Amar'e Stoudemire: 'I Feel Like I'm 19 Again'

New York Knicks’ veteran big man Amar’e Stoudemire believes he is finally healthy, telling reporter he feels like he’s 19 again

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‘ veteran big man Amar’e Stoudemire’s

career is winding down.

Amar’e Stoudemire has looked like a legitimate superstar at certain times in his career but overall, he hasn’t been able to stay healthy enough to really make the mark he wanted.

Now, he feels healthy and is just having fun playing basketball again.

“My joy is there. My love of the game is there,” said Stoudemire via Fred Kerber of The New York Post. “I feel like I’m 19 again as far as how much I love to play the game of basketball. I feel youthful. To have that type of feeling again as I had my rookie year, to want to play and just want to be out there and get better as a player is pretty encouraging.”

Simply being health has been feel so much better about his game and himself.

“Injuries sometimes take that joy away. You’re not able to play, you’re not able to become that leader that you know you are, you can’t speak on things that you see on the basketball court because you’re not out there within the battlefield with the guys,” Stoudemire said.

If Amar’e Stoudemire can stay healthy, he could help the Knicks return to the postseason.

If not? His massive contract comes off of the books in the offseason.

Amar’e Stoudemire averaged just 11.9 points and 4.9 rebounds per game while shooting 55.7% from the field and 73.9% from the free throw line last season. In his career, he has averaged 20.4 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.3 blocks in 33.0 minutes per game while shooting 53.5% from the field and 76.2% from the charity stripe.

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Amar’e Stoudemire: ‘I Feel Like I’m 19 Again’

By Andrew Melnick | Oct 21, 2014

New York Knicks’ veteran big man Amar’e Stoudemire believes he is finally healthy, telling reporter he feels like he’s 19 again

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