Amare Stoudemire is an arrogant asshole

[ClingingMars]

Q: I really didn't know before the trade that you and Shaq were so tight. How close are you guys?

A: Me and Shaq are definitely close. He's a good friend. Shaq is definitely a positive for me and positive for us. Me growing up watching Shaq, I never thought I'd be on the same team with him. But now I am and now it's time to gel as a group and learn from each other.

Q: The day or two before the trade was completed, were you calling Shaq to encourage him to push the deal through or was he calling you?

A: I reached out to Shaq. It wasn't a long conversation or anything. It was just to say, "We're ready for you."

Q: At his first press conference, Shaq announced that a big part of his role with the Suns was overseeing the "Amare Stoudemire Project." How much will having a mentor like him advance your game?

A: I wouldn't say I need a mentor. I think I'm already a pretty good player. I think what he's saying is [that] he's going to be a positive influence on me. A mentor? Nah. I don't need a mentor at all. What he's saying is that he's a player who's won championships and he's going to teach a young player how to win championships as well. I think he just wants me to reach my full potential, just like I do.

Q: I remember you telling me once that you'd prefer it if we called you a "point center" as opposed to a straight-up center. Is it safe to say you love how this trade moves you back to power forward?

A: It's my natural position. I've been playing out of position for a long time. So where [switching back to power forward] helps us, me being such a versatile player, it allows me to roam and take advantage of certain matchups and play my style of ball. I feel great [physically] and I feel like I'm getting stronger and stronger.

Q: But reviews of the trade have been mostly negative. How much of that stuff do you hear?

A: Doesn't matter what everybody else thinks. People say things. We understand what it takes to win and we know what we have here. We just have to stay together as a group and let everybody else talk.

He doesn't need a mentor? Then why the hell is he still a terrible defender, in foul trouble constantly, and a whiner?

I know Shaq ain't what he used to be, but thinking that Shaq can't teach him a few things is just pure arrogance.

-Mars

[monosylab1k]

I'm guessing he doesn't know what the word mentor means. Those summer classes at ASU must have been great.

"I don't need a mentor, I just need a more experienced player to take me under his wing and show me what it takes to win championships and become a more complete player. But not a mentor."

[monosylab1k]

Is there any question Amare is the dumbest player in the NBA? possibly NBA history?

[Obstructed_View]

It's not fair to use big words like "mentor" with Amare when he obviously doesn't know what it means.

EDIT: Mono obviously beat me to it.

[td4mvp21]

I think it's pretty much established that he is.

[ApolloCreed]

He doesn't need a mentor? Then why the hell is he still a terrible defender, in foul trouble constantly, and a whiner?

I know Shaq ain't what he used to be, but thinking that Shaq can't teach him a few things is just pure arrogance.

-Mars

I understand what youre saying, but if the Suns brought in Shaq to be a mentor, what is Shaq going to teach him about defense?

[ChuckD]

This just in: the north pole is cold sometimes.

[bdictjames]

I think Amare thinks "mentor" is like Kareem Abdul Jabbar to Bynum in terms of skill difference.

[ClingingMars]

I understand what youre saying, but if the Suns brought in Shaq to be a mentor, what is Shaq going to teach him about defense?

In his prime, Shaq wasn't that bad a defender.

-Mars

[ClingingMars]

This just in: the north pole is cold sometimes.

:lmao

tell that to most Suns fans

-Mars

[Spurologist]

Nah. Amare doesn't need a mentor? Shaq is only an All time great player who has rings. I would think he would be humble enough to try and learn from him. That's basically a slap in the face to Shaq IMO. "he's going to be a positive influence on me. A mentor? Nah. I don't need a mentor at all" That's funny. Then again Amare's "already a pretty good player" - if he keeps doing pushups during games, the sky's the limit

[lefty]

I think Amare has mistaken a mentor for a Mentos.

So basically, that's what he meant :

I wouldn't say I need a Mentos. I think I'm already a pretty good player. I think what he's saying is [that] he's going to be a positive influence on me. A Mentos ? Nah. I don't need a Mentos at all. What he's saying is that he's a player who's won championships and he's going to teach a young player how to win championships as well. I think he just wants me to reach my full potential, just like I do.

[JamStone]

I don't think Amare is an arrogant asshole. He's an obnoxious jerk, a pompous dipshit, and egotistical jackass. But, arrogant asshole? Nah.

[nkdlunch]

yeah to be arrogant, you need to have above average IQ. he's just a dumbass kid. he doesn't know better.

