2026 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Amar’e Stoudemire was selected ninth overall in the 2002 NBA draft. The Phoenix Suns used the pick to select the athletic high-school prospect from Florida.
Stoudemire quickly became one of the most explosive young big men in the NBA. He won the 2003 NBA Rookie of the Year Award and developed into a multiple-time All-Star and All-NBA forward-center.
His early career in Phoenix connected him with point guard Steve Nash and coach Mike D’Antoni. Together with teammates such as Shawn Marion, they formed the core of the Suns’ fast-paced teams in the mid-2000s.
The draft position is sometimes confused with Stoudemire’s later reputation as one of the best players in his class. He was not a top-five selection; Phoenix drafted him ninth overall, a choice that quickly proved highly valuable.