Amar'e Stoudemire Enters Hall of Fame at 43, Citing $100 Million Knicks Bet
Updated
Updated · NBA.com · Aug 15
Amar'e Stoudemire Enters Hall of Fame at 43, Citing $100 Million Knicks Bet
3 articles · Updated · NBA.com · Aug 15
Summary
At 43, Amar'e Stoudemire used Hall of Fame media day to link his Class of 2026 induction to the gamble he made on New York, arriving in Knicks "NBA Champs" slides before Saturday's enshrinement.
The former All-Star said his five-year, $100 million move to a 29-53 Knicks team in 2010 helped make New York a destination again, arguing it paved the way for later stars and the club's current revival.
That first Knicks season backed up the bet: Stoudemire averaged a career-high 25.3 points, lifted New York by 13 wins to .500 and helped start a three-year playoff run before Carmelo Anthony arrived in 2011.
Injuries then cut short his peak — he missed 123 games and averaged 10.6 points over his final four seasons — but Stoudemire said the broader legacy he values is changing how players viewed the Knicks.