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In one of the most successful jumps from high school to the NBA, Amaré Stoudemire stunned many by capturing the 2002-03 'got milk?' NBA Rookie of the Year award at just 20 years old, and he's just gone up from there. The ninth overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft, he helped rejuvenate a Suns team expected to finish near the bottom of the Western Conference standings... Stoudemire's rugged inside play was a major factor in the Suns' successful drive to make the 2003 postseason... The 6-10, 245-pound power forward, who has his nickname "STAT" (Standing Tall and Talented) tattooed on his right arm, is an enormous physical talent, who is often compared to a young Shawn Kemp, Karl Malone or Moses Malone. Stoudemire's brute force and amazing quickness for someone his size makes him extremely difficult to defend in the low post and a shot-blocking threat on the defensive end… Despite never having played organized basketball before the age of 14 and attending six different high schools before finishing his prep career at Cypress Creek High in Orlando, Fla., he has persevered to become a future NBA star... Even Stoudemire's childhood idol growing up, Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal, was awestruck with the kid's immense potential, "I've seen the future of the NBA and his name is Amaré Stoudemire.
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2003-04:
Selected to play on the U.S. Men's Olympic Team at the 2004 Games in Athens, Greece, and brought home a bronze medal... In sophomore NBA season averaged team-leading 20.6 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.6 blocks, 1.2 steals, .475 FG (T-25th in NBA) in 36.8 minutes, all above rookie averages... Would have ranked 15th in scoring, tied for 15th in rebounding and 19th in blocks, but did not play in the minimum number of games required to qualify for inclusion... Posted All-Star caliber numbers in final 32 games, averaging 23.9 points, 9.6 rebounds in 39.3 minutes... Led the Suns in scoring in 11 consecutive games (Feb. 7-March 6), tied for the second-longest streak in franchise history (12-Charlie Scott, 1974-75 and 11-Charles Barkley, 1994-95)... Also his 11 consecutive games scoring 20 or more points (Feb. 7-March 6) was the most by a Suns player since Charles Barkley had a run of 14 consecutive games in the 1992-93 season... Averaged 26.3 points on .539 shooting from the field during that scoring run... Led the team in scoring in 22 of the last 30 games and scored 20-plus points in 26 of the last 30 games... Set got milk? Rookie Challenge record with 36 points on Feb. 13 at All-Star Weekend (prev. 31 by Kobe Bryant, 1997 and Jason Richardson, 2003)... Tied franchise record with 10 blocks vs. Utah on Feb. 7... Topped 30-plus points four times, including season-high 33 points twice (Feb. 11 at Golden State and Feb. 29 at Sacramento)... Led team in scoring 28 times, despite playing in only 55 games... Recorded 19 double-doubles... Went on injured list on Dec. 6, one day after suffering a third degree sprained left ankle at Boston on Dec. 5 and did not return until Jan. 9 vs. Sacramento after missing 18 games... Did not dress for nine consecutive games (Jan. 19-Feb. 2) due to left ankle, big toe injury suffered vs. Portland on Jan. 18... Returned to the court vs. Portland on Feb. 4 after missing 27 of last 32 games (Suns went 7-20 without him)... Scored all 28 of his then season high in points in the second half vs. Denver on Jan. 13, the most points scored in a half by a Suns player in 2003-04... Recorded
season-high 18 boards (second-highest total of career) at Golden State on Nov. 10... Became the Suns' youngest starter on opening night (20 years old, 11 months) at San Antonio on Oct. 28.
2002-03:
Won got milk? NBA Rookie of the Year award after averaging 13.5 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.06 blocks... Participated in Rookie Challenge (18 points, 7 rebounds) and Slam Dunk contest on All-Star Saturday... Named NBA Western Conference Rookie of the Month for January, the Suns first monthly winner since April 1988 (Kevin Johnson)... 7th in NBA with 3.1 offensive rebounds and 12th in NBA with 8.8 rebounds... Was also 26th in NBA in field goal percentage (.472)... Topped all rookies in rebounds (8.8), free throws made (320) and attempted (484), was 2nd in points (13.5), blocks (1.06) and minutes (31.3) and 4th in field goal percentage (.472)... Led the Suns in scoring 6 times, in rebounds 34 times and blocked shots 37 times... Scored 15-plus points in 36 of last 63 games and tallied in double figures in 55 of the last 71 games... Suns were 33-26 when he scored in double figures... Had 25 double-doubles... Suns were 19-10 when he grabbed 10-plus rebounds... Blocked 2-plus shots in 25 games... Was one of two Suns players to play all 82 games this season (Joe Johnson)... Exploded for 38 points (16-24 FG) at Minnesota on Dec. 30 with 23 points in first half to surpass his previous scoring high. The point total was two short of the Suns rookie record (Walter Davis, 40, Jan. 5, 1978) and he added 14 rebounds... Had 24 points, 15 rebounds (Suns season-high 10 offensive) at San Antonio on Jan. 14. The 10 offensive rebounds were the most by a Sun since March 24, 1995 when Charles Barkley had 11 vs. Houston... Grabbed Suns rookie record 21 rebounds (8 offensive, 16 in second half) vs. Memphis on Jan. 10, the first 20-rebound game by a Sun since Jan. 9, 1996 when A.C. Green had 20 vs. Clippers and the most rebounds by a Sun since March 24, 1995 when Charles Barkley had 26 vs. Houston. The previous team rookie mark was 19 by Alvan Adams on Feb. 17, 1976 vs. Chicago... Scored 16 points (13 in first half), 7 rebounds, 2 steals at Lakers on April 6... Scored 10 of team's first 18 points at Memphis on March 26 and finished with 22 points, 9 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 blocks... Scored 24 points (11-15 FG) and added 8 rebounds at Golden State... Tallied 17 points, 11 rebounds in 37 mins at San Antonio on March 4 with 11 points, 9 rebounds in second half... Had his second-highest scoring effort of the season in second-straight game with 25 points vs. Boston on Feb. 16 and grabbed 17 rebounds (fourth-straight 10-plus rebound game) for his second-highest rebound total of the season... Scored 24 points, 13 rebounds (7 offensive) at Houston on Jan. 15 in showdown of Rookie of the Year candidates... Scored 18 points, 11 rebounds in 41 mins at Clippers on Dec. 20 with a monster dunk over Michael Olowokandi... In NBA debut at Seattle had 10 points, 6 rebounds in 20 mins... Is the second-youngest player drafted by the Suns in club history (19 years, 7 months, 10 days), behind only Stephen Jackson (19 years, 2 months, 20 days) in 1997... Became the Suns' ninth early entry pick in club history and the fifth-straight underclassmen selected by the team (Casey Jacobsen was drafted as an early entry candidate to make it 10 total early entry picks and six in a row). 2003 PLAYOFFS: Stoudemire averaged 14.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and had a field goal percentage of .523 in six playoff games against San Antonio in the first round... In his first playoff game ever, Stoudemire scored 24 points (9-13 FG) and grabbed nine rebounds in 39 minutes as the Suns stole Game 1 in San Antonio on April 19... At the end of regulation Amaré Stoudemire banked in a three-pointer with 7.9 seconds left to tie the game at 87-87. Also added 14 points and 14 rebounds in Game 5 and posted his second-straight double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds in a Game 6 loss.
High School:
Named to Parade Magazine All-America High School Boys Basketball First Team and to 2002 USA Today All-USA Boys Basketball First Team... Named Mr. Basketball by the state of Florida following senior season... Named Florida High School Player of the Year by the Orlando Sentinel... Did not play high school basketball as a junior due to ineligibility caused by transfers from numerous high schools... Has attended six different high schools, including Mt. Zion Christian Academy in Durham, North Carolina, Emmanuel Christian in Durham and West Orange HS in Winter Garden, Florida... Prior to his early entry into the NBA Draft, had planned to attend the University of Memphis... Rated the #1 High School Player in the United States by the Prep Stars Recruiter’s Handbook... As a senior at Cypress Creek (16-13), averaged 29.1 points, 15 rebounds, 6.1 blocked shots and 2.1 steals... At the 2002 McDonald’s All-America Game, played at Madison Square Garden on April 4, scored 10 points (4-of-10 from field) and grabbed seven rebounds for the East as it defeated the West, 138-107.
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