Amar’e Stoudemire’s 14-year NBA career began (and flourished) in Phoenix, and that’s where he wanted it to end.
The Suns, according to STAT, felt differently.
Amar'e Stoudemire talks about why he retired as a Knick, his Suns memories and how "I bleed purple and orange." https://t.co/cRzEaGDwoz
— Paul Coro (@paulcoro) July 28, 2016
Stoudemire and his reps reached out to the Suns about signing one final contract, but they were rebuffed.
Full statement on Amar’e Stoudemire’s retirement.
» https://t.co/5x729NJ1So pic.twitter.com/P59mroaaUW
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) July 26, 2016
The 33-year-old ended up inking a ceremonial contract with the New York Knicks and retiring.
Per the AZ Republic:
“The last two years, we made phone calls to Phoenix but I wasn’t getting any positive response,” Stoudemire said on Thursday. “That would’ve been the perfect way to go out. I didn’t want to beg Phoenix. My heart was in two places – Phoenix and New York. I just went where I was wanted.”
This summer, the Suns drafted power forwards Dragan Bender and Marquese Chriss and then signed Jared Dudley, Stoudemire’s former Suns teammate, to be their starting power forward. […] “They brought back Jared and Leandro, my boys,” Stoudemire said. “That would’ve been a heck of a way to finish. I wasn’t just going to keep knocking on someone’s door that wasn’t going to answer. I love my fans in Phoenix. Most of my high times and highlights were in Phoenix. I put forth the effort to finish my career in Phoenix but it wasn’t well-received.”
Stoudemire, 33, has not ruled out playing professionally in a foreign league, perhaps in China or Israel, but he said he already has enjoyed how retirement will give him more time with his wife, Alexis, and their four children and for new surprising endeavors. […] “I’m at peace with it because I gave everything that I had,” Stoudemire said. “It took a while. The game is such a beautiful game. I was truly in love with it but there were no teams who needed my position.”
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