Amar’e Stoudemire, Who Converted to Judaism, Inducted Into NBA Hall of Fame

Amar’e Stoudemire, a standout power forward/center who played for a number of NBA teams including the Phoenix Suns and the New York Knicks, was recently inducted into the league’s Hall of Fame. Stoudemire, 43, was the Rookie of the Year in 2003 and a six-time All-Star. In 846 games spanning 14 seasons, he averaged 18.9 points and 7.8 rebounds.

Stoudemire converted to Judaism in August 2020, adopting the name Yehoshafat Ben Avraham; he had obtained Israeli citizenship a year earlier. After retiring from the NBA in 2016, he went on to play for Israeli basketball team Hapoel Jerusalem.

“First off, I want to thank G-d,” Stoudemire said at the beginning of his Hall of Fame speech on August 16, adding that he grew up in poverty. He then thanked his fans, who have seen him “flying through the air, attacking the rim,” and also thanked his teammates.

Stoudemire, whose father died when he was 12, said he didn’t start playing organized basketball until he was 13. He dunked the ball the first time he got it in a game, he said. He attended Mount Zion Christian Academy in North Carolina and decided to go directly to the NBA instead of playing in college. He was drafted No. 9 by the Suns.

In a fast-paced offense, he averaged 37 points in the 2005 Western Conference finals, forming a potent pick-and-roll threat with point guard Steve Nash. In his speech, Stoudemire also said that it was inspiring to play at Madison Square Garden, where he played under coach Mike D’Antoni, and that it was good to see the Knicks win the championship this past season.

Stoudemire also said that his interest in Torah was private for many years. “At the end of it all, I wanted to go back to a place where I had a special connection to. I was learning for 20 years prior – secretly, I was learning Torah,” he said.

“I took my talents overseas to Israel,” he said, adding that he played in smaller arenas, was “living the dream” in Tel Aviv, and won a Finals MVP for Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2020.

Stoudemire has notched 15,994 points and 6,632 rebounds in his illustrious career. He was an emotional player, almost always lifting up his teams, though he had one unfortunate incident with the Knicks when they lost to the Heat in a playoff game and he lacerated his hand after punching the glass covering a fire extinguisher. He was also known for wearing protective goggles after an eye injury earlier in his career.

In his time with the Knicks, Stoudemire helped revitalize the team. After signing him, the Knicks acquired star forward Carmelo Anthony in a trade, giving the team a dynamic duo.

But the legendary player also set his sights on learning Torah. Rabbi Harry Rozenberg spoke to The Jewish Press about meeting Stoudemire in 2011 while he was playing for the Knicks.

“We were learning Torah back then,” Rozenberg said. “He was making trips to Israel, and I at the time was working very deeply on the concept of the lost tribes of Israel, especially the ones that came to America on the transatlantic slave trade. I figured it would be a great fit if we networked together.”

Rozenberg said they laughed and joked together and “had a great time,” but the focus was on Torah learning and putting Stoudemire in touch with other rabbis.

Rozenberg, who founded an organization called Light of the Infinite, said he was honored to be the first rabbi to meet with Stoudemire, make minyanim with him on his rooftop when he was with the Knicks, and speak to him on the phone a few times before a big game. He said it was also an honor to be with him when he officially converted through the beit din in Bnei Brak. Stoudemire received a blessing from Rabbi David Yosef, the chief rabbi of Israel.

“I heard him tell a group of college students when he was doing a speaking event, ‘Now that I made it to the Hall of Fame in basketball, I want to make it to the Hall of Fame in Shamayim,’ Rozenberg recounted, noting that Stoudemire always looks to inspire others.

And what inspired Stoudemire to convert?

The JTA quoted Stoudemire as saying on a Zoom call with UJA in 2020, “I was always intrigued with the prophets, I was always intrigued by how these guys carried themselves. How they lived their life, how they were so on point with everything, from a righteous standpoint. And so my mindset was like, ‘How do I get to that level?’ It’s a heavy lift, it’s not easy, I’m not sure it’s possible. And so that is what somewhat gave me my love to continue my search, continue to try to clean myself up, clean my character, understand how to carry myself, how to speak properly, how to not use profanity, how to not say certain words, not speak lashon hara.”

Stoudemire has also attacked a few entrepreneurial opportunities: among them, the basketball star has launched a kosher wine label, Stoudemire Wines.