Exclusive: Why Oso Ighodaro hasn’t put much thought into NBA Rising Stars Game

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Exclusive: Why Oso Ighodaro hasn’t put much thought into NBA Rising Stars Game

Hayden Cilley, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Sun, Jan 25, 2026 ·

5 min read

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Exclusive: Why Oso Ighodaro hasn't put much thought into NBA Rising Stars Game appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .

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

The occasional poster dunk or emphatic rejection might make people interested, but his impact goes well beyond what basic metrics can say.

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

Performances like that show his gravity 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, it hasn't crossed Ighodaro's mind one bit because of what's in front of him.

"To be honest, I don't know. I don't really put a lot of thought into it," Ighodaro exclusively said to ClutchPoints before the Suns' six-game road trip.

"I've just really been worried about winning with our team. Maybe that's my case, that we're playing well. I think I've been impacting winning at a high level and continuing to get better."

Oso Ighodaro took time to secure his spot in the Suns' rotation

Ighodaro's potential soared through his rookie campaign, but truly showed during the 2025 Summer League. It was constant dunk after dunk and block after block.

He looked like a man amongst boys in Las Vegas.

Fast forward to training camp, and the Suns' center rotation was in question . Newcomer Mark Williams was the perceived starter, but the question arose: Who will be the backup?

There was Nick Richards , who was with Phoenix last season and is a true back-to-the-basket big. He's arguably the best rebounder out of all the bigs.

Then, rookie Khaman Maluach , who oozes with 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 an ideal playmaker, something head coach Jordan Ott has an eye for, dating back to Cleveland with big men Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley .

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

A reliable source helped Oso Ighodaro unlock himself for Suns

Yes, Dillon Brooks jump-started the Suns' culture, but it started with the young guys. Collin Gillespie and Ryan Dunn immediately took the challenge and embraced that 'dog' mentality.

For Ighodaro, it took a little longer to get on board. And that's not because the latter didn't want to. It was more so because of his personality.

The sophomore big man is reserved, has a calm demeanor, and simply put, a gentleness to him. Brooks wanted all of that gone the moment he stepped on the hardwood.

It didn't come as quickly as he would've liked.

That led to a flurry of call-outs during training camp, practice, shootaround– to which Brooks continually pushed Ighodaro over the edge– until it happened. During the December 18 contest between the Suns and the Golden State Warriors , the big man lashed out at Brooks on the bench.

To which the latter sat, took it, and let out a grin. He shared that following the game, Ighodaro finally yelled at him , and it took three months to get to that point.

Although he's the same person as when the Suns drafted him, that fire between him and Brooks sparked something fans were waiting for: the player they saw in Summer League.

"He's been pushing me since the day he got here," Ighodaro said. "Obviously, we butt heads sometimes, but he's helped me become a better player so far. I'm super grateful for him."

Oso Ighodaro should represent the Suns in the Rising Stars Game

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

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

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

Sprinting into ball screens, how he screens, his positioning, stance, and activity were only a few of the elements Smart taught him. Perhaps it might be mundane, but it's gone a long way.

So much so that Ott has called on No. 11 to close games with the starting unit. Although pressure can arise going from the second unit to the starters, Ighodaro taps into what has always worked.

"The reasons I'm in the game, my defense activity and pace offensively, just doing those things; focusing on what I'm good at and not trying to do too much," Ighodaro said.

"Playing with some really good players out there, so just playing my role. That's all that's required of me. I know confidence is obviously a big thing too."

Confidence– mixed with basketball acumen– seems to be Ighodaro's recipe for a Year 2 leap. Even if the league doesn't vote him into the Rising Stars Game, his mission is the same.

Keep helping the Suns win games.

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