Former Phoenix Suns star Amar'e Stoudemire makes Naismith Hall of Fame

[Dback Jon]

https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nba/suns/2026/03/31/amare-stoudemire-naismith-hall-of-fame-2026-class/89407716007/

Phoenix Suns "Ring of Honor” honoree Amar’e Stoudemire has been inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2026.

ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported the news on March 31. An announcement show will air on April 4 during Final Four weekend of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

The Suns drafted Stoudemire out of high school in Florida with the ninth overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft.

Playing his first eight NBA seasons in Phoenix, Stoudemire was a major part of coach Mike D’Antoni’s ‘Seven Seconds or Less” offense orchestrated by two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame with the class of 2018.

 

[Dback Jon]

Congrats to Amar'e!

 

[95pro]

 

[BooksOrangePlanet]

sweet

 

[Superbone]

So KJ got iced and D'Antoni didn't make it?

 

[elindholm]

I'm happy for him and for the Suns, but to be honest I don't think it's deserved. He was brilliant for a few seasons, but did not have the kind of long-term impact that's usually necessary for the Hall.

 

[Hoop Head]

Well deserved. Happy for him.

 

[Covert Rain]

Congrats Amare. Man what could have been had he stayed healthy IMO. He managed to adjust his game but he wasn't the same player post injury.

 

[Raindog]

I'm happy for him and for the Suns, but to be honest I don't think it's deserved. He was brilliant for a few seasons, but did not have the kind of long-term impact that's usually necessary for the Hall.

The BB HOF seems to be getting less discriminating about long term career success in more recent decades. I think in general, most players have shorter careers these days than in generations past, play fewer games due to injury (and the dreaded "load management"), and therefore tend to accumulate less impressive career stats and achievements. The standards are having to be adjusted or there's a risk of having fewer "worthy" candidates as time goes on.

That seems to go across the board in terms of all sports. Look at baseball and the career stats of pitchers that are getting elected to that HOF. They are getting to be far different than what used to be the hallmarks.

 

[Phrazbit]

Good for him. If not for an ill advised knee surgery, he'd have been one of the best offensive forwards ever.

I'm bummed out for KJ. He's got the stats, he's got the highlights, he was the best player on some great teams... he just didn't stay healthy long enough.

 

[elindholm]

Good for him. If not for an ill advised knee surgery, he'd have been one of the best offensive forwards ever.

I'm bummed out for KJ. He's got the stats, he's got the highlights, he was the best player on some great teams... he just didn't stay healthy long enough.

Based only on their basketball careers, Johnson should rank ahead of Stoudemire, but I wonder whether Johnson's off-court troubles were on the minds of some voters.

 

[GatorAZ]

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[Chaplin]

"His NBA career spanned 14 years, with stops in New York, Dallas and Miami after his stint in Phoenix."

Do you guys remember that he was on Dallas and Miami? I certainly don't.

 

[elindholm]

"His NBA career spanned 14 years, with stops in New York, Dallas and Miami after his stint in Phoenix."

Do you guys remember that he was on Dallas and Miami? I certainly don't.

Miami rings a faint bell, but I'd forgotten entirely about Dallas.

 

[elindholm]

By the way, a sign of how times have changed: I think of Stoudemire as having been banged up a lot, but he played all 82 games three times in his career, and 78+ games three other times. Very few big men in today's game can make that claim.

 

[TJ]

Mazel tov, Amare

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Happy for Amare but didn’t think he was HOFer.

KJ not being in is a travesty.

 

[Chaplin]

Happy for Amare but didn’t think he was HOFer.

KJ not being in is a travesty.

No kidding. KJ has been in a Finals and Amare hasn't.

 

[Hoop Head]

Happy for Amare but didn’t think he was HOFer.

KJ not being in is a travesty.

KJ has some off court issues lingering over his past. Amare doesn't have that dirty laundry and in today's climate I can't blame the Hall for steering clear right now.

 

[Dr. Jones]

Well deserved for an NBA HOF member IMO.

Reminder: Reggie Miller is a HOF'er with many less All-NBA awards. Sometimes peoples perspectives are skewed by longevity when the NBA usually rewards people for how long and how hot their peak was.

Amare's peak was absolutely electric.

Fitz and Amare in the same year. Nice!

 

[Adrian]

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

 

[GatorAZ]

Happy for Amare but didn’t think he was HOFer.

KJ not being in is a travesty.

Each guy made all nba 5 times and one was a travesty for not making it and the other wasn’t worthy?

 

[Chaplin]

Each guy made all nba 5 times and one was a travesty for not making it and the other wasn’t worthy?

KJ played in a Finals, STAT did not.

I don't have a big problem with STAT making it, my problem is with KJ NOT making it.

 

[GatorAZ]

KJ played in a Finals, STAT did not.

I don't have a big problem with STAT making it, my problem is with KJ NOT making it.

That’s a silly rationale. Amare was our best player in a conference finals so holding that against him is weird.

 

[Chaplin]

That’s a silly rationale. Amare was our best player in a conference finals so holding that against him is weird.

Maybe, but a rationale nonetheless.

The fact that you are arguing against KJ is telling, especially since I said I didn't have a big problem with Amare making it.