Due to a knee injury, Amar’e Stoudemire hasn’t been getting busy on the court with the New York Knicks. He has, however, been getting busy in the editing room for the release of his new documentary In the Moment, airing April 19 on Epix.
In The Moment provides an in-depth look at the six-time All-Star power forward who played just four years of organized basketball before going pro. Since then, Stoudemire’s career has been peppered with accolades. He was the first prep-to-pro rookie of the year, earned an All-NBA First team nod, and won an Olympic bronze medal. However, an NBA championship has yet to be added to his résumé.
While the film has an inspirational feel, it’s also like watching Titanic. You watch this beautiful ship move gracefully through the waves, but you know in about two hours the whole thing is going to be under water.
In The Moment tips his current injury iceberg with about eight minutes left in the film. A sullen and visibly frustrated Stoudemire addresses his first knee injury of the season on Oct 12, 2012 with his face in his hands, recounting the numerous injuries over his career.
“It’s mentally draining, to the point where [I want to say], ‘You know what? I’m just going to hang my shoes up and just be a school teacher like I always wanted to be’,” Stoudemire said.
After counting to six, he’s unsure if he missed one injury but settles on that number.
“Seven is a sacred number, so I guess the seventh one, that’s when I’ve had enough,” Stoudemire said.
Some quick clips show his resurgence after the first injury of the season then – boom – months later, we’re dragged back into the operating room where Amar’e needs to have a bone chip removed from his knee. His seventh career injury.
“I can’t catch a break,” Stoudemire said. “It’s like, what am I doing wrong? Of course, the ‘why?’ question keeps popping up. Why am I injured? Why me? Why can’t I go through my career without injuries? What type of player would I be now if I wouldn’t have ever gotten injured?”
The questions won’t stop coming now that he’s in the most impatient and self-entitled city in the league. Ticket prices are rising and so are expectations for Stoudemire to bring home some hardware. Heck, New Yorkers will probably settle for a second-round-playoff appearance right now. The thirst is real in the city.
“I signed with the Knicks when few wanted to,” Stoudemire said. “At the time, the Knicks were not a relevant team as far as playoff basketball.
“When I signed, I wanted to bring that winning mentality back to the city.”
The movie, like Stoudemire’s career, ends with a to-be-continued feel that leaves fans and viewers wondering what’s next.
“I just want to go down as one of the greatest of all time,” Stoudemire said. “To become one of those players who persevered through anything to accomplish greatness.”
