Former Phoenix Suns star and Ring of Honor inductee Amar’e Stoudemire is being inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2026.
He joins Candace Parker, Elena Delle Donne, and Doc Rivers in the Class of 2026.
The five-time all-star arrived in Phoenix as the 9th overall pick in the 2002
NBA Draft. He won Rookie of the Year and made an All-NBA First-Team in 2007, along with four All-NBA Second-Team nods in 2005, 2008, 2010, and 2011. He ranks seventh in points (11,035) and third in rebounds (4,613) in Suns franchise history.
Stoudemire helped shape an era in Phoenix as the dominant frontcourt presence in the team’s high-powered “7 Seconds or Less” offenses of the mid-2000s. His blend of power, speed, and explosiveness made him one of the league’s most dangerous interior scorers and a focal point of one of the NBA’s most entertaining teams.
I will always remember him for his fearlessness around the rim. He wanted to dunk on anyone in his general vicinity. He went shot-for-shot with prime Tim Duncan at his peak. Some of the best posters in Suns history have come from Amar’e.
Congratulations to STAT, it’s a well-deserved honor.
