The networking that reeled in Stoudemire worked like this: Brainis, a guard, played for Dore in the 2005 Maccabiah. Dore’s assistant coach there was Glen Grunwald, a close friend who had been fired the previous year as the Raptors’ general manager but still lived in Toronto. Last year, Brainis asked Dore to call Grunwald, who by then was working as the Knicks’ executive vice president and general manager, to help make the introduction to Stoudemire. On a visit to the Knicks’ practice facility during last year’s Knicks-Miami Heat playoff series, Dore formally extended the job offer in a conversation with Stoudemire in the trainer’s room.

Stoudemire did not respond to a number of requests for comment that were made through the Knicks and one of his publicists. Still, by all accounts, he has been actively involved in his Maccabiah assignment. At last summer’s tryouts, he worked with each player. He paid particular attention to the big men, advising them on effective post moves, pump fakes and passes out of a zone.

In one scrimmage Stoudemire “came onto the court and showed how, when the big man gets the ball, the zone collapses on him, and what kind of read he should have,” said Ave Bross, a point guard on the team, who plays at McGill University.

When the Knicks visited Toronto for a mid-February game against the Raptors, Brainis and several other Maccabi Canada officials met Stoudemire for dinner. Brainis said everyone was impressed by Stoudemire’s attention to detail and readiness to get going.

“He asked specific and pointed questions not only about Israel but about the composition of the roster and whether the team would be more effective playing zone or man,” Brainis said. “It was not necessarily a conversation we were expecting to have, but we were all very impressed by his level of knowledge.

“He talked about some of the players who tried out and some who didn’t yet make a decision, waiting to hear from several pro teams. It was all in his head — he definitely didn’t come with notes. It showed that he did his preparation.”