Amar’e Stoudemire Will Retire From the NBA As Member of New York Knicks

Amar’e Stoudemire’s tenure as a member of the New York Knicks ended very badly. The six-time NBA All-Star came to New York looking to fulfill championship dreams but he fell dramatically short, even after the Knicks acquired Carmelo Anthony.

Still, Amar’e was highly regarded in New York as a man who took a chance on the Knicks. He joined the squad in 2010 as a big name free agent brought back some of the attraction the Knicks and Madison Square Garden lost over the mid-2000s with less than stellar play and no major names to carry them.

While his time spent on the Knicks was full of injures, wine baths and weird instances like punching a fire extinguisher, he still made the most out of his time on the court for New York.

After spending the better part of the last two seasons with the Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat, Amar’e made it official. He will retire but he will re-join the Knicks before he steps away. He wants to retire as a member of the Knicks.

Following from an official press release, courtesy of the New York Knicks.

NBA great Amar’e Stoudemire announced his retirement as a player in the National Basketball Association today, after signing with the New York Knickerbockers for his final contract in the league.

“I want to thank Mr. Dolan, Phil [Jackson] and Steve [Mills] for signing me so that I can officially retire as a New York Knick,” Stoudemire said. “I came to New York in 2010 to help revitalize this franchise and we did just that. Carmelo [Anthony], Phil and Steve have continued this quest, and with this year’s acquisitions, the team looks playoff-bound once again. Although my career has taken me to other places around the country, my heart had always remained in the Big Apple. Once a Knick, Always a Knick.”

“For parts of six years, Amar’e Stoudemire was the face of the New York Knicks franchise because of his excellence on the court and his dedication to our community and our fans across the world,” Mills said. “When Amar’e asked us to retire as a Knick, we were honored to oblige.”

Stoudemire played for the Knicks from 2010 to 2015. He made the All-Star Game and All-NBA Second Team in 2010-11 and averaged 25.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.9 blocks per game.

Before heading to New York, Amar’e was famously a member of the ‘seven seconds or less’ Phoenix Suns. He ran devastating pick and roll’s with Steve Nash and created one of the more formidable 1-2 punches in the NBA. Along with Shawn Marion, Raja Bell and Joe Johnson, the Phoenix Suns were a young, fun and athletic team who many thought would contend for the NBA title. They came close to a championship with Amar’e on the squad, making the Western Conference Finals three times but Amar’e left after their conference finals loss in 2010 and Phoenix was never the same.

All in total, Stoudemire was a six-time NBA All-Star, five-time member of the All-NBA team, and the 2003 Rookie of the Year. Stoudemire’s NBA career may be over and he is looking towards the Hall of Fame but ESPN’s Marc Stein has some information on possible post-NBA career opportunities.

Amar'e Stoudemire has lucrative interest from China, sources say, or could play in Israel for the team (Hapoel Jerusalem) he co-owns … BUT

— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) July 26, 2016

But I'm told Stoudemire plans to take some time before deciding if he intends to play pro basketball abroad in the coming season or stay put

— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) July 26, 2016