‘The Knicks are back’ – Amar’e Stoudemire delivers emotional New York tribute in Hall of Fame speech

Former Phoenix Suns superstar Amar’e Stoudemire was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame this weekend.

Stoudemire spent the first eight seasons of his NBA career with the Suns before signing with the New York Knicks in 2010.

The power forward loved his time playing at Madison Square Garden, even though they never had any playoff success.

Stoudemire paid tribute to the Knicks and their famous fans in his Hall of Fame speech in Springfield on Saturday.

Amar’e Stoudemire claimed the support he received from New York Knicks fans was unlike anything else in his NBA career.

Especially inside the iconic Madison Square Garden, the atmosphere is second to none and gives the Knicks players a boost.

“In New York, in the Garden, there’s nothing like it,” Stoudemire said in his emotional Hall of Fame speech.

“When you hear MVP chants every night, they’re chanting your name. The arena is rocking. New York is the No. 1 place to play.

“I knew that as a player, but before I got there, no one else wanted to go to New York. So that’s why I was like, ‘the Knicks are back, and we’re gonna do this.’

“And so it was good to see those guys winning that championship this year in 2026.”

Unfortunately, Stoudemire was unable to bring an NBA championship to New York alongside Carmelo Anthony.

However, he was delighted to see Jalen Brunson and Co finally deliver another title to the franchise earlier this year.

Read more:

• Mike D’Antoni’s honest admission on defining moment of Knicks tenure during Hall of Fame speech
• Tyrese Haliburton reveals he could have saved Warriors from their biggest modern draft mistake
• When Taylor Swift ‘revealed’ how Russell Westbrook inspired her hit song ‘Shake It Off’