Former NBA All-Star Amar'e Stoudemire called it a day on his career last week, sparking an influx of tributes from fans and personalities that appreciate his contribution towards the game.
Since his NBA retirement, the big man has agreed to play for Hapoel Jerusalem of the Isreali Basketball Premier League, continuing his basketball career overseas.
Using The Player’s Tribune as his platform, Stoudemire recently reflected on his storied career and expressed the gratitude that he feels towards many of his former teammates. You can view the whole self-written article here, but below are some of the thoughts he shared on the great players he played alongside.
Many people believe that a lot of Amar'e Stoudemire's success can be attributed to the playmaking abilities of Steve Nash. The pair played under Mike D’Antoni in an offense that set a precedent for modern basketball. They played a frenetic and intense brand of basketball that allowed smaller post players such as Stoudemire to match up against bigger centers.
Some of his best basketball was played alongside Nash and he definitely appreciates the two-time MVP as a teammate.
When we brought Steve on board, we reached a whole new level. Everyone else fed off him. Once you have a pass-first point guard, a guy who just focuses on getting the ball to where it needs to be —who’s just making his teammates better — it opens up the entire game.
We redefined the game of basketball. Before us, the center position was more like Shaq or Karl Malone. We didn’t have that size, but we had speed. Mike D’Antoni made a decision to go small. Teams weren’t ready for it. They weren’t ready for Seven Seconds or Less.
I don’t know how Steve made some of those passes. In the heat of the moment on the court, you don’t really appreciate a great pass. But once I got a chance to watch the replay, either on the jumbotron or in film sessions, I’d go up to him and say, “That was a hell of a pass!”
Steve was one of the best passers and shooters the game has ever seen, and I had the best seat in the house to watch him work. Steve took my game to a whole new level. He showed me what it meant to be a leader.
It seems as though Stoudemire was more than happy to share the paint with a bona fide NBA legend when Shaquille O’Neal joined the Phoenix Suns.
O’Neal was past his prime at this point, but still had a huge effect on the team and afforded Stoudemire more space to work with on the court.
Can’t forget about the big fella, neither: Shaq. I idolized him growing up. And I got to play with him in Phoenix in ’08 and ’09. We did work, too. I was putting up insane numbers thanks to him and all the attention teams had to give him.
Stoudemire only played with the German future Hall of Famer for a short period of time, but it seems as though he was just glad to be on his team rather than against him.
Then there’s Dirk Nowitzki. The toughest player I ever had to guard. That one-legged fadeaway? There’s just no stopping it. Luckily when we were on the same team for a few months in 2015, I didn’t have to. I could play off him and just watch him work.
DWAYNE WADE
During the final chapter of his NBA career, Stoudemire found himself playing alongside another great of the game. He admired Dwayne Wade‘s ability to consistently contribute with a seemingly effortless approach.
I got to play a bit this year with Dwyane Wade, yet another Hall of Famer. He keeps his dribble so low to the ground, and he’s deceptively quick. It just takes two dribbles for him to get through the lane and explode to the rim. He looks like he’s going through the game on cruise control, but at the end of the night he has 28 points and nine assists.
Stoudemire’s decision to retire as a member of the Knicks signified the importance of the franchise in his career. It seems as though one reason he enjoyed playing in the Big Apple so much was because he got to line-up alongside Carmelo Anthony regularly.
Last, but definitely not least, Carmelo Anthony. I think he’s the best pure scorer in the NBA. It just comes so easy to him. When he’s at his best, he’s playing an entirely different game than the rest of us. That night when he scored 62 at the Garden, that was easy for him. He could have gotten 70, maybe more. He just flowed out there on the court. That’s what the game is all about, getting to a level like Carmelo is on. When a great player performs like that, it’s fun to watch. I should know, I was there.
The Florida native leaves behind a respectable legacy, having played with many NBA legends and achieving an enviable amount of personal success. As he moves on to the next phase of his basketball career, he carries some fond, remarkable memories with him.
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