Amare Stoudemire talked to the Israeli sports website, Walla, and referred to the possibility of making his come-back to the NBA.

Here is what the six-time NBA All-Star power forward said:

On joining Hapoel Jerusalem: “The truth is that I did not know if I would come back, but I wanted it. I missed especially the holy atmosphere of Jerusalem. I had other options in Europe and China, but if I play outside the NBA, I prefer Hapoel Jerusalem.”

On making his return to the NBA: “I was very close to returning to the NBA, many teams were interested, but I did not want to wait any longer. There can always be teams in the NBA that will need me, and I’m always ready.

If I stayed in the US and waited, it would have happened and I would have gone back to the league. Now the training camps are starting and I wanted to continue practicing and playing, so I came back here. I have an opt-out option in my contract which can be used during the season.”