Amar'e Stoudemire prepares to shoot a free throw as a member of the New York Knicks during a game on February 11, 2015. (Photo : Getty Images / Fernando Medina)
33-year old free agent power forward Amar'e Stoudemire signed a contract with his former team, the New York Knicks and then promptly announced his retirement from the NBA. The signing of a one-year, non-guaranteed contract allowed Stoudemire to officially retire as a Knick.
Stoudemire said in a statement that his heart was always in New York, despite playing only five seasons there, often riddled with injuries. He declared, "Once a Knick, always a Knick," and said he was thankful to owner James Dolan, general manager Steve Mills and team president Phil Jackson for allowing him to opportunity to retire as a Knick.
Mills commented on Stoudemire's request, "When Amar'e asked us to retire as a Knick, we were honored to oblige," also calling the power forward the "face" of the franchise. Stoudemire's best season with New York was his first, after making the move from Phoenix, when he averaged 25.3 points and 8.2 rebounds during the 2010-11 season.
After his decision to retire from the NBA, Stoudemire might decide to ply his trade overseas. According to Marc Stein of ESPN, China has strong interest in bringing him over, while he could also play for an Israeli team which he is part-owner of, Hapoel Jerusalem. At this point, no decision has been made yet and according to Stein, the power forward is likely to take some time before making a decision.
Stoudemire had a brilliant career, most notably during his Phoenix Suns days, where he played for the first eight seasons of his NBA life. A ninth overall draft choice straight out of high school in 2002, Stoudemire played all 82 games of his rookie season, with an average of 13.5 points and 8.8 rebounds and being named Rookie of the Year while helping the Suns reach the playoffs. During the mid-2000s, he teamed up with Steve Nash to take the surprising Suns into the Western Conference Finals and were considered an annual contender for the NBA title. He was named to the All-Star team six times in his career, All-NBA First Team once and All-NBA Second Team four times.
The former Dallas Maverick and Miami Heat player is proud of what he accomplished. In an interview with The Undefeated, Stoudemire said he is hopeful that his career numbers are enough to get him into the Hall of Fame.
