PHOENIX — The lanky big man hopped toward the scorer’s table, his long locks in some crazy contortion that makes barbers roll their eyes and Barbaras bat their eyes.
He’s got a little rebel in him — and plays like he’s got a little Red Bull in him — and so, when he checks into the game, such as Sunday night against the Lakers, the Phoenix fans praise him with the ultimate compliment, screaming “Lou” until their faces are blue.
“LOUUUUUUUUUU!”
Yes, Louis Amundson, a proud Coloradan and Monarch High School alum, is the Suns’ Chris Andersen. Amundson’s arrival to the scorer’s table commences a celebration of anticipation.
“The first thing I’m thinking when I enter a game is get to every ball — get to every rebound, get to every loose ball, every ball on the floor,” said the backup post player for the Suns, who trail the Lakers 2-1 in the Western Conference finals entering tonight’s Game 4 of the series. “The Suns are real up-tempo, real loose, not a whole lot of structure, and that fits in with what I like to do. I like to run, use my quickness and my speed.”
The 27-year-old Amundson plays about 12 minutes a game for the Suns, seldom shooting, instead affecting the game with home-grown hustle. In Sunday’s Game 3 against the Lakers, Channing Frye’s clanked 3-pointer for Phoenix was heading for the hands of a Laker until the 6-foot-9, 206-pound Amundson, seemingly from the stands, leapt into the play and tipped the rebound to a teammate.
“He can affect the game, for sure,” Lakers star Pau Gasol said. “I like the way he works and dedicates himself to hustle and activity. He’ll give you all he’s got, so you’ve got to be aware of him, because you don’t want him to be a factor.”
Former NBA star Tom Chambers — the pride of Boulder’s Fairview High School and now an ambassador for the Suns — flashed a smile Sunday when asked what he liked about Amundson’s game: “Everything — other than his free throws (54.5 percent this season). He’s great, he does whatever the team needs. Every team needs a Lou. The fan base here has embraced him and what he does.”
This guy might be more popular in Phoenix than he was back home in Louisville. At the team’s Suns and Stars Gala, a charity event where fans mingle with players, attendees said Amundson was clearly the second-most popular player, behind only Steve Nash. And similar to the Birdman in Denver, Phoenix fans adore Amundson’s courageous coiffure, which he often wears like a samurai warrior, balled up in the back.
While attending Sunday’s game, 25-year-old Abby Hubbell pranced proudly around the arena in her orange AMUNDSON 17 jersey.
Asked about how she became a Lou lover, she smiled and said: “Honestly? I never watch basketball. I moved here in February last year, and my mom got me Suns tickets. I didn’t really care. But I started watching before we went to that game we were going to, and right away he was my favorite — because he was so hot. But as I started watching more, I was like, you know what? He’s so aggressive. He plays hard defense. That’s what I love. I’m obsessed with the Suns now.”
In the bling-bling world of the NBA, Amundson is like the kooky neighbor. Last season, when he lived in downtown Phoenix, he often rode his bicycle to work. He plays tennis and plays the guitar — “I’m getting there; I wouldn’t say I’m good.” He listens to a variety of music; he likes to read books, such as works about the Dali Lama, and he said with a smile, “It’s kind of like a throwback to pull a book out of your bag.”
And asked about his hair, he described it as “Boulder, you know.”
He’s also got that Birdman mentality, and like Andersen a summer ago, Amundson the free agent could cash in big this summer.
“It’s going to be a first for me, knowing I have a job and have suitors,” said Amundson, who has bounced around with four NBA organizations since 2006. “But I love everything about this team.”
Benjamin Hochman: 303-954-1294 or bhochman@denverpost.com
Rising with the Suns
After starring at Monarch High School and playing college basketball at UNLV, Louis Amundson went undrafted by the NBA in 2006. Now he is a role player in the Western Conference finals for the Phoenix Suns:
2006-07: Plays in the summer league and preseason for Sacramento. After getting cut, he joins the Colorado 14ers of the NBA’s D-League, winning rookie of the year. Also plays one game for Utah and 10 games for Philadelphia.
2007-08: Spends the season with the 76ers, but plays sparingly in just 16 games.
2008-09: Joins the Suns and wins over fans with his hustle, averaging 13.7 minutes per game.
2009-10: Has his best NBA season, averaging career highs in scoring (4.7 points) and rebounding (4.4). Plays in 79 games off the bench for the Suns.
Benjamin Hochman, The Denver Post
