Retired NBA star and former Israeli basketball player Amar’e Stoudemire was inducted Sunday into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, receiving one of the sport’s highest honors, as reported by the Jerusalem News Syndicate (JNS).
Stoudemire, a six-time NBA All-Star and five-time All-NBA selection, reflected on his decision to continue his career in Israel after 14 seasons in the league.
“For 20 years prior, secretly, I was learning Torah, I was learning the Bible, the biblical understanding of history," Stoudemire said at the induction ceremony in Springfield, Massachusetts. “I wanted to go to a place where I can live and also play."
Stoudemire, who became an Israeli citizen in 2019 and completed his conversion to Judaism in 2020, played for Hapoel Jerusalem from 2016 to 2019 and Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2020.
“I took my talents overseas to Israel, and I played in Israel, and I played in Jerusalem," he recalled. “I was there for a deeper purpose and a reason."
The 6-foot-10 forward was selected ninth overall by the Phoenix Suns in the 2002 NBA Draft. He finished his NBA career with 15,994 points, 6,632 rebounds and 1,054 blocks, also playing for the New York Knicks, Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat.
Raised Baptist, Stoudemire has said his mother’s belief that their family descended from one of the Lost Tribes of Israel helped inspire his connection to Judaism.
In Israel, he won championships with Hapoel Jerusalem in 2017 and Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2020, including Finals MVP honors with Maccabi.
“I finished my career with a championship and the Finals MVP," he said. “I’m very blessed to have been able to persevere throughout my career."