Stoudemire Offers Wisdom to James

Amar’e Stoudemire gave LeBron James some public relations advice on Wednesday.

“I think you have to conduct yourself in way that people can relate to you,” said Stoudemire, who led the Knicks back to the playoffs this season after the team posted its first winning record (42-40) in 10 years. “The more they can relate to you, the more they will appreciate you.”

Stoudemire, a fan favorite in New York, was clearly bothered by James’s remarks.

“Everybody has their own way of commenting on things, but I would have commented differently,” Stoudemire said. “One thing about Michael Jordan was that no matter how great he was and how much of a platform he stood on, he still related to all the hard workers out there in the world.

“I think LeBron is still young,” Stoudemire added, “and there is still time for him to reconnect with the public.”

Stoudemire also discussed his injured back — “I’m rehabbing it in the gym by lifting weights, it’s still a little sore but it’s getting better” — and the departure of Donnie Walsh, who stepped down as the Knicks’ team president this month. Walsh brought Stoudemire to New York after failing to lure James via free agency.

“I was surprised, I didn’t know what to expect,” Stoudemire said. “Donnie is one of those guys who is a great basketball mind, and he will be around a long time. He called me when he was stepping down and told me he was staying on as a consultant. He was raving about how proud he was of me, and I told him that I was proud of him as well.”