Amar’e Stoudemire has traded in his jersey and shorts for a dress uniform and a badge.
Now 43, the former All-NBA player and recent enshrinee to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, graduated from the Miami Dade College School of Justice’s Basic Law Enforcement Academy on Thursday. He will move into a position as an officer with the county’s school police department.
On its X account, the college posted photos of the smiling 6-foot-10 Stoudemire with his classmates and teachers.
A statement from Miami Dade College explained Stoudemire’s motivation.
“For Amar’e, this is more than a second career,” the school announced in a post on X. “Becoming a police officer was a childhood dream, inspired in part by family members who served in law enforcement. Now, he will begin a new chapter as a police officer with the Miami Dade Schools Police Department, giving back to our community and serving as a positive influence for the next generation.”
Born in Florida, Stoudemire went straight from high school to the NBA, selected with the ninth overall pick in 2002 by the Phoenix Suns. He was named NBA Rookie of the Year in 2003 and was a six-time All-Star.
He played primarily for the Suns and New York Knicks, and briefly, at the end of his career, for the Dallas Mavericks and Heat. In his final NBA season, 2015-16, he appeared in 52 games for Miami. The following season, he played for a pro team in Israel.
Stoudemire averaged 18.9 points and 7.8 rebounds over his 846 regular-season games (696 starts).
