Amar’e Stoudemire reflects on fulfilling a lifelong dream by playing for Pat Riley, detailing how a homecoming season with the Miami Heat provided the ideal NBA conclusion.
MIAMI, Fla. – The Miami Heat have seen several All-Stars come and go; although Amar’e Stoudemire's short tenure isn’t among the most memorable, it was meaningful for the Hall of Famer.
“I went back home to finish off my NBA career,” he said in an interview with NBA Two Take Media. “[The Miami Heat] was always a team and organization I wanted to play for because of Pat Riley – one of the jewels of the NBA. I’ve been able to play under Riley, Phil Jackson, and Mike D’Antoni. Pretty fun career and to cap it off in Miami was perfect for me.”
Stoudemire spent the 2015-16 season with the Heat and appeared in 52 games (36 starts). He averaged 5.8 points on 56.6 percent shooting and 4.3 rebounds. The Heat finished the regular season with a 48-34 record and third in the Eastern Conference standings. After surpassing the Charlotte Hornets in a first-round seven-game series, they faced elimination at the hands of the Toronto Raptors after another seven-game series – three games went to overtime.
The five-time All-NBA star is well known for his time with the Phoenix Suns. In eight years, he averaged 21.4 points on 54.4 percent shooting, 8.9 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks in 516 total games (499 starts).
Stoudemire and Hall of Fame guard Steve Nash were one of the league’s most prolific duos on the Suns, including three trips to the Western Conference Finals together (2005, 2006, 2010).
Afterwards, the star forward/center was traded to the New York Knicks and had a memorable tenure. In nearly four seasons, Stoudemire averaged 13.4 points on 53.5 percent shooting and 5.8 rebounds in 200 total games (83 starts). However, injuries held him back from being a true co-star to Carmelo Anthony.
Stoudemire was born in Lake Wales (Fla.) and attended five different high schools before graduating from Cypress Creek High School in Orlando. There are at least 30 NBA players drafted who didn’t play at the collegiate level. Stoudemire is part of an exclusive list that features Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, LeBron James, Tracy McGrady, Jermaine O’Neal, and Dwight Howard, among others.
The 43-year-old had nine double-digit scoring games with the Heat, including a 13-point and 12-rebound performance against the Atlanta Hawks on Jan. 31, 2016, in a 105-87 win.
Stoudemire’s official induction to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame came this summer in late August. It’s been over 10 years since he last suited up for an NBA game. Stoudemire is one of the best players to utilize the pick-and-roll. Although the Heat didn’t sign the prime version of him, the 14-year veteran was productive.
In the 2015-16 season, Stoudemire was teammates with Mario Chalmers, Goran Dragic, Udonis Haslem, Hassan Whiteside, Chris “Birdman” Anderson, Justice Winslow, Josh Richardson, Tyler Johnson, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade.
The entire roster is no longer in the league.
Anthony Aguirre covers the Miami Hurricanes and Miami Heat for Roundtable Sports. Contact info for tips/info: [email protected] & 305-987-3290 | Follow on Instagram/X: @AnthonyA_Sports
