Stoudemire not thinking about retirement: 'There's a lot of youth in these legs'

Amar'e Stoudemire has watched his ex-Phoenix Suns teammates plan and announce the end of their NBA careers. He isn't ready to join them, though. Not even close.

"I'm the last man standing," Stoudemire told ESPN's Tim MacMahon, referring to the fact Steve Nash officially called in quits last weekend, while Shawn Marion is set to retire after the season. "I plan on standing for a while, by the way."

While the six-time All-Star is eight years younger than Nash and four years younger than Marion, it's easy to lump Stoudemire, 32, in with his former teammates.

The 13-year veteran has battled a history of knee issues and hasn't cracked the 70-game mark in a season in four years. With his massive, five-year contract worth nearly $100 million set to expire after this season, retirement seems to at least be a logical consideration.

But the Dallas Mavericks' big man won't even consider it.

"No, no, there's no way," Stoudemire said. "There's a lot of youth in these legs. I have a lot of competitive juices still flowing in me. There's no way I'm ready to be the next man."

Stoudemire's durability and defensive deficiencies will be something teams will have to weigh when deciding on a free-agent offer for the veteran this summer, but he remains a capable offensive threat and rebounder in limited doses.

Stoudemire is averaging 11.4 points and 5.9 rebounds in less than 22 minutes per game, shooting 55 percent from the field while posting an impressive player efficiency rating of 19.88.