Phoenix Suns staples Amar’e Stoudemire and Mike D’Antoni were officially announced as class of 2026 inductees into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday and each had a moment to reflect on their time together in the NBA.
“Well, probably one of the bigger reasons I’m here is because of the man down there,” D’Antoni said from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. “(Amar’e), and Steve (Nash) and Shawn (Marion) and different guys on the team, we had a vision that the Colangelos and myself wanted a way to play, and then they carried it out.”
D’Antoni became an assistant coach for Phoenix the same year when Stoudemire, the eventual five-time All-Star, was drafted No. 9 overall in the 2002 NBA Draft. The coach took over for Frank Johnson later that season and employed his “7 Seconds or Less” offense to great success with Stoudemire as a focal point.
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“As basketball players, you always dream of being versatile and being able to express your game in a versatile way,” Stoudemire said. “To play that way for those years in Phoenix (2002-08), because of Mike D’Antoni’s innovative mindset for that type of play, allowed us to be very successful. Without that success, I wouldn’t be here today.”
With Stoudemire and D’Antoni in tow, the Suns went to the postseason four times, notably making it to back-to-back Western Conference Finals in 2005 and 2006 following respective 62-20 and 54-28 regular seasons and divisional titles.
“A lot of coaches have already said, without great players, nothing good happens,” D’Antoni said. “I had some great players. But really special to be here with (Amar’e) today, see where he came from.”
Stoudemire’s 11,035 points ranks seventh in franchise history and his 4,613 rebounds sit at third all-time and 722 blocks at fifth. He entered the the Suns’ Ring of Honor in 2024, which was 14 seasons after he last sported Phoenix on the front of an NBA jersey.
“As a kid, you play basketball because you love the sport, and then you begin to try to chase your dreams of becoming the best player you can possibly be, but you don’t really imagine being in the Hall of Fame,” Stoudemire said. “To be now in the Hall of Fame is a dream come true.”
D’Antoni reflected on some of his most memorable moments leading Phoenix and said he remembers often chuckling to himself.
“That place (formerly America West Arena) was rocking,” D’Antoni said. “Just remembering back on Amar’e, so many times I would come to the timeout and just giggle. The rim is still shaking how hard he just dunked the basketball and guys are like, they’re stunned. I’m looking like, ‘Oh my gosh.’ He was incredible.”
Besides the constant thrills of slamming the ball home, Stoudemire was a All-NBA First Team selection in 2007 and played 14 seasons, with stints on the New York Knicks (2010-15), Dallas Mavericks (2014-15) and Miami Heat (2015-16).
His longevity, in which he saw action in 924 games (including 78 in the playoffs), is ultimately what he’s most proud of when all is said and done.
“When you’re playing in the NBA or basketball in general, it presents challenges. The way you handle those challenges is what shows character,” Stoudemire said. “I think that is what I’m most proud of is just having the willingness to say, you know what, ‘I’m going to do whatever it takes to get back to 100%.'”
Stoudemire and D’Antoni will be enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on Aug. 14-15 in Springfield, Massachusetts.
The rest of the class of 2026 featured referee Joey Crawford (NBA from 1977 to 2016), Gonzaga coach Mark Few (1999-Present), coach Doc Rivers (current Milwaukee Bucks coach), player Elena Delle Donne (two-time WNBA Most Valuable Player), player Candace Parker (three-time WNBA champion) and player Chamique Holdsclaw (six-time WNAB All-Star).
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