Many thought it was rather peculiar that Amar'e Stoudemire chose to retire Tuesday as a member of the New York Knicks. After all, he spent the majority and best parts of his career in a Phoenix Suns uniform.
As it turns out, the 33-year-old wanted to close out his career where he started it, but Stoudemire said the Suns weren't interested.
"The last two years, we made phone calls to Phoenix but I wasn't getting any positive response," Stoudemire told Paul Coro of azcentral sports on Thursday. "That would've been the perfect way to go out. I didn't want to beg Phoenix. My heart was in two places - Phoenix and New York. I just went where I was wanted."
The big man dominated in the Valley of the Sun, where he rounded out a Big Three with Steve Nash and Shawn Marion under Mike D'Antoni during the Seven Seconds or Less era. They took the NBA by storm, going on multiple playoff runs and reaching as far as the Western Conference finals with their exciting brand of fast-paced basketball.
"Most of my high times and highlights were in Phoenix," Stoudemire said.
His name can be found throughout Phoenix's record books, where he ranks fourth in average points (21.4) and seventh in field-goal percentage (54.3). Over his eight years with the Suns, he also accumulated the third-most rebounds (4,613) and made free throws (3,044), plus the fifth-most blocks with 722.
STAT hopes all that will be enough for him to be inducted in the Ring of Honor.
"I'm praying for that," he said. "Because my glory years are in Phoenix. My best times are in Phoenix. I bleed purple and orange. My roots are in Phoenix and the tree bloomed from there."
Still, he said his efforts to return weren't "well-received" by the Suns. To add insult to injury, the team signed Jared Dudley and Leandro Barbosa - two players whom Stoudemire had played with in Arizona.
"They brought back Jared and Leandro, my boys," the six-time All-Star said. "That would've been a heck of a way to finish."
