Amar'e Stoudemire Injury: Why Knicks Should Suspend STAT Even If He's Healthy

The New York Knicks will take the court at Madison Square Garden Thursday night for Game 3 of their series against the Miami Heat without the services of superstar forward Amar'e Stoudemire after his mishap with a fire extinguisher following their Game 2 to loss in Miami.

As a result, Stoudemire pretty much eliminated himself from the rest of the series and possibly crushed whatever slim chance the Knicks had of pulling off an upset.

What happened to Stoudemire was nothing more than a freak accident, but it was a selfish act which not only hurt himself, but his teammates as well.

Hanging your teammates out to dry is something that can't go unpunished.

What the Knicks must do is suspend Stoudemire for his actions. It doesn't have to be a long suspension, but something has to be done.

The organization must send a message that no individual is more important than the team.

It looks though like no action will be taken against Stoudemire as Marc Berman of the New York Post reports no fine or suspension is likely coming Stoudemire's way anytime soon.

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The Knicks are not expected to fine or suspend Stoudemire for his self-inflicted wound, but owner James Dolan was in attendance and this can’t sit well. ... Stoudemire’s attack on the fire extinguisher was a build-up from months of turmoil, including the tragic death of his brother in early February. One source said the punch was linked more to his intense dislike of the Heat and Chris Bosh than jealousy over Carmelo Anthony, who has taken over his role as the Knicks’ go-to guy.

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Quite frankly, that's unacceptable.

Teams, coaches and players all love to use the word accountability these days. Everyone makes a point of saying they will hold people accountable, but very few actually practice what they preach.

Now is the time for the Knicks to make a statement by holding Stoudemire accountable for his actions.

Look, everyone feels for the guy.

It's been a tough year for Amar'e on and off the court, but he's being paid $100 million for his services and his actions, accidental or not, don't reflect well of a leader.

When the Knicks take the floor Thursday night with their season on the line, they will be without three starters in Stoudemire, Jeremy Lin and Iman Shumpert. While all three losses are devastating, only two of them are acceptable.

Something must be done about the other one.