Amar’e Stoudemire attempting to make NBA comeback

Former Suns star Amar’e Stoudemire is hoping a three-year hiatus from the NBA hasn’t taken its toll.

The 36-year-old big man is attempting a comeback and worked out in front of approximately half the league Monday night, according to Yahoo! Sports’ Chris Haynes and the New York Post.

Stoudemire said in an interview with MSG Tuesday that his retirement from the NBA in 2016 wasn’t a goodbye to basketball.

“I didn’t remove myself too far from being in basketball shape,” he said.

After leaving the league, Stoudemire signed with Hapoel Jerusalem, a team in the Israeli Basketball Premier League, and played one season there before retiring again.

But then the BIG3 started up, and it got Stoudemire back on the court. This past fall, he re-signed with Hapoel Jerusalem and won the league’s Player of the Month in April.

His success there led to his workout earlier this week.

“The workout went great,” he said. “Obviously I’ve been training a lot.

“I’ve been training all summer, keeping myself in shape. My body feels amazing. So we’ll see if the opportunity becomes reality.”

Stoudemire said he was down to 235 pounds, his lowest playing weight ever.

He also cited his 16 NBA years and playing experience overseas as something that could have a positive effect.

“Veteran leadership goes a long way with teams in order to get from a playoff team into a contending championship team,” he said. “From that standpoint, I have a lot to offer.”

In his last season in the NBA in 2015-16, Stoudemire averaged 5.8 points and 4.3 rebounds per game and shot 56.6% from the field. He averaged 14.7 minutes a game, close to the 15 minutes a game he mentioned a team could use him for next season. But Stoudemire made it clear he’s open to anything.

“I still have a lot of game left,” he said. “I still have a lot of health. And I can help a team in any way they need.”