On a recent episode of "The OGs" podcast, Amar'e Stoudemire shared how he thought the Miami Heat were the perfect organization for him to get drafted to, how it was playing with Dwyane Wade, and many other topics.
Stoudemire was almost drafted by the Miami Heat.
In the 2002 draft, the Phoenix Suns drafted Stoudemire out of high school with the ninth pick. Miami selected Caron Butler, who was viewed as a steal after falling to Miami at 10th overall in the draft.
On the podcast, Stoudemire said, " I always wanted to be here because even back when I was drafted to Phoenix, Pat [Riley] told me to say, listen, we had the 10th pick, and if you would have dropped to 9th, they would have taken me at 10."
If you are a Miami Heat fan, you can add this to the " What Ifs" in Heat history. If Stoudemire fell to Miami, what would the rest of his career look like? That following year, does Miami get the chance to select Dwyane Wade? A lot could have been different.
Later in the podcast, Stoudemire shared why he was interested in signing later in his career in Miami.
"The Heat organization was perfect for me, right? First of all, I'm back home. I'm back in Florida," he said. "We all had this culture they call Heat culture where everybody just kind of wants the best for each other."
Can you imagine?
— The OGs Show (@theOGsShow) December 17, 2024
If you're ever injured, you can check out Morgan + Morgan. Their fee is free unless they win. For more information go to https://t.co/IO0HfvijOh or call #LAW (#529). @forthepeople pic.twitter.com/tSpn05oetm
Stoudemire on playing with Wade
Stoudemire only played one season in the NBA with Dwyane Wade, but he shared that Wade was very open to sharing information about the game.
"He would help you become a better player," Stoudemire said. "D-Wade is a pass-first player. He wanted to get you involved."
Stoudemire brought up an underrated skill about Wade's game. I always thought that Wade was an underrated passer throughout his career. Wade was known as a scorer, but Wade always got his teammates involved and always knew how to throw a lob.
Stoudemire also talked about his Phonix Suns teams and playing for the New York Knicks. It was interesting to hear Stoudemire talk about Zion Williamson. With both being big athletic players, it was interesting to hear Stoudmire share his advice. Also, Stoudemire spoke about his famous wine bath stories.