprised me and that’s great.”

Another aspect that impressed D’Antoni was Diaw’s commitment to both the game of basketball and to winning.

“There are few guys that really embody the attitude of going out and playing to win,” D’Antoni added. “I don’t even know if Boris knows how many points he averages. I think with both Boris and Leandro Barbosa, we’ve resigned two guys who really just want to win basketball games.”

Diaw fit in perfectly with D’Antoni’s offense throughout the 2005-06 campaign, becoming one of only three players (LeBron James, Jason Kidd) to average at least six rebounds and six assists per game. He also lived up to his nickname “3D” by recording his first four career triple-doubles, including back-to-back efforts in April.

“I thought about where I could be in a position as good as with the Phoenix Suns and the answer was nowhere,” Diaw said. “I just want to go out there and continue doing what I did last season – giving my teammates good looks and knowing they’ll be doing the same for me.”

While Diaw was no doubt a perfect fit for Phoenix during the regular season, it was his play during the postseason which gained him national attention. The third-year player saw his scoring average increase to 18.7 points per contest while still managing to contribute 6.7 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game. He also proved himself in the clutch, sinking a memorable game-winning shot in Dallas during Game 1 of the 2006 Western Conference Playoffs.

Suns Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin added, “It’s rare that a player gets minutes for the first time in his career, goes from a situation where he didn’t win a lot to being in a situation where he’s expected to win a lot – it’s very rare that a player like that steps up his game in the postseason. The fact that Boris was able to do that was a large part why we wanted to sign him. It’s a very special quality.”

Before coming to the Suns, Diaw spent two seasons with the Hawks after the organization selected him with the 21st overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. In Atlanta, the Frenchman tallied 4.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game in limited playing time. Diaw has also been a member of the France Senior National Team since 2003 and was recently named a team captain.

“I’ve never played for a contract or to be an All-Star,” Diaw said. “I’ve never played like that. I play for us to go out there and win the next game, and I think that’s why we won as many games last year as we did. Now the goal is to try and get a championship.”