Amar'e as a toddler
Amar’e Stoudemire was born on November 16, 1982 in Lake Wales, Florida. From his father passing away at a young age to attending six different high schools, childhood was rough for Stoudemire. At the age of 14, he began to play organized basketball, which changed his life forever. Despite playing only two years of high school basketball, Stoudemire earned many awards, including:
- USA Today All-USA Basketball First Team
- Florida’s Mr. Basketball
- Orlando Sentinel Florida High School Player of the Year
- McDonald’s All-America Game
McDonald’s All-America Game at Madison Square Garden
His phenomenal skills earned him a scholarship to the University of Memphis. But with his star on the rise, Stoudemire entered his name in the NBA draft. The Phoenix Suns selected Stoudemire with the ninth overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft, making him the only player drafted straight out of high school that year.
In his rookie season, Stoudemire averaged 13.5 points and 8.8 rebounds per game, with a season high of 38 points against Minnesota. Stoudemire won the 2002 NBA Rookie of the Year award, becoming the first player drafted out of high school to do so.
Selected 9th by the Phoenix Suns in the NBA Draft
During the 2004-05 season Stoudemire teamed up with point guard Steve Nash to lead the Suns to a 62–20 record. Averaging 26 points per game that year and achieving a new career high of 50 points, he was selected to his first All-Star Game.
