Stoudemire has big expectations for Knicks

LeBron James or no LeBron James, the Knicks were in a celebratory mood Thursday afternoon.

About nine hours before King James took over the airwaves and announced he was going to the Heat, the Knicks took over the floor of Madison Square Garden, holding a half-hour news conference to officially welcome Amar'e Stoudemire to the team.

Stoudemire, a 6-10 power forward, appears to be bringing a dose of much-needed swagger to the organization. After being introduced, the new Knick stepped to the podium and boldly declared it to be "a new era" at the Garden.

"We're looking to get the Knicks back on top," Stoudemire told a crowded news conference that included No. 1 Knicks fan Spike Lee. "We're looking forward to building this franchise and winning a championship."

Stoudemire, who has a career average of 21.4 points and 8.9 rebounds, is the most dominant big man to wear a Knicks uniform since Patrick Ewing. Though he is sure to be a power in the Eastern Conference, some teams, including the Suns, had concerns about his left knee and did not want to give him a maximum contract.

The Knicks, however, were pleased to welcome him aboard. The Knicks and Stoudemire had agreed to a five-year deal worth $99.7 million on Monday, but the deal couldn't officially be announced until yesterday, the day the NBA's moratorium on signings and trades was lifted.

The Knicks and Suns arranged a sign-and-trade deal, which provided the Suns a draft pick and a $16.5-million trade exception. By doing so, the Knicks gained an extra $800,000 in cap room.

Though Stoudemire never won a title with the Suns, he did help lead them to the Western Conference finals twice. One of those trips, in 2005, was when Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni was the Suns' coach.

D'Antoni and Stoudemire did have some differences, but both said they worked them out this past weekend when they sat down to breakfast.

D'Antoni said it takes a rare kind of person to succeed in New York, and he believes Stoudemire is that sort of person.

"New York is not for everybody," D'Antoni said. "It's a big stage and you have to show some guts and some grit. You've got to come out every day and work. And Amar'e will do that."

Former Knick Allan Houston, who was on the team that went to Cleveland to pitch New York to James last week, agrees it takes a special person to have the courage to play in New York.

"LeBron, I don't know if he wants it," said Houston, who came to the Knicks from the Pistons as a free agent and now works in the front office. "Stoudemire, he wants it."

But wanting it and getting it are two different things. Stoudemire is joining a team that has had nine straight losing seasons. The last two admittedly resulted from the Knicks' decision to position themselves for this year's free-agent market.

"Up until now, our plan has been to save money under the cap," Knicks president Donnie Walsh said. "Now it's about putting together a team that can win."

The Knicks certainly have a lot more wheeling and dealing to do before they get to the team they want to rebuild with, but Stoudemire clearly is not afraid to be the first piece of the puzzle.

Said Stoudemire: "It was a situation where no one wanted to make the first move. I felt confident enough to take that first step."

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