
New York Knicks power forward Amar’e Stoudemire is leaving New York after five seasons with the team to play for the Dallas Mavericks. The Hapoel Jerusalem part-owner, who is reportedly in the process of obtaining Israeli citizenship, negotiated a buyout with the Knicks and then signed a $477,150 deal with the Mavs, starting immediately.
“Although I leave the Knicks with a heavy heart, I wish the organization the best of luck,” Stoudemire said in a statement. “Once a Knick always a Knick.”
The Knicks will probably be fine without the injury-prone Stoudemire—after all, with the worst record in the NBA this season, it’s not like they can get much worse. And the Passover-loving, Shabbat dinner-hosting NBA star, who claims Jewish roots on his mother’s side and peppers his Instagram feed with “Shabbat Shaloms,” will likely find a warm welcome from Dallas’ sizable Jewish community. His kosher short ribs recipe will be right at home.
Next season in Dallas. Or, as Stoudemire put it in an Instagram poem, “Shalom to all my fans, Salute to all my haters.”
Here’s to hoping for some Stat-Mark Cuban High Holiday Instagram posts.
Previous: Amar’e Stoudemire’s Shabbat Short Rib Recipe
Next Up For Amar’e Stoudemire: a Bar Mitzvah?
Related: 11 Non-Jewish Celebrities—and 2 Jewish Ones—Show Off Their Hebrew Tattoos
Stephanie Butnick is chief strategy officer of Tablet Magazine, co-founder of Tablet Studios, and a host of the Unorthodox podcast.