Amar’e Stoudemire played on four teams during his 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association, but the six-time All-Star wanted to go out as a Knick.
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According to the official public relations Twitter account of the New York Knicks, Stoudemire signed a contract with the team on Tuesday to officially retire as a Knick.
“Although my career has taken me to other places around the country, my heart had always remained in the Big Apple”, Stoudemire said in a news release issued by the team. “Once a Knick, Always a Knick“, he said.
Stoudemire signed with the Knicks as a free agent in 2010 and spent 4½ seasons with the team. Stoudemire played more than 65 games in a season as a Knick just once, with his big-money signing with the team serving as a line of demarcation in his career.
Amar’e Stoudemire’s best seasons came in Phoenix, but the All-Star forward opted to say goodbye to the game in NY.
Stoudemire might think of himself as a Knick, but many of us will remember him with the Suns.
A pillar of the New York-community and an important member of the organization, Stoudemire was a major participant in Garden of Dreams Foundation events and also organized an annual staff holiday meal to feed over 1,000 employees to show his appreciation for their hard work and dedication.
“I came to NY in 2010 to help revitalise this franchise and we did just that”, he said. In 2011-12, he suffered a back injury and then during the playoffs in Miami hurt his hand punching a fire extinguisher case in the locker room.
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After previously coming off the bench for all but one game that season, Stoudemire returns to the starting lineup and puts up a strong month in which he averages 16.9 points and 6.6. rebounds per game. Even though he had some great years in the league, lack of playoff success and injuries is what hurt his career most. He was a six-time All-Star and the 2003 rookie of the year. From Nov. 28-Dec. 15, 2010, Stoudemire broke the franchise’s 48-year record held by Willie Naulls by scoring 30-plus-points in nine consecutive games.
