Stoudemire is on a mission with Knicks

They chose Chris Bosh over him, and there can't possibly be a greater motivational tool than that for Amar'e Stoudemire. LeBron James stuck to his side all through All-Star Weekend last season in Dallas, trumpeting the idea of the Cavaliers making a trade to acquire the league's best power forward. But in the end, it was Bosh who was preening with LeBron and Dwyane Wade on that stage in Miami that Friday night in July - and Stoudemire alone in New York, suddenly carrying the weight of a desperate franchise on a surgically repaired left knee.

"I wasn't teaming up with those guys as far as communicating with them and figuring out where they were going to go,'' Stoudemire said in a recent conversation with Newsday. "My decision was based on me and my family. I wasn't making a decision on LeBron, Dwyane, Chris and those guys.''

Instead of following, Stoudemire chose to lead. He calls himself "a pioneer'' in the Knicks' long-awaited revival. If this is to be the starting point of an eventual return to elite status for the Knicks, Stoudemire will be viewed as the first building block, the player who took on the challenge rather than avoiding it.

"You had to break the dam and Amar'e broke it,'' Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni said. "It was paramount for the organization for somebody to make the first step. He did it. But I think also, much more important is a lot of guys can say they want to be here and talk the stuff. But then walking it is different. He's walking it.''

He's walking it without a limp - after 82 games plus 16 in the playoffs last season, the knee is quite stable - but with a chip on his shoulder. He's walking it with a swagger that emotes confidence with every post-dunk roar and every glare that follows a rejection. He has taken to slapping the ball out of an opponent's hand after a whistle, as if to emphasize that it's his now. He tries to goaltend post-whistle shots so opponents can't get the satisfaction of a rhythm-inducing swish.

It's the same type of intentional meanness that Kevin Garnett put on display when he arrived in Boston three years ago. But KG joined forces with two other stars, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce, and the Celtics were immediate championship contenders (and by winning the title in their first year together, set the bar very high for Miami's trio).

Stoudemire comes to New York as the new Madison Square Guardian, the lone star, the first current All-NBA player (he was a second-team selection in 2009-10) the Knicks have had since Patrick Ewing (1996-97).

The goal, of course, is to do for Stoudemire what the Knicks never really did for Ewing: bring in more star-quality talent to become a legitimate championship contender.

Stoudemire isn't shy about recruiting; during the summer, he openly discussed talking with players such as Tony Parker and Carmelo Anthony about coming to New York. Both, according to people close to the players, are very interested.

Then came Anthony's wedding, which Stoudemire attended. He smiled when another star player looking for a LeBron-like address upgrade, Chris Paul, grabbed the microphone and talked about getting himself and Carmelo to join Stoudemire to create "our own Big Three in New York.''

Two-thirds of that mission could be completed sometime this season if the Knicks can complete a trade to acquire Anthony from the Denver Nuggets. Stoudemire publicly downplays the situation, but make no mistake about it: He's very much involved behind the scenes. But he also is cognizant of the young roster around him and how important it is to get off to a good start so the Knicks remain a choice destination.

"We can't really focus on what else is out there and we can't worry about somebody who is not with us right now,'' he said. "The team we have, we have to be ready to play.''

D'Antoni, after two losing seasons in as many years with the Knicks, can't afford to wait for any more help. Stoudemire, who turns 27 Nov. 16, doesn't want to wait, either. He left a playoff team in Phoenix with a future Hall of Fame point guard in Steve Nash to be part of something potentially special in New York. And he did it, by his calculations, at the right time.

"I think this year is going to be the starting point of my prime,'' he said.

He has been a five-time All-Star. He was the Rookie of the Year in 2003. He has been named to the All-NBA team four times, once on the first team (2006-07). He has not averaged less than 20 points per game in seven of his last eight seasons (and that one season he didn't reach that level, 2005-06, he played in only three games because of a knee injury).

With James and Wade, two of the league's top scorers during the last few years, now sharing the ball and Stoudemire being featured in the Knicks' offense, it is conceivable that he could lead the NBA in scoring this season. And if he does lead the Knicks to a playoff berth, MVP is not an overstatement.

But there's so much going against him, too, with the young roster with unproven talent and, of course, his first experience without Nash in six years. The clock already is ticking on the Knicks' $100-million investment.

"It's going to take time,'' Stoudemire said. "It's all about staying healthy and having longevity. I'm still fairly young and I've got a lot of years left in this league. We should get to a championship-caliber level in the near future.''

The Dolan family owns controlling interests in the Knicks, MSG and Cablevision. Cablevision owns Newsday.