Former New York Knicks star graduates from police academy in drastic career change
Former New York Knicks star graduates from police academy in drastic career change
Sahil Kurup Thu, October 15, 2026 at 6:14 PM UTC
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Amar'e Stoudemire, a New York Knicks legend, made a major career change -Credit:Getty (Getty)Former New York Knicks forward Amar’e Stoudemire, who was a six-time NBA All-Star, has a new career after basketball, and he says it is a goal he has had since grade school
Amar’e Stoudemire has traded the basketball court for a badge, and he says it is something he has wanted since he was a kid.
The 43-year-old former New York Knicks star graduated Wednesday from the Miami Dade College School of Justice Basic Law Enforcement Academy after nearly 11 months of training. He will join the Miami-Dade Schools Police Department.
Miami Dade College announced the news on Instagram, noting that he graduated with special recognition. Stoudemire received the Harry “Coach” Everett Award for his contributions to the success of the academy program throughout his training. It comes as an NBA star announced "I don't have AIDS" while taking a dig at "internet doctors" after his mysterious disappearance.
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Stoudemire, a six-time NBA All-Star, the 2003 Rookie of the Year and a newly inducted Hall of Famer, told Sports Illustrated that the career move goes back to childhood.
“I remember back when I was in grade school, elementary school. They asked you on career day, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ And my initial response was a police officer,” Stoudemire said.
“It runs in the family. My uncle was a captain. His brother was a deputy. My cousin is a captain. My sister’s in the academy. So, it’s a family tradition, basically,” Stoudemire added.
He also said the job is about more than a paycheck. “It’s a real job. It’s a community-oriented job where our first line of business is to protect and serve the community,” Stoudemire said.
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The training was demanding. Stoudemire told Sports Illustrated he completed 848 hours covering first aid, legal procedures, defensive tactics and vehicle operations, and he had to pass a state exam. He said the physical side was tougher than he expected.
“It was a little bit more challenging actually because now I’m running a lot more than I had before,” Stoudemire said. “Obviously, in the NBA you run short distances, right? And the police academy, you’re running more long-distance mileage.”
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“My wife at first was a little bit concerned because obviously being a police officer, there’s some danger to it,” Stoudemire said. “But if you are well-trained and you understand your policies and procedures, you’re able to somewhat have officer safety, which is very important, and that’s the goal.”
Stoudemire entered the NBA straight out of high school as the ninth overall pick in 2002. He spent five seasons with the Knicks from 2010 to 2015, and he also played for the Phoenix Suns,
Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat, averaging 18.9 points and 7.8 rebounds over 14 seasons. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Aug. 15, 2026.
Stoudemire graduaed from the MDC School of Justice Basic Law Enforcement Academy -Credit:Instagram/mdcollege
He is not the first athlete to take this path. Shaquille O’Neal served as a reserve police officer in Miami Beach while still playing for the Heat, and former NFL receiver Laveranues Coles became a police officer in Jacksonville, Florida.
This comes after Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson was "in total disbelief" as he slammed his NFL team for an unforgivable mistake.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
