Amar'e Stoudemire is one of the few prep-to-pro players of the 2000s, developing into an elite big man after entering the 2002 draft straight out of high school. He had plenty of motivation to jump to the NBA after enduring poverty in childhood and losing his father at the age of 12.
The former Phoenix Suns star also had to deal with his mother being in and out of prison while he was young. Stoudemire even figured in a minor drama after his hop from the Adidas circuit to a Nike Camp in the early 2000s coincided with his then-imprisoned mother receiving some financial assistance from a Nike executive. However, he clarified in an interview with SLAM in 2002 why he opted to participate in the camp.
"George [Raveling] put a hundred dollars into the commissary for my mother when she was incarcerated," Amar'e said . "There's not much she could do with that. I went to Nike Camp because I had just dominated the adidas circuit, playing against Lenny Cooke, Major Wingate, and them guys. I went to Nike so I could play against Shavlik Randolph and those guys and leave no doubt that I was number one."
Amar'e went through a rough childhood
The retired big man becoming a bona fide star in the league was one of the league's feel-good stories of his time, considering the obstacles he had to overcome on his way to becoming an NBA player. Stoudemire's mom experienced plenty of run-ins with the law, and academic deficiencies resulted in the Florida native having to transfer between five high schools in two states six different times.
His decision to jump from one sneaker company to another also invited controversy. Aside from the story mentioned above about Raveling supposedly sending his mother money and gifts, Stoudemire was also questioned about a certain John Adkins bailing out his mom from jail one time.
Who is Adkins? He was reportedly an executive of a Tallahassee trucking company and happened to coach a Nike-sponsored basketball team. Why did he post the bail? Adkins once explained that his decision stemmed from a friend of the Stoudemire family calling him — and it wasn't apparently because he wanted Amar'e to play for his squad, nor was it Nike's doing all along.
Amar'e dominated the competition
So, it seems the six-time NBA All-Star really just wanted to see how he stacked up against the competition and other prospects in basketball camps. It wouldn't be that hard to believe, considering how dominant he was during high school. A scout even likened him to Hall of Famer Karl Malone at the time.
Stoudemire eventually realized his dream of playing in the NBA, becoming the No. 9 pick in 2002. Eight of the nine squads selected before the Suns were probably scratching their heads that they missed out on a generational talent in the draft. Perhaps they should have watched him dominate the Adidas and Nike camps.
Related: "He's got a little Karl Malone in him" - A scout's description of Amar'e Stoudemire in high school
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