Amar’e Stoudemire returns to the NBA. Not as a player, but as a coach. Early Friday afternoon, Stoudemire agreed to a deal to join the Brooklyn Nets as an assistant under new coach Steve Nash, According to Shams Sharania of The Athletic. Stoudemire is expected to focus on player development.
Stoudemire hasn’t played in the NBA since 2016 for the Miami Heat, but has continued his basketball journey elsewhere, playing in Israel, China and BIG3 over the past four years. In fact, recently this summer, he won the Best Player award in the Israeli League Finals after helping Maccabi Tel Aviv his third successive title.
While he has no prior coaching experience, Stoudemire was an all-star six times, and he played professionally for nearly 20 years. This long career in playing should provide him with insight that he can pass on to younger players, which will be his primary focus as a player development person.
Plus, of course, there’s an apparent connection to Nash. The duo made up one of the best pick-and-roll combos in recent memory with the Phoenix Suns in the late 2000s, and their relationship seems to be extending off the field as well. This isn’t the first time Nash has tried to bring her to Brooklyn – Dirk Nowitzki turned down a job offer earlier this year – and he appears to be doing his best to feel as comfortable as possible as he begins his coaching career.
Speaking of Nash-Amar’e pick-and-roll, what a perfect excuse to remember some of their best moments together.
This doesn’t take anything away from Stoudemire’s knowledge of basketball, or how he can help front-team players, but the move appears to be as much about the emotions inside a Brooklyn locker room as it is about the Xs and Os or the coaching acumen. After all, if Nash wants a more experienced coach, he could easily find a coach. Instead, he brought in his friend, someone he trusted and knew better than most people in the league.
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