Postgame interview from 2004 All-Star Weekend Rookie Challenge Game

The sophomores beat the rookies by a score of 142-118 in the 2004 NBA All-Star weekend Rookie Challenge game. Amare Stoudemire, who absolutely dominated the game for the sophomores, spoke to the media after the game.

Q: What does this mean to you, being part of a game like this and getting the MVP, and really, I guess you guys are having your own dunk contest tonight?

Stoudemire: Yeah, it means a lot, man. We went out there and had fun. That's what it's all about here at All-Star weekend, especially in L.A.. It's all about just going out there and enjoying yourself and putting on a show.

Q: At which moment did both teams decide to stop playing basketball and put on a dunking contest?

Stoudemire: That was after the game got out of hand and the sophomores took over and just put on a show at the end.

Q: Did you talk about it before or it just happened?

Stoudemire: Well, we wanted to go out there and blow them guys out. It's all about having fun and that's what we did.

Q: Do you enjoy watching Carmelo and LeBron, going to work a little bit and they had a couple of nice alley-oops together?

Stoudemire: Those guys, they are very exciting. Carmelo his all-around game, it's amazing and those guys are great athletes.

Q: Was this a statement at all that you're still the Rookie of the Year?

Stoudemire: Yeah, no question. (Laughter).

Q: How does it feel to have a performance like this? I know it's just an exhibition game, but after a tough first half?

Stoudemire: Oh, it feels great, man. It's like a dream come true, you know. Out here in L.A., the All-Star Weekend, capture the MVP, broke a record, it's amazing.

Q: Do you think you should have been on the All-Star Team, not just the Sophomore-Rookie Game?

Stoudemire: I don't think so, because I was injured pretty much most of the season. So I didn't have enough time to really play my game. So no, I don't think so.

Q: You talked about it's all about having fun and putting on a show, do you have fun dunking when nobody is guarding? Don't you prefer to dunk on people?

Stoudemire: Oh, yeah, that's always more exciting, at least for me. The game was kind of pretty much out of hand so we wanted to just go out there and just have fun.

Q: Do you think the fans liked that?

Stoudemire: Well, to a certain extent. If the game is out of hand in a situation like this was tonight, then I'm pretty sure the fans would love to watch that. In a hard battle in the playoffs, no, it's not going to happen.