Amar’e Stoudemire To Join Nets As Assistant Coach

Nets head coach Steve Nash is adding a very familiar face to his bench. Nash’s longtime Suns running mate Amar’e Stoudemire will serve as an assistant coach on his former point guard’s staff, Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium tweets.

Stoudemire, a hyper-athletic power forward, and Nash overlapped for six seasons in Phoenix, where they led the trailblazing offensive attack of the famous “Seven Seconds Or Less” Suns, the subject of a fascinating Jack McCallum behind-the-scenes book.

Charania adds in a separate tweet that Stoudemire will specialize in player development while in Brooklyn. Assuming All-Stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving can remain healthy, the Nets look to be a formidable force in the East during the 2020/21 season.

Stoudemire joins former Nets interim head coach Jacque Vaughn on the bench. Assistant Adam Harrington appears likely to remain with the club for this new regime. Former Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni, who coached Stoudemire on the Suns from 2003-08 (and both Stoudemire and Nash from 2004-08), has been floated as a potential addition to Nash’s staff as well.

A six-time All-Star with the Suns and Knicks, Stoudemire most recently played for Israeli basketball club Maccabi Tel Aviv. He led the team to a 2020 title while winning the Israeli League Finals MVP award in the process in July.

Stoudemire last suited up in the NBA with the Heat for the 2015/16 season. He signed a contract with the Knicks after his stint in Miami was over to officially retire with New York. Since last playing in the NBA, Stoudemire also logged time in the CBA and in two separate stints for another Israeli basketball team, Hapoel Jerusalem.

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