Amar'e knows it's only the beginning
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 24: Amar'e Stoudemire #1 of the New York Knicks wipes his face with his jersey against the Boston Celtics in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2011 NBA Playoffs on April 24, 2011 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images) Credit: Getty/Nick Laham
When Amar'e Stoudemire boldly proclaimed in the summer that the Knicks are "back," he had no clue that his own back would cause him so much trouble during their playoff run.
Stoudemire's strong first season as a Knick ended Sunday when the Celtics completed a sweep. Given the way he spoke the day before, the fact that the $100-million power forward played was an upset. But there he was, loaded up on ibuprofen and willing himself to overcome nagging back spasms first suffered in warm-ups before Game 2 in Boston.
With the Knicks facing elimination, he said the only way he was going to take a seat was if he couldn't walk. Still, he wasn't able to reach his "beast mode" status, missing his first nine shots. He shot 5-for-20, finishing with 19 points, 12 rebounds, three assists and five turnovers in 44 minutes.
"Amar'e, he started the year out the way he ended it and is all heart," Mike D'Antoni said. "Obviously, missing three or four practices of what we were doing and just being a little bit behind physically, he just gave it all. And he's been unbelievable all year as a leader and as a person."
That's why Stoudemire refused to dwell on his injury or become upset after the Knicks extended their postseason winless streak to a decade. Like any competitor, he had hoped the Knicks would go deeper in the playoffs. But after coming to a team that won only 29 games a season ago and helping the Knicks earn 42 wins and a postseason berth despite a bevy of new faces, Stoudemire kept it all in perspective.
"It's been a great year from the start to finish," said Stoudemire, who isn't concerned about lingering back issues and said he should be 100 percent in two to three weeks. "We wanted to do more here in the postseason, but with so many changes and the expectations, I think we rose to the occasion.
"It's been ups and downs, but I think the year has been great. We achieved our first goal, which was to make the postseason. Again, we wanted to do more and go further, but the 'Knicks are back' statement is definitely true. I think the league knows it now and it's just a matter of us trying to work together and grow as a team."
It's also a matter of getting some more key guys to join the Knicks, which Stoudemire believes won't be all that difficult.
"I think now players are looking at the Knicks like, 'I want to be a part of that team,' '' he said. "So it shouldn't be as hard as it was at the start of the year."
Especially when you listen to D'Antoni talk about the things even he learned about Stoudemire this season.
"I didn't realize how good he would be in tough situations," said D'Antoni, who had coached Stoudemire with the Suns. "When we were 3-8, and he could've gone south on us when he's got a bunch of rookies playing with him, and encouraging them, and getting them his muscles and his strength and his will to win, you can never imagine that.
"But what he's done from that day and all the stuff -- when Melo comes and to do it all over again, step aside a little bit, not backward, but take a step sideways, and then let someone else share what up till then was an MVP season and lead the team -- I just don't think we can congratulate him enough."
