Charles Barkley doesn’t mince words, and he surely didn’t when talking about New York Knicks forward Amar’e Stoudemire.
During an interview on ESPN New York 98.7 Wednesday, Barkley said the Knicks are in big trouble when it comes to Stoudemire, because the forward has lost all his talent and skill.
“You all in trouble with Amar’e,” Barkley told host Mike Lupica. “I like Amar’e as a person, but I don’t see him doing anything in the NBA, to be honest with you. I think he’s lost his skill. He lost his talent. He played the game on talent when he was younger. He played the game 100 percent on talent. And now he has lost his talent and he is in serious trouble.”
Thankfully for the Knicks, Amar’e is only signed for one more season after this one. He was a risky signing to begin with because of his knee problems, and his health issues have only gotten worse. He only played in 47 games two seasons ago, 29 last year and he’s playing limited minutes this season since he’s recovering from knee surgery.
Amar’e says his goal is to be able to contribute minutes in the postseason, but I have my doubts. Barkley is probably right on about Amar’e. Knicks fans will tell you they just can’t expect to receive anything from him. Enjoy paying him that $23.4 million option next season.
