The Suns lost more than an All-NBA center as Amare Stoudemire sat out the past two games with a sore right knee. They were without a captain.Stoudemire will turn 25 on Nov. 16 and has matured to the point where he has joined Steve Nash and Shawn Marion as team captains.
"He's taken ownership of the team and shown the ability to really do what's best for them," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said. "He's shown leadership and hard work. It's only right to reward that. He and Shawn and Steve will lead the way for us."
Stoudemire said he thought the honor recognized his hard work over five NBA years.
"It feels great to be a captain but I still have to work on leadership qualities," Stoudemire said. "I've been working hard for five years and I've got the captain title on my belt. It's definitely a responsibility. Your teammates look for you.
"I think it's great that the coaching staff and players look to me as a captain. It's just a matter of getting everybody on the team on one accord and trying to win ballgames. It's about being a great leader and being focused and making sure your teammates are focused."
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