Why Amar’e Stoudemire Takes $550 Red Wine Baths

Photo Credit: Landon Nordeman for ESPN

You may remember when back in October, New York Knick Amar’e Stoudemire posted a selfie to Instagram of him taking a red wine bath which subsequently set off a firestorm of jokes, spa advertisements and questions. Today, we can answer all of those questions courtesy ESPN’s Sam Alipour who accompanied Amar’e to New York’s Aire Ancient Baths where they shared a red wine bath (which runs between $500-$550) during the course of an interview.

‘They say drink a glass of red wine a day to keep the doctor away. So I really took it upon myself to submerge myself in uh … red wine,” Stoudemire explained of the treatment which is meant to soothe the body.

Recovery Day! Red Wine Bath !! #Kinging #Blessed #Hebrews Getting ready for the eighth day feast.

A photo posted by (əˈ•mär•ray) Amar’e Stoudemire (@amareisreal) on Oct 15, 2014 at 8:22am PDT

After inquiring about what exactly a red wine bath felt like, Allpour was invited to join the NBA star in the bizarre ritual, which consists of a mixture of Matarromera Crianza Spanish red wine and Antioxidant Red Grape Bath heated to 98 degrees, according to Sports Illustrated. After hopping in, ESPN’s senior write summed it up nicely:  “You know what it feels like? It feels like money.”

“That’s the good stuff. You want to make sure you put the good stuff around your body, so you indulge in it,” Stoudemire adds in agreement before stipulating: “This is by far, hands down” [the strangest interview I’ve ever done].

Check out the full red wine bath debacle below: