Amar'e Stoudemire to Hapoel Jerusalem: Latest Contract Details, Reaction
Amar'e Stoudemire isn't finished with professional basketball after all. The former All-Star forward announced Monday that he has agreed to a contract with Israeli team Hapoel Jerusalem, after announcing his retirement from the NBA.
David Pick first reported the deal Sunday before Stoudemire's press conference on Monday. Stoudemire told reporters he will play for the club for two years, adding that his contract would not allow him to play for an NBA team during the stretch run if he decided to make a return.
Stoudemire also reflected on his time with the New York Knicks, telling reporters: "We single-handedly revived New York’s economy. We were rock stars—me and Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari, Timofey Mozgov."
Stoudemire, 33, signed a one-day contract with the Knicks to announce his NBA retirement on July 26. He finished with career averages of 18.9 points and 7.8 rebounds, and he made six All-Star teams and five All-NBAs.
“I’m at peace with it because I gave everything that I had,” Stoudemire said at the time, per Paul Coro of AZCentral.com. “It took a while. The game is such a beautiful game. I was truly in love with it but there were no teams who needed my position.”
Stoudemire set career-low averages of 5.8 points and 4.3 rebounds per game last season with the Miami Heat. Head coach Erik Spoelstra started Stoudemire in 36 of his 52 appearances, but the former All-Star played just 14.7 minutes per game—surpassing his previous full-season low.
The Heat preferred playing one traditional big man, with Luol Deng in the nominal power forward role. When center Hassan Whiteside went out of the lineup during Miami's second-round playoff series against the Toronto Raptors, Spoelstra eschewed a big man entirely. Rookie Justise Winslow (6'7") wound up seeing a bulk of the minutes at center.
Stoudemire received five did not play-coach's decision in the playoffs and had more than five minutes just twice against Toronto. It was clear he wasn't happy with his role when speaking with reporters at season-ending media availability.
"Dr. (James) Naismith created the game to be an inside-out game," Stoudemire said, per Ethan J. Skolnick of the Miami Herald. "It's going to always matter. It's how the game has always been played."
Going to Hapoel Jerusalem instantly makes him the biggest star in Israeli basketball history. He can likely write a closing chapter similar to Stephon Marbury, who has become a staple in China since leaving the NBA. There won't be any question about who is the star in Jerusalem—it'll be Stoudemire—and the move should help him continue a spiritual journey that began years ago.
Stoudemire first made headlines for visiting Israel in 2010, acknowledging his Hebrew heritage through his mother. He has described himself as "culturally Jewish," per Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel.
"A lot of us that read the Bible don't understand history and don't really try to connect the dots," he said.
When he's on the floor, Stoudemire remains effective near the basket. He shot 56.6 percent from the field last season and has been one of the NBA's most efficient bigs for most of his NBA career. Even at age 33, Stoudemire finished at a 62.3 percent rate inside the restricted area, per NBA.com.
Defense has always been a problem, and Stoudemire's prolonged knee issues have made him almost unplayable on that end. Traditional bigs are great and all, but the Heat lost nothing defensively by playing the undersized Winslow at center over the 6'10" Stoudemire in the playoffs. He doesn't have the lateral quickness to defend pick-and-rolls and never developed good defensive instincts.
None of that should matter. He's likely going to be the most talented player on the floor in every game, and the move is going to bring greater exposure to the sport in Israel.
Follow Tyler Conway (@jtylerconway) on Twitter.
