Amar'e Stoudemire had an odd start to his basketball career, as he had to transfer from one high school to another because of his impoverished background and academic issues. He was able to play only two full seasons, although the Florida native still emerged as a five-star recruit in 2002.
As people know, Stoudemire decided to skip college and go pro. However, he knew that whatever route he took, he would have dominated the competition regardless.
"As far as individual workouts, I've got me, myself, and the basketball," Amar'e said in 2002. "When I go on to college or the NBA and get somebody to teach me basketball, man, it is over."
Stoudemire knew he was ready for the NBA
While he was open to spending at least one year in college before joining the Association, the former Florida Mr. Basketball knew it was time to choose the latter. Not only did he have an NBA-ready body and game coming out of high school, but he also had a compelling reason to start earning as early as possible.
Stoudemire's father passed away when he was 12, and his mother was in and out of jail. So, providing for his family was already on his mind.
Still, Amar'e could have played in college had he decided to go that route. He committed to the University of Memphis before withdrawing to declare for the 2002 draft. Interestingly, he would have played under John Calipari and been a teammate of former collegiate standout Dajuan Wagner.
Instead, STAT ended up as arguably the best player in his draft class. He proved he made the right call to enter the league. Months before the retired big man was selected by the Phoenix Suns , he projected that he would become the first prep-to-pro player to win the Rookie of the Year. And his prophecy came to pass.
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Stoudemire's star turn
Over the years, the six-time All-Star continued to improve on the court, and he probably had his lucky break when Phoenix acquired Steve Nash in the 2004 offseason. While Stoudemire talked about having someone to teach him basketball as the key to unlocking his potential, little did the then-wunderkind know that playing alongside a floor general would allow him to reach his ceiling.
Nash was a massive reason the five-time All-NBA selection evolved into an elite big man. The iconic duo even secured an All-NBA First-Team berth in 2007, becoming the first pair of teammates to do so since Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant. No other teammates were able to achieve the feat until LeBron James and Anthony Davis replicated it in 2020.
Perhaps the only thing lacking on Stoudemire's resume was an NBA championship. However, he won two titles in the Israeli Basketball Premier League before finishing his hoops career on a positive note.
Related: "He is four or five steps better than I was at the age of 25" - Shaquille O'Neal on young Amar'e Stoudemire
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