One of the first free-agent stars to embrace the New York spotlight is headed to the Hall of Fame.
According to ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania, Amare Stoudemire is part of the Class of 2026 that will be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Stoudemire, a former Knick who spent most of his prime with the Suns, is reportedly part of an induction class that includes Doc Rivers and WNBA stars Elena Delle Donne and Candace Parker.
Stoudemire, a former ninth overall draft pick, was named to five All-Star teams with Phoenix after winning Rookie of the year in 2003. The Knicks signed him to a five-year, $99.7 million contract after striking out on their pursuit of LeBron James. Stoudemire represented one of the game’s stars who finally picked the Knicks, and promptly declared “The Knicks are back” after signing with New York before the 2010-11 season.
Stoudemire’s Knicks tenure started by looking every bit as advertised, emerging as an MVP candidate in another All-Star season in which he was one of the league’s best scorers from inside the 3-point line. Stoudemire helped the Knicks out of irrelevancy, which continued with the blockbuster trade for Carmelo Anthony, as New York hoped its superstar duo would finally lead to playoff wins.
Ultimately, Stoudemire struggled to star healthy and never started in more than 47 games for the rest of his Knicks tenure, which lasted five seasons. Still, he left a lasting impact on the franchise for his willingness to join the Knicks when nearly any other star free agent preferred elsewhere.
Stoudemire’s 14-year career includes an average of 18.9 points and 7.8 rebounds per game while shooting 53.7 percent from the field. He was named to five All-NBA teams, including in his first year with the Knicks.
Stoudemire represented one of the first NBA stars to pick the Knicks in free agency.
