It seems perfectly apt that this summer marked the moment Amar’e Stoudemire was immortalized in the Basketball Hall of Fame.
For a wave of younger basketball aficionados, Stoudemire was the trailblazing star who revived the New York Knicks’ relevance after a spell of despair. On Saturday evening, in Springfield, Massachusetts, he was officially enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame—coincidentally just over two months following the Knicks’ dramatic championship victory.
Presently, the Knicks enjoy a level of relevance that harks back to their glory days. In many respects, their thrilling championship win along with Stoudemire’s Hall of Fame induction represents the culmination of an incredible journey he initially set in motion.
“New York, the Garden, there’s nothing quite like it,” Stoudemire passionately exclaimed during his induction speech. “To hear MVP chants echoing every night with your name is electrifying; the arena buzzes with energy. New York is undoubtedly the premier stage for any player. Before my arrival, the allure of New York had dimmed for many. But I was determined to change that narrative. That’s why I declared, ‘The Knicks are back, and we’re going to make it happen.’ Seeing the team clinch the championship this year was rewarding.”
In 2010, Stoudemire, a 27-year-old superstar at the height of his powers, made a bold move to join the Knicks, who were recovering from a disappointing 29-53 season. That same summer, LeBron James and Chris Bosh opted to join forces with the Miami Heat.
At the time, stars were avoiding the Knicks and their dysfunction. But Stoudemire, after emerging as one of the league’s best bigs with the Suns, embraced it.
“You walked into the Garden when nobody else would,” Carmelo Anthony said in a tribute video posted by the Knicks, “and told the whole league the Knicks was back.”
Stoudemire spent four-plus seasons with the Knicks, who made the playoffs his first three seasons with the team — after the franchise had reached the postseason just twice the previous 10 years. During his first year with the team, he was named to the All-NBA Second Team and set a franchise record by scoring 30 or more points in nine straight games.
The Knicks traded for Anthony midway through Stoudemire’s first season with the team. The two led the Knicks to the second round in the 2012-13 season, but never quite reached the massive expectations for the duo. Stoudemire was plagued by knee injuries, which cut his prime short.
Stoudemire was a six-time All-Star and rookie of the year. He made All-NBA First Team once and the Second Team four times.
There was another lull for the franchise after Stoudemire and Anthony’s Knicks tenures were over, but they are now the place to be for stars.
“I wanted to bring players to New York to experience what I experienced in the city,” Stoudemire said. “We were able to bring in Carmelo and I think the energy of having me there showed the rest of the league, hey, New York can be a destination place.”
It’s poetic that Stoudemire was enshrined in the same class as Mike D’Antoni, who coached him with both the Suns and Knicks.
D’Antoni spent four seasons with the Knicks, leading them to a playoff berth in 2010-11 — their first since 2003-04.
“New York’s a special place,” D’Antoni said Saturday.
Doc Rivers, Candace Parker, Elena Delle Donne, Chamique Holdsclaw, Mark Few and Joey Crawford were the other inductees in this year’s class.
As the Knicks continue to celebrate their championship, two important figures who helped put them back on the map are now enshrined in immortality.