Former NBA star Amar'e Stoudemire arrested in Miami after allegedly punching his teenage daughter

Former NBA star Amar'e Stoudemire was arrested in Miami after allegedly punching and slapping his teenage daughter, police records show. Stoudemire, 40, is charged with battery, Miami Police Department records show. He denies the charges.

Stoudemire allegedly entered his daughter's room in his Miami home Saturday night and accused her of talking back to her grandmother. The 6'10'' former New York Knicks and Miami Heat center then punched her on the right side of her jaw, slapped her in the face — leaving her with a bloody nose — and then repeatedly slapped the "left side of her body," according to the police report. 

One of the officers who responded to the scene wrote in the report that he "observed blood stains on the victim's sweater and sweatpants."

The teen texted her mother a picture of her crying with blood running down her face and, when the girl's mother called Stoudemire, he advised her to pick their daughter up because she was being "disrespectful," according to the report.

According to police, Stoudemire told them his daughter had called her mother because she was "sad" that she had "received a whooping from him for being disrespectful and a liar." When asked to elaborate, Stoudemire refused to answer and was then arrested, police said. 

Stoudemire has two daughters, ages 17 and 14, according to CBS Miami. It was not clear which daughter was involved in the incident.

He took to Instragram to deny the charges, saying, "Over the last 24 hours, an incident at my family home led to my being charged with assaulting my daughter. It is an allegation based on a report that does not square with the facts. I am of the Jewish faith, today Jewish people all over the world celebrate Hanukkah and hear the story of how we fought wickedness. I believe that 'whatever is hateful to you, do not do to others.' As the investigation unfolds, the facts will show the allegations to be groundless as my daughter's medical condition is not the result of being assaulted by a father who is nearly 7 feet tall and weighs 250 pounds. I could never see myself assaulting any person, especially my children. I respect, protect, and love my family, particularly my children. As a father, I ask for your grace as we secure our space and privacy."

Stoudemire last played in the NBA in 2016. He was most recently a player development assistant for the Brooklyn Nets from 2020 until the end of the 2021-2022 season.

The alleged incident occurred hours after Stoudemire said on Instagram that he had received a master's degree from the University of Miami.