Why Oso Ighodaro Didn’t Think Much of the NBA Rising Stars Game

PHOENIX – In what was almost perceived as a sophomore slump, Phoenix Suns big man Oso Ighodaro is the team’s biggest rising star.

The occasional poster slam or emphatic rejection might get people interested, but its impact goes far beyond what basic metrics can tell.

He is third on the team with an overall plus/minus of 144. The next closest player? Jordan Goodwin with +106. after all, Ighodaro had a +52 rating in the Suns’ win in November over the Indiana Pacers.

Such performances show his gravitas on the floor as a rim-runner, playmaker and versatile defender on the perimeter or on the low block.

With the NBA Rising Stars game taking place during NBA All-Star Weekend, Ighodaro hasn’t even thought about what lies ahead.

“To be honest, I don’t know. I don’t think about it much,” Ighodaro told ClutchPoints exclusively before the Suns hit a six-game road trip.

“I was really worried about winning with our team. Maybe that’s my case, that we play well. I think I’ve had an impact on winning at a high level and I’m continuing to get better.”

Oso Ighodaro has had time to secure his spot in the Suns’ rotation

Ighodar’s potential soared during his rookie campaign, but it really showed during the 2025 Summer League. It was consistent dunk after dunk and block after block.

He looked like a man among boys in Las Vegas.

Fast forward to training camp, and Sans’ center rotation was at stake. Rookie Mark Williams was a notable starter, but the question arose: Who will be the backup?

There was Nick Richards, who was with Phoenix last season and is a real big player returning to the basket. He’s probably the best rebounder of all the bigs.

Then, rookie Khaman Maluach, who oozes potential but still has plenty of room to grow. That left Ighodaro with arguably the most unique skill set of anyone at his position.

He’s the ideal playmaker, something head coach Jordan Ott has his eye on, dating back to Cleveland with big men Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley.

Plus, the rim-running and the ability to play in transition it automatically caught his eye. But there was another side to Ighodaro’s game that he had to tap into.

A reliable source has Oso Ighodaro unlocked for the Suns

Yes, Dillon Brooks started the culture of the Suns, but it started with the young guys. Colin Gillespie and Ryan Dunn immediately accepted the challenge and embraced that “dog” mentality.

Ighodaro took a little longer to board. And it’s not because the latter didn’t want to. It was more because of his personality.

The burly sophomore is reserved, has a calm demeanor, and simply put, is gentle with him. Brooks wanted it all to go away as soon as he stepped on the hardwood.

It didn’t come as quickly as he would have liked.

That led to a flurry of name-calling during training camp, practices, scrimmages — to which Brooks kept pushing Ighodar over the edge — until it happened. During a Dec. 18 contest between the Suns and the Golden State Warriors, the big man lashed out at Brooks on the bench.

At which he sat down, took it and smiled. He shared it after the game, Ighodaro they finally yelled at himand it took three months to get to that point.

Fun moment with Dillon Brooks and me: I asked him about Oso Ighodar’s 13-rebound performance, to which he replied, “Finally. He yelled at me.”@KellanOlson he followed up and asked if Brooks should demand those performances from Ighodar or force them out of him.

“It’s… pic.twitter.com/T5t4bUfR32

— Hayden Cilley (@HaidenCilley) December 19, 2025

While he’s the same person he was when the Suns drafted him, that fire between him and Brooks has produced something fans have been waiting for: a player they saw in Summer League.

“He pushed me from the day he arrived,” Ighodaro said. “Obviously we butt heads sometimes, but he’s helped me become a better player so far. I’m very grateful to him.”

Oso Ighodaro is supposed to represent the Sun in the rising star game

Typically, other roleplayers are still fine-tuning areas of their game before making an immediate impact. Ighodaro is an exception to the rule.

He was the quintessential big man in today’s NBA who can defend in all positions and be versatile. But the credit goes way before his time in the league.

It came from his college coach at Marquette, Shaq Smart.

Sprinting into ball screens, the way he screens, his positioning, attitude and activity were just some of the elements Smart taught him. Maybe it could be everyday, but it has come a long way.

So much so that Ott called on the number 11 to close games with the starting unit. Although the pressure can come from the second unit to the starter, Ighodaro uses what has always worked.

“The reasons I’m in the game, my defensive activity and offensive pace, I just do those things; I focus on what I’m good at and I don’t try to do too much,” Ighodaro said.

“I’m playing with some really good players, so I’m just playing my part. That’s all that’s asked of me. I know confidence is obviously a big thing as well.”

Confidence—mixed with basketball acumen—seems to be Ighodar’s recipe for a sophomore surge. Even if the league doesn’t vote him a rising star game, his mission is the same.

Keep helping the Suns win games.