Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame: 10 players who define the borderline for induction

#4 Amar'e Stoudemire

Orlando Magic v Phoenix Suns

By all accounts, the first 9 seasons of Stat's NBA career proved that he was well on his way to a Hall of Fame induction. It was during his second season in New York with the Knicks that the injury bugs began to affect both his presence and his play on the court, and he never regained the elite athleticism and bulldozing power that was a nightmare for any frontcourt player in the league earlier in his career.

Drafted in 2002 with the 9th overall pick by the Phoenix Suns, Stat went on to win Rookie of the Year honours, before making 6 All Star Game appearances and garnering 5 All-NBA selections, including a First-Team selection in 2007 while beating off the likes of LeBron James, Kevin Garnett, Chris Bosh and Carmelo Anthony.

He was the perfect roll man for Steve Nash to combine with, and the duo were responsible for several deep playoff runs made by the Suns in the mid- and late-noughties. 2 years removed from his retirement now, there are questions about whether or not he will be inducted. In my opinion, even if he is not a first ballot selection, he had a career well worthy of such an honour.