Stoudemire Has Surgery

PHOENIX (Ticker) -- Phoenix Suns superstar center Amare Stoudemire underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Tuesday. Team orthopedic surgeon Dr. Thomas Carter performed the surgery that removed loose particles in the knee. Carter also performed microfracture surgery on Stoudemire's left knee in October 2005. Stoudemire is expected to miss two to three weeks. Phoenix opens the regular season at Seattle on November 1.

While in recovery from the microfracture surgery, Stoudemire also had an arthroscopic procedure on his right knee. As a result, the All-Star forward-center missed all but three games in the 2005-06 campaign. However, he returned in even better form last season, showcasing the freak athletic ability that many thought he would lose after the injury.

An All-NBA First Team selection, the 6-10 Stoudemire averaged 20.4 points and a career-high 9.6 rebounds while shooting 57.5 percent from the field in a full 82 games last campaign. The high-flying Stoudemire provided teammate Steve Nash with a reliable target on pick-and-rolls and on Phoenix's high-powered fast break en route to a 61-21 record and the top spot in the Pacific Division. But Stoudemire's suspension in Game Five of the Western Conference semifinals against the eventual NBA champion San Antonio Spurs may have cost the Suns the series and a shot at their first NBA title. Once recovered this time around, the 24-year-old Stoudemire may have to take on even more responsibility for Phoenix, which could be without forward Shawn Marion, who recently demanded a trade.

NBA PHOTO: Amare Stoudemire

Read more about Stoudemire in the current issue of North County Sports: The Magazine