Amar’e Stoudemire, a basketball hero in the U.S. and Israel, sat down with Israel Bonds Pacific Northwest Region Director Daniel Klein for a January 28 Zoom event, during which the six-time NBA All-Star discussed not only his passion for basketball, but for Israel and Judaism as well.



Over the course of the conversation, which attracted 1,000 registrants, Stoudemire credited his Jewish faith with “helping me overcome my personal struggles.” Visiting Israel for the first time, Amar’e said he “felt the spirituality” of the Jewish state, adding that playing basketball there was “a no-brainer, a way for me to give back to the country.”

He emphasized, “I had a certain love for Israel in my heart even before moving there.” Now an assistant player development coach for the Brooklyn Nets, Stoudemire said, “I can’t wait to get back to Israel.”