Stephon Marbury facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Stephon Marbury

Marbury in 2009
Beijing Royal Fighters
Head coach
Personal information
Born	(1977-02-20) February 20, 1977 (age 48) New York City, New York, U.S.
High school	Abraham Lincoln (Brooklyn, New York)
Listed height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Listed weight	180 lb (82 kg)
Career information
College	Georgia Tech (1995–1996)
NBA Draft	1996 / Round: 1 / Pick: 4th overall
Selected by the Milwaukee Bucks
Pro career	1996–2018
Coaching career	2019–2023
League	CBA
Career history
As player:
1996–1999	Minnesota Timberwolves
1999–2001	New Jersey Nets
2001–2004	Phoenix Suns
2004–2009	New York Knicks
2009	Boston Celtics
2010	Shanxi Zhongyu Brave Dragons
2010–2011	Foshan Dralions
2011–2017	Beijing Ducks
2017–2018	Beijing Fly Dragons
As coach:
2019–2023	Beijing Royal Fighters
Career highlights and awards
2× NBA All-Star (2001, 2003) 2× All-NBA Third Team (2000, 2003) NBA All-Rookie First Team (1997) 3× CBA champion (2012, 2014, 2015) CBA Finals MVP (2015) CBA International MVP (2013) 3× CBA All-Star Third-team All-American – AP, NABC (1996) First-team All-ACC (1996) ACC Rookie of the Year (1996) 2× First-team Parade All-American (1994, 1995) McDonald's All-American (1995) Mr. New York Basketball (1995)
Career NBA statistics
Points	16,297 (19.3 ppg)
Assists	6,471 (7.6 apg)
Steals	1,022 (1.2 spg)
Medals Men's basketball Representing  United States Summer Olympics Bronze 2004 Athens Team competition FIBA Americas U18 Championship Gold 1994 Santa Rosa Team competition

Stephon Xavier Marbury (born February 20, 1977) is an American former professional basketball player. He also worked as the head coach for the Beijing Royal Fighters in China from 2019 to 2023.

After playing one year of college basketball, Stephon was picked 4th in the 1996 NBA draft. He started his NBA career with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Marbury was a two-time All-Star and played in the NBA until 2009. He then moved to China and played in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) until 2018. In China, he won three CBA championships and was named Finals MVP in 2015. He also played in three CBA All-Star Games.

Stephon Marbury and Kevin Garnett helped the Minnesota Timberwolves reach the playoffs three times. Marbury later moved to the New Jersey Nets, where he became an All-Star. He then played for the Phoenix Suns and the New York Knicks. After his time in the NBA, he became a huge star in the Chinese CBA.

Growing Up: Stephon's Early Life

Stephon Marbury is often called "Starbury," a nickname he got when he was young. He grew up in Coney Island, a neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York City. Stephon was the sixth of seven children in his family.

He went to PS 329 for elementary school. In high school, he was a star player at Abraham Lincoln High School. In his senior year, he was named New York State Mr. Basketball. He averaged 27.4 points, 8.3 assists, and 3 steals per game. People often thought he would be the next great point guard from New York City.

While in high school, Stephon was featured in a book called The Last Shot. He also played for a famous amateur team, the New York Gauchos.

College Basketball Career

Joining Georgia Tech

In 1995, Stephon Marbury was named a McDonald's All-American. This honor is given to the best high school basketball players in the country. Other future NBA stars like Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce were also on that list. Marbury was one of the top five recruits in the nation. He decided to play for Georgia Tech under coach Bobby Cremins.

Playing for Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

At Georgia Tech, Marbury became the team's starting point guard. He played alongside future NBA players Matt Harpring and Drew Barry. Stephon helped Georgia Tech achieve a 24–12 record. They reached the Regional Semi-final game of the NCAA tournament.

During his season, Marbury averaged 18.9 points and 4.5 assists per game. He was named a Third Team All-American by the Associated Press. After this successful year, he decided to enter the 1996 NBA draft.

Professional Basketball Journey

Minnesota Timberwolves (1996–1999)

The Milwaukee Bucks picked Marbury fourth overall in the 1996 NBA draft. However, they quickly traded him to the Minnesota Timberwolves. In his first season, Marbury averaged 15.8 points and 7.8 assists. He was named to the 1997 All-Rookie Team. He and Kevin Garnett led the Timberwolves to the NBA Playoffs in 1997 and 1998.

During the 1999 season, Marbury wanted to be traded. He said he wanted to be closer to his family. He was traded to the New Jersey Nets in a three-team deal.

New Jersey Nets (1999–2001)

In New Jersey, Marbury became an All-Star player. He was named to the All-NBA 3rd Team in 2000. He was also chosen as an All-Star reserve in 2001. In that All-Star game, he made two important three-pointers to help his team win. On February 13, 2001, Marbury scored a career-high 50 points in a game against the Los Angeles Lakers. Even with his great individual play, the Nets did not reach the playoffs during his time there.

Phoenix Suns (2001–2004)

Marbury was traded to the Phoenix Suns in 2001. With the Suns, he made his second All-Star team in 2003. He was also named to the All-NBA 3rd team again. Playing with Amar'e Stoudemire and Shawn Marion, Marbury helped the Suns reach the playoffs. However, they lost in the first round to the San Antonio Spurs.

New York Knicks (2004–2009)

Marbury with the Knicks

On January 5, 2004, Marbury was traded to the New York Knicks. This was special for him because he grew up in New York and was a lifelong Knicks fan.

