Former Stanford All-American Josh Childress is back in the NBA after spending two years playing professionally in Greece.
On Wednesday, Childress held a press conference to announce that he has signed with the Phoenix Suns, who had arranged a sign-and-trade deal with the Atlanta Hawks, who still held Childress' rights. At Phoenix, Childress joins another former Stanford player taken in the first round of the draft, center Robin Lopez. It's possible both could be starters for the Suns this season now that Amare Stouamire is gone, although the presence of Grant Hill and Jason Richardson at Childress' small forward position may prevent it.
Former Stanford star Jarron Collins also played for the Suns this past season.
Childress reportedly signed a five-year deal that will play him $33 million.
Two years ago, Childress became the first established NBA player to jump to a foreign pro basketball league while still in his prime. He got a lot of money while playing for Olympiakos in Athens, Greece, and he was one of the conference's best players, but he did not dominate the league. He averaged about 15 points a game.
His final game in Greece, and perhaps the reason he was willing to leave, featured a riot among fans that required poilce to use tear gas to control the crowd. Bottles were tossed on the floor during the game from behind the benches, and crowd members tried to break into the press room while postgame interviews were being conducted.
Click here to hear what Childress has to say at his press conference and a transcript of his description of his final game in Greece.
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