Jewish ex-NBA star Amar’e Stoudemire set for Hall of Fame
JTA — Amar’e Stoudemire, the American-Israeli basketball star who became a devout convert to Judaism after retiring, is reportedly headed to the Hall of Fame.
Stoudemire will be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2026 alongside Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers and WNBA legends Candace Parker and Elena Delle Donne, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, an elite NBA reporter.
The 43-year-old Stoudemire played 14 seasons in the NBA, the first eight with the Phoenix Suns, who retired his No. 32 in 2024. Stoudemire was a six-time All-Star, the 2003 NBA Rookie of the Year and won a bronze medal with the US team at the 2004 Olympics.
He also played professionally in Israel, where he won two Israeli Basketball Premier League championships, was named an All-Star twice and won the league’s Finals MVP in 2020. He was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame last year.
He was granted Israeli citizenship in 2019.
Stoudemire, who formally converted to Judaism in 2020, has been vocal about his affiliation with the Black Hebrew Israelites, a movement whose core........
