Amare's Future is Big Deal

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The Suns invested faith, time and money in Amar? Stoudemire long ago and have a valuable player to show for it.

That value is rising on and off the court. If Amar? Inc. were a stock, it would be one to buy.

Stoudemire's off-court advisers, Rodney Rice and Michael Hodges, comb through new business offers and community endeavors daily. They have jumped at few, knowing bigger moves are ahead with every rung Stoudemire climbs on the ladder to NBA stardom. You see Stoudemire leaping upon the scene now in a Nike commercial, but they see Stoudemire with his own Nike signature shoe within 16 months.

"That's something he definitely wants," said Rice, Stoudemire's Washington, D.C.-based business manager for two years. "Not many players can command that, but he's that type of player. He's a well-spoken, humble man. Over time, companies are going to see he's a marketable person."

Stoudemire gave Rice and Hodges even more responsibility when he cut ties with his second pro agent, Bill Duffy, in late September. Stoudemire had parted with his first agent, John Wolf, who has an ongoing lawsuit against Stoudemire to recoup money he began paying Stoudemire and his family when the player was in high school.


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There is no doubt that he is going to be their biggest priority when it comes time to resign him. If they can't lock him up, Phx will be in a world of hurt because this kid is sky-rocketing to the top of the NBA.