Amaré Carsares Stoudemire (born November 16, 1982 in
Lake Wales, Florida) is an American professional
basketball player for the NBA's Phoenix Suns. He is
a 6 ft 10 in (2.09 m) and 249 lb (113 kg) power
forward/center.
He is also currently on the USA national team that
will compete in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
Stoudemire's father died when he was twelve, and his
mother Carrie was in and out of prison during that
time also. As it was difficult for Stoudemire to get
situated, he attended six different high schools
before graduating from Cypress Creek High School in
Orlando, Florida. He told Isaac Perry in an article
for Dime Magazine that what kept him going in that
time period was God and the words of rapper Tupac
Shakur. Stoudemire only played two years of high
school-level basketball, but in those two years he
was the MVP of the Nike summer league. He had
committed to play collegiately at the University of
Memphis but never attended the school, instead
declaring for the NBA draft due to his desire to
quickly help out his family's problems. The Phoenix
Suns decided on him with their ninth pick in the
draft due to a need for inside strength at the time
(2002). Phoenix was the only team that year to
select a high school player in the first round.
Stoudemire is considered one of the best finishers
in the NBA, with an ability to slam dunk over bigger
players. Along with his explosive athletic ability,
he has a solid work ethic. Over time, he has
developed a dependable 15-foot jump shot, while
expanding on his offensive moves underneath the
basket. Stoudemire's first season was, at the time,
the most successful ever by a high school rookie,
averaging 13.5 points and 8.8 rebounds per game,
with a high of 38 points (the highest score by a
prep-to-pro player until broken a year later by
LeBron James) against the Minnesota Timberwolves on
December 30, 2002, only his 31st game as a
professional.
It has been said that Amare does possess some
undesirable qualities due to his playing for a high
number of high schools and the fact that his agent
quit on him prior to him signing a large contract.
Unlike his prep-to-pro predecessors Kobe Bryant,
Jermaine O'Neal and Tracy McGrady, who were all
forced to play supporting roles for several seasons
before taking on leading roles for their teams,
Stoudemire was able to make an immediate impact,
showcasing an impressive array of talents with
breathtaking plays, including one particularly
vicious dunk on the 7 ft 1 in (216 cm) center
Michael Olowokandi. In the playoffs, he hit a
three-pointer to force overtime in a first-round
game against the San Antonio Spurs, after hitting
only two all season. At the end of the season,
Stoudemire beat out Houston Rockets center Yao Ming
and Miami Heat forward Caron Butler to win the NBA's
Rookie of the Year award, becoming the first player
ever drafted out of high school to win it.
The following season, Stoudemire improved
statistically, but his team stumbled to a 29-53
record, and the self-proclaimed best point guard in
the NBA, Stephon Marbury, was traded to the New York
Knicks. During the summer of 2004, Stoudemire was
selected to play for the United States national team
in the 2004 Summer Olympics. However, head coach
Larry Brown declined to give him significant playing
time over established NBA stars. During the 2004-05
NBA season, Stoudemire teamed up with point guard
Steve Nash to lead the Suns to a 62-20 record.
Averaging 26 points per game that year and achieving
a new career high of 50 points against the Portland
Trail Blazers on January 2, 2005, he was selected to
his first National Basketball Association All-Star
Game as a reserve forward. In the Western Conference
Finals against the San Antonio Spurs, Stoudemire
performed brilliantly, averaging 37 points during
the series. However, the Suns were eliminated 4
games to 1.
During the 2005-2006 NBA pre-season, knee cartilage
damage was discovered and Stoudemire underwent
microfracture surgery on October 18, 2005.
Initially, the Suns thought he would return by
mid-February, but his rehab took longer than
expected. Stoudemire, however, made an attempt to
return but did not play well, going scoreless
against the New Jersey Nets on March 27, 2006. On
March 28 it was announced that he would likely miss
the rest of the regular season due to ongoing
stiffness in both knees. His manager stated that the
comeback happened a little too soon, and Stoudemire
needed to do more rehab. While many are anxious to
see his trademark explosiveness, the risk of
reinjuring his knee still exists. The Suns performed
much better than expected in his absence in the
2005-06 season. Stoudemire's rehabilitation, which
was led by Suns trainer Aaron Nelson and Dr. Micheal
Clark, the president and CEO of the National Academy
of Sports Medicine (NASM) went well as he stated
during the rehab that he was pretty explosive and he
gradually gained his strength back. He attended the
2006 USA Basketball Camp in Las Vegas. His athletic
trainers stated that he had no swelling since his
most recent surgery and his strength and flexibility
have been "better than ever: almost like superman".
Stoudemire has changed his jersey number from 32 to
1 starting 2006-07 season. Dijon Thompson, last wore
#1 the previous season.
