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Amar'e Stoudemire shocked a lot of people when he retired last week.
Stoudemire signed a one-day contract so he could retire as a New York Knick, but that wasn't his first option.
Two days ago it was reported that Stoudemire wanted to return to the Phoenix Suns, where he played his best basketball, for one season before retiring. The Suns weren't interested.
Stoudemire recently discussed the situation with AZCentral.com:
“The last two years, we made phone calls to Phoenix but I wasn’t getting any positive response,” Stoudemire said. “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 Suns signed two other former players in Leandro Barbosa and Jared Dudley this summer. Stoudemire noted that it would have been cool to go back for one last year and play with those two.
Stoudemire and the Suns had a great run. One of the best ever that didn't end in a championship. He wanted to return and ride out into the sunset in Phoenix, but it just didn't work out. Luckily, he's at peace with that:
“The last two years, we made phone calls to Phoenix but I wasn’t getting any positive response,” Stoudemire said. “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.”
