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Amar’e Stoudemire will be inducted into the Naismith Basketball HOF
Former New York Knicks star Amar’e Stoudemire is among the inductees for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame class of 2026, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Stoudemire is joined by Candace Parker, Elena Delle Donne and Doc Rivers, among others.
Drafted straight out of high school, Stoudemire arrived in Phoenix as the No. 9 overall pick in 2002. The hyper-athletic forward went on to win Rookie of the Year before earning an All-NBA First-Team selection in 2007 and All-NBA Second-Team nods in 2005, 2008, 2010 and 2011.
Stoudemire ranks seventh in points (11,035), third in rebounds (4,613) and fifth in blocks (722) on the Suns’ all-time leaderboard. He finished sixth in MVP voting in 2007.
His success carried over to the Big Apple when he joined the Knicks.
Knicks Great Stoudemire Earns HOF Nod
GettyAmar’e Stoudemire played five seasons with the New York Knicks
Stoudemire signed a 5-year, $99.7 million contract with the Knicks on July 5, 2010, via a sign-and-trade with the Suns. The deal, finalized on July 9, 2010, cost the Knicks a protected future second-round draft selection.
Stoudemire wasted no time establishing himself as a star in New York.
During the 2010-11 NBA season, his first with the team, Stoudemire set a Knicks franchise record by scoring 30 or more points in nine consecutive games. This streak occurred in December 2010, breaking the previous team record of seven consecutive 30-point games set by Willie Naulls in 1962.
Through five seasons with the Knicks, Stoudemire averaged 17.3 points on 51 percent shooting. He added 6.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.1 blocks per game.
After flourishing in Phoenix as Steve Nash’s pick-and-roll mate, Stoudemire proved he could thrive as a first option, too.
He averaged 25.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game in his first season — and lone All-Star nod — with New York.
Stoudemire Told Knicks to Recruit Carmelo Anthony
GettyAmar’e Stoudemire helped recruit Carmelo Anthony to New York
Upon signing a massive deal with the New York Knicks back in 2010, Stoudmire immediately began to look for a co-star. STAT says he talked Knicks owner James Dolan into going after Carmelo Anthony. Per Bleacher Report:
“[New York] was a forbidden place [for free agents], and I took the chance to come here. And Mr. Dolan took the chance on signing me, so we had a great marriage.
“I also knew that I needed a star teammate. That’s something I talked to Mr. Dolan about when I signed. My ultimate goal my first year in New York was really to set the tone from a winning standpoint, and then to bring in players that were going to help capitalize and build on that. I mentioned a few players to Mr. Dolan who would be fun to play with, and Melo was one of them.”
In February 2011, Dolan and the Knicks granted Stoudemire’s wish. New York acquired Carmelo Anthony from the Denver Nuggets in one of the biggest trades in NBA history.
The blockbuster deal involved three teams, 12 players, and multiple draft picks to Denver to pair Anthony with Stoudemire.
The All-Star combo of Anthony and Stoudemire represented one of the most potent duos in NBA history.
The Knicks made the playoffs in each of Stoudemire’s first three seasons with the team, including storied battles against the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat.
Jalyn Smoot Jalyn Smoot is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy.com. He has nearly 10 years of experience in local and national media, including print and digital. He previously covered the Texas Rangers for MLB.com and the Philadelphia 76ers for Metro Philadelphia. Smoot is a St. Louis born writer that now resides in Dallas. More about Jalyn Smoot
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