Amar'e Stoudemire Injury: How Costly Tirade Will Destroy His Image in New York

Amar'e Stoudemire has gone from being the pride of New York to a disgrace.

He was the big free-agent signing who was supposed to lift the Knicks from the doldrums, catapulting them through the playoffs and to their first championship since 1973.  

But even before he lacerated his left hand punching a fire extinguisher case after Monday's 104-94 loss to the Miami Heat, Stoudemire had taken a back seat to Carmelo Anthony in New York. He also took a back seat to Jeremy Lin earlier in the season.

In some ways, asking Stoudemire to win a championship was unfair. He hardly played any defense in Phoenix, and he's never been a good rebounder for his size, so why would that change in New York? He was never the superstar we tabbed him to be.

But when Stoudemire lost it in the locker room on Monday night, everything changed. Stoudemire wasn't just a disappointment on the court. He was a disappointment off it, as well. And that frankly makes you useless to an organization.

Stoudemire went to Twitter to apologize to the Knicks and his fans after the game. 

Stoudemire tweeted:

"

I am so mad at myself right now, I want to apologize to the fans and my team, not proud of my actions, headed home for a new start

— Amar'e Stoudemire (@Amareisreal) May 1, 2012"

Four hours later, Stoudemire was still thinking about what he had done.

He tweeted:

"

We all have done thing out of anger that we regret.That makes us human. Bad timing on my part. Sorry guys. This to shall pass.

— Amar'e Stoudemire (@Amareisreal) May 1, 2012"

It was past 3 a.m. on the East Coast.

Perhaps Stoudemire was preparing for what happened today and what is bound to happen the entire offseason. He had to know that the New York media would eat him up, that he would go from superhero to scapegoat, even if he wasn't the only one disappointing in New York.

But what's done is done. Stoudemire is being called a selfish player now after he took himself out of the series.

While the Knicks realistically never had a chance against the Heat, the fact of the matter is, they still had a chance mathematically. The Heat still have to win two more games to knock them out of the playoffs.

And taking yourself out of the series basically inspires the same reaction as if you quit—people blow up.

I would say that Stoudemire being traded would be a possibility in the offseason after this, but come to think of it, who wants this guy now?

It's not just in New York—his actions may have far-reaching consequences. He has a huge contract, and nobody wants to pay for a huge contract if he's liable of going bonkers in the postseason (off the court).

What you could have is Stoudemire playing out the rest of his contract in New York and constantly being seen as a disappointment, constantly being trashed by the New York media and the Knicks fan base. It has disaster written all over it.

Because when you are seen as the savior of the franchise, and you extinguish such hope and promise, you will undoubtedly fall from your pedestal, and fall hard.

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