When Frank Kaminsky walked into the Verizon 5G Performance Center on Christmas Eve, he felt like he had never left and had been gone forever. He made the rounds, greeting the athletic trainers and strength and conditioning staff that helped him recover from a serious knee injury. And the coaches and executives who first believed in Kaminsky last summer, then worked quickly to claim him off waivers after he was released by Sacramento. And new teammate Chris Paul, a future Hall of Famer who noticed how Kaminsky’s presence had instantly lifted everybody’s moods. “Chris was just telling me how everyone was happy that I was back, that there was a celebration,” Kaminsky said. “That was pretty cool.”
It would be understandable if Kaminsky came out of his first season with Phoenix feeling frustrated, like a quintessential example of how 2020 went wrong. He was often forced to play out of position. He suffered the first significant injury of his career. He did not see much game action during the Suns’ thrilling run in The Bubble. Twice before the 2020-21 regular season began, Kaminsky wondered where he would play.Instead, the opposite occurred. Kaminsky forged fierce bonds with the Suns, thanks to a light-hearted, people-loving personality that makes teammates smile at the simple mention of his name. He became a valuable resource even when he could not be on the court. He fell in love with Phoenix.The Suns and the Valley, Kaminsky said, “just fit like a glove.” “For some reason, people tell you, ‘Don’t let it be known where you want to go or where you want to play,’” Kaminsky said. “But I don’t care. I wanted to play here. I wanted to be with this team and with this group of people. “This is the best team I’ve played on so far in my career, and I could see that coming and I wanted to be a part of it. I’m just happy I’m here, playing whatever role I get to play.”
