Amar'e Stoudemire's Impact on the Phoenix Suns
In the 2002 NBA Draft, the Phoenix Suns took a chance on Amar’e Stoudemire with the ninth overall pick, drafting the only high school prospect in the first round. Eight seasons later, the Suns had themselves a productive big man that shaped the early 2000’s Suns and laid the groundwork for the modern championship contending team.
Stoudemire, a consensus five-star recruit in high school, was destined for a big slash at the professional level. A McDonald’s All-American and Florida Mr. Basketball, Stoudemire forwent his scholarship to university of Memphis and declared for the draft.
In terms of all-time Suns stats, Stoudemire stands with:
Seventh in all-time points
Third in all-time rebounds
Fifth in all-time blocks
Third in all-time free-throws
Fifth in all-time win shares
In Stoudemire’s rookie year the young prospect was a machine, producing 13.5 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. The 2003 NBA Rookie of the Year award went to the Suns' newest star, beating out Yao Ming and Caron Butler, respectively.
Stoudemire’s early years with the Suns were part of a thrilling Phoenix team with a mixture of young and old talent on the roster. In 2004, the Suns acquired G Steve Nash via free-agency and a lethal combo was born. They’re many memorable Suns teams in franchise history, but the early 2000’s Suns with Nash and Stoudemire resonated with not only Suns diehards, but also fans of the NBA when great Suns teams come to mind.
Stoudemire was an important part of their popularity of basketball in the desert and the swagger associated with Phoenix basketball that has carried for decades.
The pick-and-roll, often associated with some of the NBA’s greatest duos, was alive yet again in Phoenix. Stoudemire would go on to average 21.4 points in his eight years with the team that also included a season cut short due a cartilage issue in his knee in 2005-06.
In 2006, Stoudemire changed his jersey number to 1, a change that would bring four straight all-star appearances and help popularize the number in the basketball world. Four straight seasons Stoudemire averaged more than 20 points and hovered at the 10 rebound mark.
In 2007, Shaquille O’Neal came to Phoenix and moved Stoudemire to the forward position. No dip in production came from the move, and instead, Stoudemire yet again led the Suns in points per game (25.2 points) and rebounds per game (9.1 rebounds.)
Stoudemire's tenure would come to a close after back-to-back playoff collapses at the hands of talented San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Lakers teams. In 2010, Stoudemire became a free agent and took an offer from the New York Knicks.
Stoudemire’s career with the Suns is considered to be one of the more successful modern careers, as he stands with 516 games in a Suns jersey across eight years averaging 21.4 points with 8.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks.
