Related News
Home » Sports » Basketball
Marbury happy to settle in China
Print Edition
AFTER a roller-coaster National Basketball Association career, Stephon Marbury has found peace in basketball-crazed China. The two-time all-star is thriving on the court with the Beijing Ducks while becoming one with his adopted hometown away from basketball.
He is so entrenched, he wants to one day coach China’s national team.
“I plan on living here for the rest of my life,” the 37-year-old point guard and Brooklyn native said in an interview in the lobby of his plush apartment in the heart of Beijing. “I think they respect me enough to be able to give me the opportunity.”
China is a world away from Marbury’s life in the United States, where he endured a string of disappointing stints with several NBA teams. But he has found his groove in Beijing, leading the Ducks to two Chinese Basketball Association championships. He is an unrivaled fan favorite and the team’s on-court leader — the organization has even erected a statue of him in front of its arena.
Marbury has capitalized on the opportunities China offers to foreign basketball players and other athletes capable of adjusting to the considerable cultural, linguistic and culinary challenges of life in the rising Asian power. Already dominant at the Olympics and Asian Games, the world’s second largest economy is now undergoing a boom in professional sports stoked by foreign coaches and players.
“I don’t make nowhere near the money that I made when I was playing in the NBA,” Marbury said, “but I’m way happier, so I mean, what is there to say?”
A big part of Marbury’s appeal has been his willingness to embrace local culture and make himself accessible to fans.
He rides the Beijing subway with a backpack and headphones, posing for photos with people he meets along the way. He dines at local eateries, and digs into the same simple meals as his Chinese teammates. He’s also active on Weibo, the ubiquitous Chinese version of Twitter. A typical post: “Good morning China! Live in the moment with pure loving intentions to all. Love is Love!!!”
Marbury believes he can play another two or three years but no matter what happens on the court — or with his coaching ambitions — he plans to keep China at the center of his life and career.
“I am forever indebted to this country for them helping change my life and my basketball career, and how I’m viewed in the world of basketball.”
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
