During his time with the Phoenix Suns in the early 2000s, Amar’e Stoudemire was a superstar in the NBA. The player’s value to the team was honored on Saturday night. The Suns retired Stoudemire’s No. 32 jersey and put him into the organization’s Ring of Honour.
“This is truly an out-of-body experience. When I was drafted here in Phoenix, my mission was to be the best player that I could possibly be,” he said. He said that he dreamed of being an NBA player since he was studying in high school.
The Suns’ owner Mat Ishbia, longtime broadcaster Tom Leander, former Suns coach Alvin Gentry, and several of his former teammates, including Hall of Famer and fellow Ring of Honour inductees Steve Nash and Shawn Marion, watched No. 32 be raised alongside the retired numbers of 11 other former players. Stoudemire is known by Suns fans and the NBA community as “STAT” (Standing Tall And Talented).
Amar’e Stoudemire- Cult hero for the Suns
Between 2002 and 2010, Stoudemire spent eight seasons with the Suns, playing 516 regular season games.
During that time, he averaged 21.4 points on 54.4% shooting, 8.9 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks. In terms of points (11,035), scoring average (21.4), rebounds (4,613), blocks (722), and scoring average (21.4), he is ranked sixth in team history.
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In 2003, Stoudemire defeated Yao Ming to win the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award. He has been selected four times for the All-NBA Second Team, one time for the All-NBA First Team, and six times for the All-Star team.
Along with Dick van Arsdale (5), Walter Davis (6), Kevin Johnson (7), Dan Majerle (9), Steve Nash (13), Tom Chambers (24), Alvan Adams (33), Charles Barkley (34), Connie Hawkins (42), and Paul Westphal (44), Stoudemire became the 11th player whose jersey was retired by the Suns.
In general, Stoudemire is an underappreciated player who never receives enough credit. He established himself as one of the league’s top power forwards, ranking among Hall of Famers Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, and Dirk Nowitzki, and in his third season at the age of 22, he was named to the Second Team All-NBA.
