When he’s not on the basketball court playing for the New York Knicks, stylish NBA star Amar’e Stoudemire is making the rounds at runway shows, sitting in the front row with fashion elite like Anna Wintour. The pair have clearly hit it off, because the Vogue editor-in-chief improbably teamed Stoudemire with editor Hamish Bowles for a story and photo spread in the magazine’s April 2011 issue. Stoudemire, who recently teamed with Nike and their “Always On” video ad campaign, was out and about Monday night to premier his video at 21 Mercer streaming live performances by Vado, Stalley, Jesse Boykins III and French Montana. Gracious and soft-spoken, the 6’11 specimen of manly pulchritude is a complex figure who’s overcome the early death of his father and an often absent mother to become an NBA all-star. We caught up with him the night before his video premiere to talk fashion, acting, agriculture and his year with the Knicks.

David Hershkovits: What kind of year has it been for you?

Amar’e Stoudemire: It’s been a phenomenal year for me. I traveled to Israel and learned a lot of history. On top of the basketball season we had in New York, I acted in a few movies and shows like MacGruber and Entourage. Fashion just took on a whole other realm. I was able to attend some shows with fashion moguls, and received the Lord & Taylor Fashion Oracle Award. I also made the second All-NBA team.

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