Amare Carsares Stoudemire (born November 16, 1982 in Lake Wales, Florida) is an American All-Star professional basketball player for the NBA's Phoenix Suns and the USA National Team. He is a 6 ft 10 in (2.09 m) and 245 lb (112 kg) power forward/center.
Stoudemire's father died when he was eleven, and his mother Carrie was in and out of prison during that time also.1 Because it was difficult for Amare 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.1 Amare 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.
Unlike his prep-to-pro predecessors Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, 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, the best in the NBA. 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. The Suns were eliminated 4 games to 1.
Stoudemire agreed to be a part of the United States national team once again, joining many of the NBA's famed veterans, stars, and new comers which include Phoenix Suns teammate Shawn Marion, and coach Mike D'Antoni. The hope is to bring familiarity and chemistry to the team so that they may compete internationally over the years together and eventually bring the gold medal back to the United States in the 2008 Summer Olympics. Stoudemire began practicing with the international team in July, but was dropped from the squad for its trip to Asia because coach Mike Krzyzewski believed he needed a proper chance to fully recover from his knee injuries.
Stoudemire made his 2nd NBA All Star appearance on February 18th 2007. He scored 29 points and grabbed 9 rebounds coming only second to MVP Kobe Bryant for the award. The appearance marked the official fulfillment of his vow to make the All Star Game in his first season back from the difficult year of recovery he endured during the 2 knee surgeries.
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,[1] but he was not able to return to the court until March 23, 2006 (which was still earlier than some had predicted). In his first game back against the Portland Trail Blazers, Stoudemire scored 20 points, got nine rebounds, and recorded two blocks in just 19 minutes. In the next two games, Stoudemire did not play well, going scoreless against the New Jersey Nets on March 27. On March 28, 2006 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.[2] 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 current rehabilitation seems to be coming along well as he recently stated that he is pretty explosive and is gradually gaining his strength back. He attended the 2006 USA Basketball Camp in Las Vegas. His athletic trainers have stated that he has had no swelling since his most recent surgery and his strength and flexbility have been "better than ever". For the 2006-2007 season, Stoudemire has averaged near 20 ppg and over nine boards, and was selected for his second All-Star appearance, as he has been coming closer to a return to his old form.
Stoudemire has changed his jersey number from 32 to 1 starting 2006-07 season. When asked the reason why he said that it was because he wants this season to be a "new beginning" for him.[citation needed] Dijon Thompson, the last wearer of #1 on the Phoenix Suns, is playing in the NBA Development League. Ironically, Thompson will miss the 2006-2007 season due to the same microfracture surgery Stoudemire faced.
Source : Wikipedia
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