SLAMMIN' MOVES OF STOUDEMIRE CAUGHT FOR 'NBA 06' VIDEO GAME.

Byline: Redmond Carolipio Staff Writer

SAN DIEGO - Phoenix Suns all-star Amare Stoudemire is sitting in front of a camera and computer, his 6-foot-10, 245-pound frame squeezed into a black bodysuit littered with white bulbs. It makes him look like a ninja Christmas tree.

``It's tight,'' says the power forward. ``And hot.''

Well, that's price of becoming a video-game cover man, which has evolved into one of professional sports' newest status symbols, occupying the same hallowed territory as the shoe deal, TV commercial and bling.

Not too long ago, most cover athletes just had to shoot a commercial and do some light promotional work. Now, to steal a line from EA, they're in the game. The clearest example is skateboarding deity Tony Hawk, whose heavy developmental input helped forge an empire of wildly successful games bearing his name.

But for many of the stars in ``mainstream'' sports, the black bodysuit awaits.

Stoudemire, who led the NBA in dunks this past season, is the cover man for Sony's upcoming hoops game ``NBA 06,'' which is why he was wearing the suit for Tuesday's motion-capture session.

Motion capture is essentially recording someone's movements in a studio and inputting that data and animation into the game. For instance, if you wanted to replicate Peyton Manning's throwing motion, you'd put him in the black suit and have him throw a few balls.

But before Stoudemire showed his virtual stuff, he had to do a ``face scan.''

Sitting on a metal stool in a white room, he waited for the camera to take pictures of his face and head from every possible angle, shifting his position in the seat whenever asked. The pictures were then loaded into a computer, and the best parts from each shot will be used to create the face for Stoudemire's digital self.

Then came the fun part - the mocap session itself.

The Sony studio in San Diego features the biggest motion-capture setup in the country, beating out EA by a few square feet. The space is about the size of a college gym. Inside is a metal structure that looks like the skeleton of an unfinished building. Lining the structure are cameras with orange ring lights attached to them.

The basketball hoop stood at one end of the space. When Stoudemire got within range of the cameras and lights, the white bulbs turned orange. In another part of the room were three computers that were recording the data. On the screen, thanks to the white/orange bulbs, Stoudemire looked like a moving constellation - Orion with hoops.

After some warming up, Stoudemire was tossed a ball and was asked to do a litany of moves, each of them assigned a corresponding number for the fellas at the computers.

From about 1 to 16, Stoudemire did an assortment of relatively unflashy things, like baby hooks and turnaround jumpers. Then we got to around 20, and BAM! Stoudemire whipped out a two-handed slam that moved the free-standing hoop and its support more than a few inches to the left.

Stoudemire smiled an ``oops, forgot I could do that'' smile, and it took a few minutes for several of the Sony folks to move the hoop back into position.

Stoudemire did a lot more flying and dunking, though it looked like he took a little off his stuff to avoid two things: One, he didn't want to move the hoop again. Two, he was trying not to hit his head on the rim or backboard.

Stoudemire said that while some of his moves are in the game, it won't be of any analytical use to his opponents.

``I'm not worried about it. They may see parts of my game, but come game time, quickness shows up in a lot more than just moves,'' he said.

Other than the dunks, a couple of other things stood out. I have a belief that the best way to see the gap between a pro athlete and an average Joe is to watch the athlete when he's just screwing around. That's how the Tiger Woods bouncing-ball commercial happened.

Stoudemire didn't do anything that outrageous, but he couldn't stop hitting jumpshots from more than 15 feet out. He missed his first few and then was practically automatic for the rest of the day. This is a guy who's supposedly not known as a good outside shooter. Makes you think a little.

The other thing that stood out was the ``NBA 06'' game itself, which looks poised to be the first role-playing sports game ever. You're put into the sneakers of a no-name baller, and the game takes you through all the trials that come with working your way up.

What separates this title from the others is that instead of playing every game of every season, you're put into special mission-based, character-building situations during the year. In one game, you'll be asked to make key defensive stops. In another, you'll be down by 7 points with time ticking down in the fourth quarter.

There are also cinema screens, where a real-estate agent even takes you on a tour of your new mansion.

In a way, this game could make Stoudemire a pioneer. Not many athletes are involved in a game that attempts to alter how a genre is perceived. And if that happens, that time in the tight suit will be more than worth it.

CAPTION(S):

photo

Photo:

(color) AMARE STOUDEMIRE