The anticipation. That is what I’ll remember more than anything. When Amar’e Stoudemire caught the ball on the move, anything was in play.
Most often, it occurred on the receiving end of a pick-and-roll play with passing maestro Steve Nash. Stoudemire’s enormous paws – so reminiscent of high-flying predecessor Connie Hawkins – would envelope the ball with the safest embrace in the NBA. His ability to catch and maintain the ball in traffic might have been his most unappreciated skill. Yes, Nash’s ability to thread the needle was legendary, but no more so than Stoudemire’s capacity to accept that thread within a sea of swatting hands and sweaty bodies.