00:01Here's a proud moment for every Phoenix Sun supporter. On Saturday, two franchise legends,
00:06Amari Stoudemire and Mike D'Antoni, were officially named to the Naismith Basketball
00:11Hall of Fame's class of 2026, and they both reflected on their incredible journey together
00:16in Phoenix. D'Antoni spoke from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis and gave credit where it was due.
00:22He said a big reason he's going to the Hall is because of the man right there, Amari,
00:27along with Steve Nash, Sean Marion, and other teammates. He explained that the Colangelos and
00:32he had a vision for how to play, and those players made it happen. Think about the timing.
00:37D'Antoni became an assistant coach for the Suns the same year Stoudemire was drafted. That was the
00:422002 NBA draft where Amari went ninth overall. Later that season, D'Antoni took over as head
00:48coach from Frank Johnson and unleashed his famous seven seconds or less offense with Stoudemire as
00:53a centerpiece. Amari put it perfectly. He said every basketball player dreams of being versatile
00:59and expressing their game in a versatile way. Thanks to Mike D'Antoni's innovative mindset,
01:05the Suns played that style from 2002 to 2008, and it brought real success. Stoudemire even admitted
01:12that without that success, he wouldn't be standing here today as a Hall of Famer, and the results speak
01:17for themselves, with Stoudemire and D'Antoni leading the charge. The Suns made the playoffs
01:22four times. Most notably, they reached back-to-back Western Conference finals in 2005 and 2006,
01:30following regular seasons of 62-20 and 54-28, plus division titles. D'Antoni also acknowledged that
01:37without great players, nothing good happens. He had great players, but he said it's really special to
01:42be inducted alongside Amari and to see where he came from. Now let's look at Amari's numbers in a
01:47Suns uniform. His 11,035 points, ranked 7th in franchise history. His 4,613 rebounds are 3rd all-time,
01:57and his 722 blocks are 5th. In 2024, 14 seasons after he last wore a Phoenix jersey, he was inducted
02:05into
02:05the Suns ring of honor. Stoudemire shared a heartfelt thought. As a kid, you played basketball because you
02:12love it, then you chase your dream of being the best you can be. You don't really imagine making
02:16the Hall of Fame, so, to be there now is a dream come true. D'Antoni remembered some of his
02:22most
02:22memorable moments coaching Phoenix, and he said he often found himself chuckling. He recalled how the
02:27old America West arena was rocking. He would come to a timeout, and just giggle, because the rim was
02:33still shaking, from how hard Amari dunked, players were stunned, and D'Antoni just thought,
02:38Oh my gosh, he was incredible. Beyond those highlight dunks, Stoudemire earned all NBA first
02:44team honors in 2007. He played 14 seasons overall, with stops in New York, 2010-15, Dallas, 2014-15,
02:53and Miami, 2015-16. But, what he's most proud of is his longevity. 924 games in total, including 78 in
03:02the playoffs. He said the NBA presents challenges, and how you handle them shows your character.
03:08He's proudest of his willingness to do whatever it takes to get back to 100%. Amari Stoudemire and
03:13Mike D'Antoni will be enshrined on August 14, 15, 2026. In Springfield, Massachusetts, the rest of the
03:21class of 2026 includes referee Joey Crawford, NBA 1977-2016, Gonzaga coach Mark Few, 1999-Present,
03:30coach Doc Rivers, current Milwaukee Bucs coach, player Elena Del Don, two-time WNBA MVP, player Candice
03:38Parker, three-time WNBA champion, and player Shamik Holdsclaw, six-time WNBA All-Star. So, Suns fans,
03:47after hearing all that, from the seven seconds or less magic, to back-to-back Western Conference
03:52finals, and those earth-shaking dunks, doesn't it make you proud to see two of our own go into
03:57the Hall of Fame together?
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