(JNS.org) National Basketball Association star Amar’e Stoudemire, who famously visited Israel in the summer of 2010 to explore his family’s Jewish roots, is part of a group that purchased the Israeli professional basketball team Hapoel Jerusalem. “Today I’m one of the proud new owners of the Hapoel Jerusalem basketball organization,” Stoudemire tweeted July 12. “It’s a great day!” Stoudemire, sports agent Arn Tellem, advertising executive Eyal Chomsky, and engineer and entrepreneur Ori Allon bought a 90 percent stake in Hapoel Jerusalem for 20 million shekels, or about $5.6 million. A forward for the New York Knicks, the 30-year-old Stoudemire visited Israel in 2010 to “see all the important historical sites, learn Hebrew and to get a better understanding of my heritage.”

“I have been aware since my youth that I am a Hebrew through my mother, and that is something that has played a subtle but important role in my development,” Stoudemire told The Jerusalem Post at the time.