DET PRAISES AMAR'E (A TRUE Leader)

Mike D'Antoni had been telling people since Saturday that Stoudemire would be in the lineup, but Stoudemire said after the Knicks' 124-106 romp that he didn't know he was going to play until an hour before tip-off.

"He showed a lot of courage because he was playing with an injury," said Detroit coach John Kuester. "He gave them 40 minutes."

Forty gritty minutes. For the first half, he was Amar'e Lite. He didn't come out with his usual high energy. He couldn't elevate on shots. His right leg, at the knee, looked puffier than his left leg.

"But in the second half, he was awesome, as usual," noted Detroit's Tracy McGrady.

He was the Amar'e that New York has come to know and love, going for 26 of his 33 points.

"By being out there, he showed his true character," Kuester said. "I'll tell you this: I knew he was a great player. But I never knew he wanted to make everyone around him great. That's the thing I've really been impressed with. Watching his leadership and how he's talking to the players and how he's encouraging them. That's very, very impressive."

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/b...right_knee_exhibiting_leadership_crucial.html

As the Chinese proverb goes: "An army of a thousand is easy to find, but, ah, how difficult to find a general"

I never knew Amar'e was this way either. I think everyone who said in the offseason that he wasn't worth it, should eat their words now. He's the most important acquisition a team got this past offseason, aside from LBJ. Go Amar'e and NY Knicks

I hope they dont continue to play him with that sort of swelling in his knee!

Good thing we got these few days off before our next game so he can catch alittle rest.

Amar'e brings leadership to the Knicks that has been desperately needed for 10 years in a way that LeBron never could

I'd rather lose 1-2 games and give Amar'e some needed rest than playing a hurting 5 year 100 million dollar franchise player who has a history of cartilage damage to his knee.....for some reason I just can't imagine Amar'e still playing a major role in the last 2 years of his contract...I mean most of his game depends on his athleticism...and yes the micro fracture surgery was a huge success for him, but it only regenerates a part of the original cartilage.

Once that cartilage is gone it's game over....Amar'e is a fantastic player and leader but I'm very scared every time he goes up for a power dunk or rebound...cartilage damage is pretty much the worst injury you can have as a basketball player....just compre Kobe this season to Kobe at 26 or 28....he's really struggling with his knee, it's pretty much bone on bone because of that lack of cartilage and it hasn't done his game any good imo.

^Brandon Roy smh

i will donate some of my cartilage to Amar'e.

Best comment ever :thumbsup:

I'm sure Donnie Walsh and James Dolan appreciate your effort. Maybe they should give you like 1 % of Amare's contract which is $1 Mio :2cents: