The fond farewells are out there, as always when someone of any significance retires.
It's not even oversaturated with saccharine sentiment in this case. Amar'e Stoudemire did a heck of a lot with his career and was truly a likable and congenial presence in the league. You could even make an argument that he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.
But he is also a classic example of someone who could have done more, someone who forces us to wrestle with what might have been.
That may seem unduly critical considering how much better at his job he was than so many who've tried. Yet it's an irresistible debate to slip into whenever we consider the career of a great athlete who also fits the category of "natural talent."
Stoudemire didn't even play basketball until he was 14.
By 20, he was the NBA Rookie of the Year.
In between was an array of high schools, inconsistent playing time and a revolving door's worth of coaches.
Drafted ninth overall in 2002, an onrushing Stoudemire scared NBA veterans more than the experience and size of top pick Yao Ming when both entered the league in t ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NBA
Article written by Kevin Ding
Stoudemire Did More Than Most with His Gifts, but Still Left Us Wanting More
July 28th, 2016 by Kevin Ding Leave a reply »
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