NBA: Amar'e Stoudemire Confident About Getting Call Up After Workout

Amar’e Stoudemire seems bent on making an NBA comeback and believes that with several teams in attendance, that chance could happen soon. The last time the 9th overall pick of the 2002 NBA Draft saw action was with the Miami Heat during the 2015-16 season. He signed with the Knicks on July 2016 and later on announce his retirement after 14 seasons.

But while Stoudemire retired from the NBA scene, he was not totally out of basketball. He signed a two-year deal with Hapoel Jerusalem in the Israeli Basketball Premier League in 2017. After another brief retirement, he returned for the 2018-19 season. At the moment, he is strutting his wares in the Big3 and is Tri-State’s co-captain. Now, he is trying to make an NBA return, the reason why he and Monta Ellis worked out in Las Vegas recently. Much of this was covered in a previous post.

According to TMZ Sports, it looks like the 36-year-old’s workout went well. There were reportedly 15 teams in attendance. Among the teams present included the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, and the Golden State Warriors. Stoudemire is aware that should he be given the chance, he will be facing younger players and that there is a chance he could join a team that wants to make a serious playoff push.

"It's a lot of teams out there -- teams with young players, teams with veteran players that wanna make the playoff push ... we'll see what happens," he said.

For the benefit of those who may have forgotten, Stoudemire was one of the promising stars the NBA had when he invaded the league in 2002. He made his mark with the Phoenix Suns before moving to the Knicks in 2010. Injuries slowed down the 6-foot-10 center-forward, one of the frustrating reasons why his pro basketball career took a dip. However, it seems the fire from within the six-time NBA All-Star continues to flicker, a reason why he wants another shot at playing in the NBA.

Looking at the rosters of NBA teams at the moment, Stoudemire could be taken in as a backup center – meaning he will likely come off the bench. Playing minutes will be a concern and the 2003 NBA Rookie of the Year may end up mentoring the young big men as well. On whether this would be enough for the NBA veteran remains to be seen.