I’ve been with Amar’e professionally for almost his entire career, and longer than any of his past or present staff members.  Through that time we’ve formed an incredible bond, our like-minded passion for our work and willingness to experiment with new and different things to further the Stoudemire brand has made our run together a life and career changing experience.

Going to the Nike Campus in Portland, shooting for Nike, seeing my concepts and photos for Nike on massive billboards in China,  designing AS1 custom Nikes for Amar’e with Chester Bennington of Linkin Park.

We were the first to market with new technology portals like STAT TV – an online CHANNEL showcasing mini-documentaries of a Day in the Life of Amar’e Stoudemire, as well as all-star campaigns and special messages to fans.  We were also the first to market a portal like this with a custom STAT-TV Facebook app.

We created brand strategies and maps before every summer and season. We weren’t a huge corporation but we ran it like we were.  Always on a strict schedule and plan, and always looking back to the brand strategy and maps as a guide to keep us from getting lost.

The E1T1 project took us to Africa together where we’ve been able to tangibly change children’s lives. We started the idea of E1T1 together in a parking lot. We hashed out the idea, drew up the finger, and now that infamous mark is used by a countless number of children around the globe. Traveling to Sierra Leone during their revolution, the government calling and begging us not to go, meeting the Sierra Leone president Ernest Bai Koroma…  All of that was awesome, but it’s the direct impact you see on these kids lives that made it all worth it.

It’s been a beautiful ride.

But through all of that Amar’e has consistently delivered on the court to help us manifest these ideas and we’ve put out an amazing product that we can all be proud of.