Phoenix Suns power forward/center Amare Stoudemire enters the Opus–LA photo studio, and fill the room with his frame. Those on hand to interview, photograph, promote, and befriend him—most of whom are of average height and, presumably, physical ability—are gobbled up by his shadow. This is more than a testament to sheer size; there’s an intensity reflected mostly in the eyes, predatory one-way mirrors that would be scary to face anywhere, especially in his chosen arena, a basketball court. You could get better odds of defeating a cheetah in a game of tag than of scoring against this guy. Anyway you look at it, you lose.

But where does the internal power come from that separates him from the rest of us? Good genes, hard work, and passion certainly play a part, but the fuel that lights the fire to power the body that moves the ball comes from a place so deep it has yet to be mapped, a mysterious place called the soul, a place we went looking for, a place that nobody knows.

Interviewed and photographed exclusively for Risen Magazine.

Risen Magazine: I know you love music; does it have any influence on your game?

Amare Stoudemire: I don’t think so. Music is something that influences my lifestyle, but not really my game.

RM: We interviewed Tupac’s Shakur’s mother, Afeni, a while back. It seems that you and Tupac have similarities, in struggle and passion, and love for your mothers. Even your first name and his middle name, Amar, are similar.

AS: Growing up in the streets of poverty and being able to make it out . . . it’s similar to Tupac’s life and his mother-son relationship. My mom was definitely an inspiration in my life, the things that she stressed and taught me, from a spiritual standpoint. I think it definitely helped.

RM: You could have gone a lot of different ways, but you continued moving toward playing in the NBA. What helped you to do that?

AS: All my friends were in the streets, but I had a goal in mind. I hung out with them, but my goal was to be successful for my family, because at the time they needed some help. That kept me strong. I was always like the mentor among my friends, and I always gave them words of encouragement and tried to lift them above the situation, even at a young age.

RM: Did you ever feel a sense of destiny?

AS: Since the age of eight, I knew I would make it to the NBA. It was an internal feeling I had when I was a kid. When I went to school and played ball or whatever I did with my friends, I was always a little bit better, a little taller, a little faster and that kept my confidence going. I just kept growing as a person and as an athlete.

RM: Your tattoos seem to tell a story.

AS: Yeah, Cartoon, a famous tattoo artist, does most of them. All my tattoos are dedicated to God, really. My kids are young and if I died right now they could get to know me by my tats, what I stand for and what I believe in and how I made it out of poverty. My tattoos are a testimony.

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