Stoudemire signs five-year, $73 million extension (AP) Updated: 2005-10-04 10:43 Amare Stoudemire, who jumped
from high school to stardom in the NBA, signed a five-year contract extension
Monday with the Phoenix Suns worth about $73 million.
 Seattle SuperSonics' Nick
Collison, right, boxes out Miami Heat's Shaquille O'Neal in the first
half, Sunday, Jan. 9, 2005, in Seattle. The SuperSonics won 108-98.
[AP] | The extension kicks in after this
season and has an opt-out clause after the 2009-10 season.
He signed the contract a month shy of his 23rd birthday as the Suns gathered
for media day preceding the start of their training camp in Tucson on Tuesday.
The 6-foot-10, 245-pound power forward played out of position at center and
dominated opponents last season for the high-scoring Suns.
Known for his breathtaking slam dunks and uncanny quickness, Stoudemire
averaged 26 points per game, fifth-best in the league, as a key member of a
Phoenix team that won an NBA-best 62 games.
"It's huge for the franchise," said teammate and last season's MVP Steve
Nash. "He's the cornerstone of this franchise."
Stoudemire, the No. 9 pick in the 2002 draft, won the rookie of the year
award over Yao Ming in 2002-03 and has improved each season. He averaged just
under 30 points a game in last year's playoffs — 37 against Tim Duncan in the
Western Conference finals.
The signing follows a lucrative deal with Nike last month.
"I've just been working on my game the whole summer to try to take us to the
top," Stoudemire said. "This has been a $100 million summer for me, so I'm very
proud of that. I'm just looking forward to bringing the championship home right
here in Phoenix."
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