Amar’e Stoudemire flew into New York yesterday, and he already is recruiting other stars around the league to join him on the Knicks.
“I’ve talked to Carmelo Anthony to come out here, I’ve talked to Tony Parker,” Stoudemire said last night after seeing a Broadway show. “Both those guys are ready to join me if I decide to come here, so I’m gonna see if we can work it out.”
Stoudemire said he also was hoping to play with the leader of this year’s historic class of free agents — LeBron James.
“That’d be great,” he said, “but we’ve got to wait and see.”
Whether the Knicks will be able to work out a way to get Anthony or Parker to join Stoudemire is another matter. Stoudemire and the Knicks will sit down tomorrow to continue negotiations on the organization’s five-year, $100 million contract offer for the free-agent power forward. Anthony and Parker both will be free agents in 2011.
The Nuggets reportedly have extended Anthony a three-year, $65 million extension to keep him in Denver, but the former Syracuse star has yet to accept. There have been rumors that the Nuggets will look to deal Anthony if he turns down the offer.
Stoudemire had plenty of praise for the Knicks, who look like they will be the first team this summer to pry a big-name free agent away from his previous team.
“It’s one of the most historic franchises in NBA history,” Stoudemire said. “It’s a beautiful city, Madison Square Garden is definitely one of the most intriguing places to play, so [the Knicks] definitely have a few great points on their side.”
Stoudemire was planning to attend today’s Yankees game as he continues his holiday weekend stay in the city.
“Derek Jeter is obviously one of my favorites of all time,” he said when asked for a favorite player. “Joba Chamberlain is a good friend of mine, so I’m looking forward to taking in the game tomorrow.”
Stoudemire spoke on the corner of 47th Street and Eighth Avenue, wearing a sports jacket, scarf and Yankees cap, before being picked up in a white stretch Cadillac Escalade limousine. The 6-foot-10 power forward, one of the five elite names in this year’s free-agent class, had just departed the Brooks Atkinson Theatre, where he took in “Rock of Ages” along with his agent, Happy Walters. Stoudemire and Walters both are producers of the musical, which features a soundtrack of 1980s rock songs.
In order to re-sign former Knick Channing Frye and sign Hakim Warrick, the Suns renounced their rights to Stoudemire. The move all but ended his tenure in Phoenix, where he has spent all eight years of his career.
“The organization in Phoenix supported me through my whole career,” he said. “I left my stamp on that organization. As far as what we was able to accomplish, great ride, so it’s on to the next one.”