Steve Nash put the Maple Leaf on James Naismith's game this year.

Nash, the Phoenix Suns guard and the NBA's MVP, was honored Tuesday as Canada's male athlete of the year by The Canadian Press, winning in a landslide vote. Nash also won the award in 2002.

"If my career has somehow inspired or gained interest in kids across the country, that would be unbelievable to have that sort of impact," Nash said from Phoenix. "I think a lot of it is intangible, so I really just try to keep going, and keep trying to improve and enjoy this opportunity I have. I know it won't last forever."

Nash finished with 366 points and 102 first-place votes in balloting of sports editors and broadcasters across the hockey-mad country. Pittsburgh Penguins phenom Sidney Crosby collected 163 points and 14 first-place votes while the Pittsburgh Pirates' Jason Bay was third with 92 points and five first-place votes.

On Jan. 2, the Suns finish their first major East Coast swing in New York against the Knicks. The next day, when they're home in Phoenix, Amare Stoudemire is scheduled to start running and shooting. Stoudemire has been out since early October after having microfracture surgery on his left knee.

"He's way ahead of the timetable at this point," said coach Mike D'Antoni. "The MRI's look really good, better than what they should look at this time. But that won't speed up anything in terms of when we think he'll be back." The Suns are still projecting a mid-February return for Stoudemire.

The Phoenix Suns announced today that they have waived rookie forward Sharrod Ford.

Originally signed by the Suns as a free agent on November 2, the 6-9, 225-pound forward averaged 1.3 points and 1.0 rebounds over 4.3 minutes in three games this season.

Shooting guard Arvydas Macijauskas could be on the trading block, though he hasn't played enough to draw much interest. Still, the Phoenix Suns are said to be interested.

Macijauskas is taking the safe approach, not demanding anything and waiting patiently for a chance to play. He said last week he doesn't think about any trade scenarios.

"I'm just trying to get better, and I want to help my teammates get better in practice," Macijauskas said. "It's my job. . . . I'm a professional."

Leandro Barbosa, who is out indefinitely after suffering a Grade 2 sprain that is similar to the one he suffered on Nov. 19 to the medial collateral ligament in his left knee. Barbosa reinjured the knee Saturday late in the Suns' loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, just a day after Barbosa returned to game action. He missed three weeks for the last sprain.

Suns physician Thomas Carter examined Barbosa on Sunday and found that the MCL remained intact. He ruled out any other possible problems, Suns head athletic trainer Aaron Nelson said. There were concerns that Barbosa could have suffered a groin injury, anterior cruciate ligament damage or a hyperextension.

"The mechanism was there to make it a lot worse than what it was," Nelson said.

Joe Johnson was asked before the Hawks game against the Suns is he regret his decision to leave Phoenix already.

"Do I regret the decision? No," Johnson said. "When I made this decision, I knew it wasn't going to be easy. I didn't think I was going to come in here and win 50 games right away. I have to have patience.

"I never question my decision. When I came here, I knew a lot of attention was going to be focused on me. As a man, I was willing to step up to the challenge."

The Phoenix Suns announced today that forward/center Brian Grant underwent successful surgery this morning for debridement of the patella tendon and removal of bone spurs on his right knee cap. The surgery was performed by Suns team physician Tom Carter at Banner Good Samaritan Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona.

Grant, who is in his 12th NBA season, is averaging 3.3 points and 1.7 rebounds in 9.4 minutes in nine games this season.

Phoenix Suns reserve forward Brian Grant needs arthroscopic surgery on his ailing right knee and will likely be sidelined for up to three months.

Grant, 33, said Thursday that Suns team doctor Thomas Carter will perform the operation Friday to clean out any calcification in the tendon of the knee and any floating bodies within the joint.

Grant, an 11-year NBA veteran, signed with Phoenix as a free agent in August after seeing limited playing time last season for the Los Angeles Lakers because of a neck injury and knee tendinitis.

In nine games for the Suns this season, Grant averaged 3.3 points and 1.7 rebounds.