Amar’e Stoudemire, who is being inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, was one of the handful of high school players to make the jump to the NBA and be successful.
He was selected with the ninth overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns and made an immediate impact, winning the 2002-03 NBA Rookie of the Year.
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As one of the catalysts of Mike D’Antoni’s “Seven Seconds or Less” philosophy, along with fellow Hall of Famer Steve Nash, Stoudemire blossomed into one of the league’s best power forwards before knee injuries slowed his career.
Stoudemire averaged 21.4 points and 8.3 rebounds during his first eight seasons with the Suns, then signed a five-year, $99.7 million contract with the New York Knicks.
Stoudemire finished his 14-year NBA career (2002-16) averaging 18.9 points and 7.8 rebounds, making six All-Star appearances.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Amar’e Stoudemire inducted into Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame
