Amar’e Stoudemire Leaves Lasting Impact On The NBA

Although Amar’e Stoudemire’s career was cut short by injuries, the athletic power forward still made his mark on the league.

After spending 14 seasons with the Phoenix Suns, New York Knicks, Dallas Mavericks, and Miami Heat, big man Amar’e Stoudemire has announced his retirement from the NBA Tuesday.

STAT signed a one-day contract with the Knicks in order to officially retire as a member of the organization.

Stoudemire, 33, was simply not himself as of late. After suffering many injuries to his knees, back, and eyes, Stoudemire’s decision to retire young is actually very smart on his behalf.

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His prime years came with the Suns, where he used his explosive athleticism and dunking ability to destroy defenses. He also had an array of moves in the post, including a devastating midrange jump shot that crippled opponents.

When he got going early, there was little opposing teams could do to stop him. One of the most impressive accomplishments of his career was when he averaged 37 points per game against a loaded San Antonio Spurs squad in the 2005 NBA Playoffs, unfortunately losing the series in five games.

While never a lockdown defender, Stoudemire was an absolute offensive powerhouse, someone that could make shots just inside the three-point line, which in turn paved the way for the “stretch-4” players we see now in basketball. The connection he had with Steve Nash was particularly special, as the two connected often for alley-oops that brought Suns fans to their feet.

The Suns decided not to re-sign him due to his knee problems, and at first it looked like a bad move when he dominated in his first season with the Knicks in 2010-11, averaging 25.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.9 blocks per game while shooting 50 percent from the field to garner some MVP buzz as well.

However, once the Knicks brought in Carmelo Anthony in February of 2011, Stoudemire took a backseat, where his production suffered as a result. He continued to battle injuries, including more problems with his knees. Two short stints with the Mavs and Heat followed where he was still a solid role player, but far from the lights-out scorer he used to be.

What is peculiar about his decision to retire is that he did it with the Knicks, a team that he experienced many ups and downs with. Many were surprised to see him retire with them instead of the Suns, who drafted him and had some special years with him at the helms with Nash.

If Stoudemire had remained healthy, he definitely could have played longer and been a force for a longer time. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be. Some of it was self-inflicted, like when he infamously punched a fire extinguisher after a tough loss during the 2012 NBA Playoffs.

With that said, he was still a wrecking ball in his younger days, often being included in “best power forwards” discussions around the league.

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Still in his early 30s, it will be interesting to see if Stoudemire goes after a front office or analyst job in the NBA, or if he decides to take a break from basketball and pursue something entirely different for his second career.