Amar’e Stoudemire Is Taking His Talents To Jerusalem To Play Pro Ball In Israel

Amar’e Stoudemire might have announced his retirement, but it’s not the end of seeing him on the basketball court… if you’re willing to travel. He’s expected to join Hapoel Jerusalem, an Israeli team in which he owns a minority stake, during their upcoming 2016-17 season.

Stoudemire, one of the NBA’s biggest stars of the first half of this century, recently retired from the NBA as a New York Knick despite his legacy as a member of the Phoenix Suns. At age 33 and with an extensive injury history, his retirement isn’t too big of a surprise, but this extension of his career certainly lends itself to a much more intriguing story.

Amar’e has an interesting relationship with Israel, having become a lot more active in Judaism in recent years since the discovery that he was Jewish on his mother’s side of the family. He’s planning to visit soon on behalf of the NBA Cares initiative, but has also visited on behalf of basketball before as an assistant coach for Canada in the Maccabiah Games of 2013.