Amar'e Stoudemire finalizes two-year deal to play in Israel

Hapoel Jerusalem formally announced Monday that center Amar'e Stoudemire has agreed to a two-year contract with the Israeli League team.

Stoudemire, who retired from the NBA after spending this past season with the Miami Heat, is a part-owner of Hapoel Jerusalem.

In a first-person piece for The Players' Tribune website, Stoudemire, 33, wrote of stepping away from the NBA after 14 seasons.
"I may be retiring from the NBA, but I'm not saying goodbye to basketball just yet," he wrote. "My next step is playing for Hapoel Jerusalem, one of the top teams in Europe.  This isn't about collecting a paycheck overseas, though; it's a spiritual journey, too."

In an interview with the Sun Sentinel shortly after joining the Heat last summer, Stoudemire spoke of considering himself a "spiritual Jew."

In his first-person piece Monday, Stoudemire wrote, "The Scripture speaks about Jerusalem as a holy place, and I can feel that whenever I'm in the city. This is a chance for me to be a better husband and a better father, to help me lead my family into righteousness. The opportunity to play there, and grow as a player and person, is a blessing."

In an interview with the Sun Sentinel shortly after joining the Heat last summer, Stoudemire spoke of considering himself a "spiritual Jew."

In his first-person piece Monday, Stoudemire wrote, "The Scripture speaks about Jerusalem as a holy place, and I can feel that whenever I'm in the city. This is a chance for me to be a better husband and a better father, to help me lead my family into righteousness. The opportunity to play there, and grow as a player and person, is a blessing.

During a Monday press conference at Madison Square Garden, Stoudemire told the New York Post that he had broached the possibility of returning to the Heat for this coming season.

"We had a brief discussion with Miami. It didn’t go far," StoudemireStoudemire also addressed the opportunity of playing alongside Dwyane Wade.

"I got to play a bit this year with Dwyane Wade, yet another Hall of Famer," he wrote in The Players' Tribune. "He keeps his dribble so low to the ground, and he's deceptively quick. It just takes two dribbles for him to get through the lane and explode to the rim. He looks like he’s going through the game on cruise control, but at the end of the night he has 28 points and nine assists." said.

Wade left for the Chicago Bulls as a free agent this offseason.

In announcing his move to Israel, Stoudemire said, "I am looking forward to playing for Hapoel Jerusalem and helping the team compete for titles. My family and I are excited to start a new journey in Israel, a country I have grown to love."

In a release issued by the team, Dr. Ori Allon, president and majority owner of Hapoel Jerusalem, said, "Bringing Amar'e to Jerusalem raises the profile of the entire Israeli Basketball League, and we hope that his joining our team will lead to increased interest in our league from basketball fans around the world as well as talented international players."