Amar’e Stoudemire returned to Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night to help the Knicks and a packed home crowd celebrate Hanukkah. The six-time NBA all-star turned Israeli Basketball League Cup champion converted to Judaism during his playing days.
It was the first time the man otherwise known as STAT returned to his former stomping grounds since retiring as an honorary Knickerbocker last year. He sat courtside and hosted a meet & greet photo opportunity near one of the team stores pregame.
December 12th also happened to be the seventh anniversary of Stoudemire’s record-setting performance for consecutive 30-point games in a Knicks uniform. He tallied 30+ plus points in eight straight contests back in 2010.
After signing a lucrative contract with New York in the summer of 2010, STAT declared “the Knicks are back” and the team was off and running. His first campaign in orange and blue featured an all-star appearance and an All-NBA Second Team honor, but things fizzled out rather quickly after that. The big man’s nagging injuries made it difficult to find a consistent role and he struggled to develop his rhythm again.
Still, there’s little denying that he always played with enthusiasm and took pride in playing in New York. Stoudemire’s success was easy to root for, even if it never really materialized. He did, however, attract Carmelo Anthony to the Knicks and a division title in 2013 folllwed.
Stoudemire returned to MSG boasting an interesting look. See below.
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