[Warlord23]

I don't think Amare is an arrogant asshole. He's an obnoxious jerk, a pompous dipshit, and egotistical jackass. But, arrogant asshole? Nah.

Nicely done :toast

[ManuTim_best of Fwiendz]

yeah to be arrogant, you need to have above average IQ. he's just a dumbass kid. he doesn't know better.
He's one of those rare cases, a dummy with a big ego.
Winning combination.

[Findog]

Check these idiots out:

http://freedarko.blogspot.com/2007/10/knowing-is-knowledge.html

They think Amare is some kind of philosopher king. I got called an asshole in the comments for saying the following:


I guarantee you Amare hasn't put nearly the amount of thought into it that you guys have. I'm sure his reasoning for KIK was the same as for "Black Jesus" on his neck, and along the same lines as Samuel L. Jackson in Pulp Fiction:

"I just thought it was some cold-blooded shit to say to a motherfucker..."

I don't think Duhmare even knows what it's supposed to mean.

Then they followed it up with this crap:

http://freedarko.blogspot.com/2007/10/knowing-is-knowledge-ii.html

[JamStone]

Amare'sVocabularyLooms

[ElNono]

Check these idiots out:

http://freedarko.blogspot.com/2007/10/knowing-is-knowledge.html

They think Amare is some kind of philosopher king. I got called an asshole in the comments for saying the following:



Then they followed it up with this crap:

http://freedarko.blogspot.com/2007/10/knowing-is-knowledge-ii.html

Crack cocaine must be real cheap wherever those guys are at.

[Findog]

Crack cocaine must be real cheap wherever those guys are at.

It's not crack, I think it's more like really good bud. Either that or they're dropping acid.

[Cry Havoc]

Is there any question Amare is the dumbest player in the NBA? possibly NBA history?

:clap

[anakha]

Amare is NOT dumb!

/ApolloCreed

[O-Factor]

When Nash is finished we'll see how good of a player Amare really is..........In my opinion his dumb ignorant ass will be good but you wont mention him as one of the top PF in the league. He can't play defense and will actually have to work for his points.

[Shaolin-Style]

This is why he'll never come close to matching TD.

Tim took Drob as a mentor, and while Drob is head and shoulders a more classy person than shaq, Shaq still is/was a talented C he could learn a lot from, besides doing pushups and getting free buckets off great passes from nash.

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

"I wouldn't say I'm a horrific defender. I just don't do anything that prevents the opposing offense from scoring. I allow the guy I'm supposed to be covering to put points on the board with little, if any resistance, but I wouldn't go so far as to say I don't play defense."

[san antonio spurs]

Shaq biggest asset was his size and power (which you can't teach).
He had no real good footwork, no J, and his defense relied so much on his physical play that the referees allowed him to play with because of his height and weight.

So it leaves very few tactics to teach to Amaré.
I agree however that stoudawhiner is an obnoxious jerk, a pompous dipshit, and egotistical jackass as stated previously by Jamstone.

[ludda]

Amare is too busy pumping his chests after his dunks to play D.

[WalterBenitez]

I am not good in Maths, but ...

Arrogant + asshole = stupid?
Arrogant + asshole >= stupid?
Arrogant + asshole <= stupid?

[ATXSPUR]

The San Antonio Spurs are defending NBA Champs.

[Kamnik]

Why are u guys surprised.... his IQ is somewhere around 30-40 range.

[Ronaldo McDonald]

My God. I'm not a big supporter of anything isiah thomas has done in NY, but I think many teams should follow his lead by doing what he did to Stephon Marbury: banning certain players from talking to the media.

[Road Warrior]

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m160/bobbyt207/cant_fix_stupid_copy.jpg

[Cry Havoc]

I bet whenever Duncan matches up against Stoudemire at ANY point in the season that he has a little wry grin on his face. The basketball IQs in that matchup are about as far apart as the Knicks and a well-managed team. Duncan has to know he can own Amare at any point, any time, every single time.

[SAGambler]

He doesn't need a mentor? Then why the hell is he still a terrible defender, in foul trouble constantly, and a whiner?

I know Shaq ain't what he used to be, but thinking that Shaq can't teach him a few things is just pure arrogance.

-Mars

It's quite possible they should have explained to him what a "mentor" is. I get the feeling Amare isn't the brightest bulb in the package.

[Ronaldo McDonald]

Maybe they should explain to him what defense means, too. He probably doesn't know what that means either.

[Budkin]

Both of those guys are as dumb as they come. Next.

[TampaDude]

Regarding Amare Stoudemire, I only have this to say: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnSxGriD6GA