NBA

Olajuwon says he can help Knicks’ Amar’e reach potential

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Hakeem Olajuwon remembers the enthusiasm and hard work Amar’e Stoudemire put into their low-post classes last summer in Texas.

That is why Professor Olajuwon felt terrible when Stoudemire endured an injury-wracked season, playing in just 29 regular-season games and coming back rusty for the Knicks’ final four playoff contests.

That is why the legendary Rockets center can’t wait to get Stoudemire back to his Sugarland, Texas, ranch in August for another weeklong session at Hakeem University, work with him more on his low-post game and get him back to reaching his potential.

“He put in so much work, was excited and so confident,” Olajuwon told The Post by phone from his winter home in Amman, Jordan. “To see he didn’t get a chance to really show it, I felt very bad for him. I felt for him this season because of how hard he worked. He looked so much forward to the season but with injuries he didn’t get a chance to show what he learned last summer.”

Stoudemire underwent two knee-debridement surgeries on separate knees to derail a season that began with much promise after he raved about his Olajuwon tutorials.

“The desire and enthusiasm he brought was so amazing,’’ said Olajuwon, the Hall of Famer whose team beat the Knicks to win the 1994 title. “It was a good experience for me because he was so eager. With him, it was the excitement. He was so excited.”

Knicks coach Mike Woodson, a former Houston teammate of Olajuwon’s, called Hakeem “The Dream’’ last June to see if he would tutor Stoudemire and teach him low-post fundamentals — which Stoudemire had yet to learn.

“Mike wanted to go to Amar’e in the post to make it easier for Carmelo [Anthony] and to complement each other,” Olajuwon said. “Amar’e took it very seriously. I’m very impressed with Mike as coach. He tries to find all possible ways to maximize his talent.”

Stoudemire, who has two years remaining on a five-year, $100 million contract, displayed flashes of excellence during his 29 games, and he averaged 14.2 points on 57.7-percent shooting, coming off the bench. Most of his points were scored on an array of spin moves in the post never that had been in his arsenal. There were occasions Stoudemire was blocked underneath, but Olajuwon said one more week with him will get Stoudemire that more comfortable.

“Now he’s coming back with all the moves,” Olajuwon said. “Now it comes to down refining it more. Where because he’s had knee problems, his elevation is not as high as when he was younger, so he needs to be more crafty to get his shot off all the time. I’ve worked with him to create space in the paint where he can use his shooting ability and get his shot off.”

Olajuwon admitted his lone concern is if the latest two knee surgeries lessens his elevating ability even moreso — but said he doubts it. Stoudemire is just 30 years old, and Olajuwon said the No. 1 goal is not to turn him back into a superstar, just a productive starter.

“The only thing I want to see is his elevation,” Olajuwon said. “He needs good elevation. That’s why he needs his knees to be strong so he can finish strong. Once you have surgeries, it depends on how hard you work to get back.

“Once he’s comfortable, we can apply a little more innovation. If he’s moving good, it will be smoother and he’ll get good elevation, and he’ll get to another level. All summer he’ll have to strengthen his knees.”

With the new harsh CBA luxury-tax rules that will limit the Knicks’ ability to sign free agents this summer, Stoudemire’s emergence next season is critical. General manager

Glen Grunwald already has said there is a chance the six-time All-Star being on a minutes restriction again so he doesn’t reinjure his knees. Last season, Stoudemire was placed on a 30-minute restriction.

“I don’t think he’s too old, because he’s a hard worker and it’s about conditioning,” Olajuwon said. “Sometimes you can reverse it and the knees get stronger. To be an All-Star, it’s not the goal right now. But for the Knicks to challenge Miami, they need him to be close to his potential, and all he needs is just a good season.”

Stoudemire has been laying low since the season ended last month because his new wife Alexis gave birth to a baby boy May 22, and he was unavailable to comment on Olajuwon.

“One week is excellent,” Olajuwon said of the upcoming sessions. “It’s enough time, a very good time period with enough repetitions. I was amazed how athletic, he is, shooting jumping and running but he knew he had to develop his game to maximize it.”

marc.berman@nypost.com