Details On Amar'e Stoudemire's Future Wife Alexis Welch

Amar’e Stoudemire’s “Future Real Actual Basketball Wife” Alexis Welch Talks Meeting Her Man, His Dreamy Proposal And Being Too Shy To Say Hi To Beyonce

- By Bossip Staff
6 of 9

Amar’e is getting married… Who is the lucky lady?

Details On Amar’e Stoudemire’s Future Wife Alexis Welch

We know you want to know more about her, so we’ve compiled a few fun facts from a recent interview.

For starters, Alexis Welch is 29, a self-proclaimed “hands-on mother” who has been living in Miami. She was too shy to say hi to Beyoncé on the Met Costume Institute Gala red carpet last month; and loves the guacamole at Dos Caminos and shopping at Intermix.

And now, after Stoudemire’s surprise proposal, the Kansas City native is gathering their young troops, daughters Ar’e, 6, and Assata, 4, and son Amar’e Jr., 5, and prepping for the move to the Big Apple next month — and all of the madness that will no doubt ensue. (As for the wedding itself, the couple is still figuring out a date for 2013.)

“It’s been a whirlwind. I’m so overjoyed,” Welch tells The Post in her first interview.

“Everyone is calling, wanting to know all of the details. I’m marrying my best friend.”

Indeed, when she talks about Stoudemire, her words are punctuated by such dreamy sighs, one would think she had just started dating him last week. But the pair met in October 2002 at an after-party for a Nelly show in Phoenix.

Stoudemire — fresh out of high school — had been newly drafted by the Phoenix Suns. Welch had been living in the desert city, and attended high school there as a three-sport star in basketball, track and volleyball.

“Since we were both 19, they put us in a private room in the back of the club. He was wearing a Kansas City Chiefs Joe Montana jersey,” says Welch. “I’m originally from there, so we started talking about Montana when he played there.”

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The conversation clicked, and it certainly didn’t hurt that he was 6-foot-11.

“I’ve always liked guys who were taller than me when I wear heels,” says Welch, who is 5-foot-10.

Their chemistry was instant — and the Florida-raised superstar fell into a comfortable relationship with the local girl, who came from a close-knit family with two sisters, an entrepreneur father and a mom who works in interior design.

“We were both really young, so we went to a lot of movies. I would make him dinner, and we would just spend time together. We would talk all the time,” says Welch, who recalls Stoudemire raising his eyebrows at his first Thanksgiving meal with her family.

We’re a cooking family. We had some good old-fashioned mac and cheese and greens. [And] he put sugar on his greens,” she says with a giggle. “It was his Southern roots shining through.”

The pair eventually went on to have three children (their first, Ar’e, was born in 2005) during their relationship.

In 2010, Stoudemire signed a lucrative contract with the Knicks and moved East, where he proceeded to dominate the hardwood — and the front row of fashion shows. This year, however, was marked by personal heartache for Stoudemire, whose brother was killed in a car accident in February — and a shaky season for the Knickerbockers that culminated in the forward punching a fire extinguisher and cutting up his hand.

During the tumultuous time, the pair were spotted together more frequently, and last month, Welch, clad in Michael Kors, accompanied the natty Stoudemire to the Met gala, where she admits her nerves almost got the better of her.

“Thank goodness, Amar’e is used to these events, so he makes me feel more comfortable,” says Welch. She was seated with Cameron Diaz and Stella McCartney, and met Diane von Furstenberg.

“We were standing close to Beyoncé, but I was too nervous to introduce myself. Everyone has a wish list of celebrities [to meet]. She’s on there. But now, her husband is the owner of the Nets, so there’s a little bit of a rivalry going on,” she jokes.

Little did she know that she was about to lose her status as “single lady” with a 8½-carat sparkler and surprise proposal in the City of Lights.

“I’m usually on top of everything, but he got me. We were going to France to visit Cognac [area],” says Welch, who describes a whirlwind trip of cognac tasting, plus a jaunt to Paris, where they stayed in the royal suite at Le Meurice Hotel Belle Etoile, went to the Louvre and took in a Kanye West and Jay-Z concert.

On their last night in the French capital, she says, “We went back [to the room], and there were rose petals leading to a balcony with a 365-degree view of Paris. We walked out to the twinkling lights of the Eiffel Tower.

“He had an acoustic-guitar player. He had a saxophonist. This is another side of Amar’e that people don’t get to see. I’m just getting teary-eyed talking about it.”

Stoudemire, who hired a photographer to capture their trip, including the magical moment, tweeted a picture of the couple, adding, “When she said yes, it was surreal. I’m still floating.”

The duo flew home the next morning to tell their children, who are equally excited.

The kids are athletic, too.

“Our oldest daughter dances competitively and cheers for our son’s football team. Our son plays football and basketball. Our youngest is still figuring out her sports,” says Welch.

The couple are excited to raise city kids surrounded by museums and parks, saying the mini-Stoudemires love ice skating in Central Park and playing at Chelsea Piers.

Welch doesn’t anticipate deviating from her normal busy schedule of parenting, including reading her kids the “No, David!” series of children’s books and cooking healthy, mainly vegetarian meals.

“They are young, so they still enjoy being with us. So I’m going to enjoy every minute,” adds Welch.

She does plan on working with the Amar’e Stoudemire Foundation, which focuses on outreach to at-risk youth, adding, “I’ll take my time and only do things that make sense for our family.”

While the bulk of her friends are in Phoenix, Welch calls the Knicks’ wives and girlfriends a “nice group of women,” adding she seems to have the most in common with Tyson Chandler’s wife, Kimberly. “[Kimberly] has three small children as well, so I know we’ll probably hang out more when we get to the city.”

Next season, fans will see Amar’e’s amore courtside in skinny jeans, a blazer and heels. “I like classic pieces that can be worn with more trendy or vintage jewelry,” she says.

Her tastes are a little more elevated these days, counting Alexander McQueen and Calvin Klein among her favorite designers. But Welch hasn’t forgotten about the Montana jersey that brought the two together.

“We actually still have that jersey,” she says. “And I’m getting it framed for our house.”

Awwww wasn’t that special???

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Here’s a 2005 throwback shot of Alexis cheering on Amar’e with Brandy (who was dating Suns teammate Quentin Richardson back then)

Source WENN/SplashNews/GettyImages/Amar’e Stoudemire

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