Marbury played for the U.S. team in the 2004 Summer Olympics. This team was the first U.S. team of NBA players not to win the gold medal. They returned with a bronze medal. Despite this, Marbury scored a U.S. Olympic record of 31 points in a game against Spain.

During the 2005–06 season, Marbury had disagreements with his coach, Larry Brown. The Knicks were not playing well, and Marbury's conflicts with his coach led to some fans being unhappy. Larry Brown was later fired, and Isiah Thomas became the coach.

The 2007–08 season also brought challenges for Marbury and the Knicks. Marbury had a serious conflict with coach Thomas. There were reports of major disagreements between them. Fans started to boo the team, especially Marbury. The Knicks also lost eight games in a row. There were rumors that the Knicks wanted to trade Marbury. However, his contract made it difficult. After an ankle surgery in February 2008, Isiah Thomas hinted that Marbury might not play for the Knicks again. In April 2008, Thomas was replaced as coach by Mike D'Antoni.

When D'Antoni became coach, the Knicks signed Chris Duhon. This led to questions about Marbury's role. Duhon won the starting point guard job. Marbury later refused to play in a game, feeling that he and the Knicks were going in different directions. After this, he was not allowed to attend Knicks practices or games.

Boston Celtics (2009)

On February 24, 2009, the Knicks and Marbury agreed to end his contract. He then became a free agent. Many thought he would join the Boston Celtics, and he signed with them on February 27, 2009. In his first game, he scored 8 points and had 2 assists. Marbury wore jersey number 8 because number 3 was retired for Dennis Johnson.

The Celtics offered Marbury a contract for the next season, but he did not accept it. He decided to take a year off from basketball to focus on his business interests.

Playing in China (2010–2018)

In January 2010, Marbury signed with the Shanxi Zhongyu Brave Dragons in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). In his first game, he had 15 points, 4 rebounds, 8 assists, and 4 steals. He averaged 22.9 points, 9.5 assists, and 2.6 steals in 15 games. Shanxi did not make the playoffs. Marbury played in the CBA All-Star game and won the MVP award.

In December 2010, Marbury joined the Foshan Dralions. He played in the 2011 CBA All-Star game, but his team also missed the playoffs.

Beijing Ducks Success

During the 2011–2012 season, Stephon Marbury led the Beijing Ducks to a great start with a 13–0 record. He played in the 2012 CBA All-Star game, and this time, his team made the playoffs. Marbury averaged 45 points per game in one playoff series. He led Beijing to their first ever CBA Finals against the 7-time champion Guangdong Southern Tigers.

Marbury then led his Beijing Ducks team to win the 2011–2012 CBA championship. In May 2012, a statue of Marbury was put up at the MasterCard Center in Beijing, which was the 2008 Olympic basketball arena.

Marbury wrote in the China Daily that Chinese culture, which he described as "filled with love, compassion, and care," helped him succeed.

In the 2012–13 season, Marbury had 13 assists in a game. He also scored 32 points in another game. He was named the CBA Foreign MVP for the season.

On March 30, 2014, Marbury won his second CBA championship with the Beijing Ducks. On March 22, 2015, he won his third CBA championship. He also won his first official CBA Finals MVP award that year.

On February 25, 2017, Marbury announced he would retire at the end of the 2017-18 CBA season. The Ducks officially parted ways with him on April 24, 2017.

Beijing Fly Dragons (2017–2018)

On July 19, 2017, Marbury announced he would play his final season for the Beijing Fly Dragons. He hoped to finish his career with an NBA team. However, on February 11, 2018, Marbury played his last game in the CBA. He scored 20 points in a win and announced his retirement from basketball.

Coaching Career

On June 24, 2019, Stephon Marbury became the head coach of the Beijing Royal Fighters in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He helped improve the team's performance.

On March 8, 2020, Marbury advised NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to stop the 2019–2020 season due to the coronavirus. He said, "the game won't be fun if people die." Three days later, an NBA player tested positive, and the season was suspended.

Stephon's Personal Life

Family Connections

Stephon's father, Don, passed away on December 2, 2007. This happened during a game between the Knicks and the Phoenix Suns.

Stephon's brother, Zach, has also played professional basketball. Stephon is a cousin to former professional basketball player Sebastian Telfair. He is also a cousin of Jamel Thomas, another former NBA player.

Stephon and his wife Latasha have three children: Xaviera, Stephon II, and Stephanie.

Helping Others: Philanthropy

In 2001, Marbury gave $250,000 from his Pepsi sponsorships to help victims of the September 11 attacks.

In 2005, he donated between $500,000 and $1,000,000 to help people affected by Hurricane Katrina.

In 2007, Marbury donated $4,000,000 to New York City. He gave $1,000,000 each to the NYPD (police), FDNY (firefighters), EMT (medical responders), and the New York City Teacher's Fund.

In 2014, Marbury was recognized as one of the Top 10 Model Citizens for Beijing. This was because of his dedication to the Beijing community and his charity work there. He was the first international person to receive this honor.

In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Marbury worked with a Chinese supplier. He helped sell millions of masks at cost to support first responders and hospital workers in New York City.

Starbury Shoes and Fashion

In 2006, Marbury teamed up with Steve & Barry's to create a line of shoes and clothing called "Starbury". The shoes sold for only $14.98. Marbury wanted to offer affordable basketball shoes to kids. He believed this would help prevent theft of expensive shoes.

Marbury was paid based on how many shoes were sold. Later, Steve & Barry's closed all its stores. After that, Marbury opened Starbury.com to sell his shoes and other products online. He also planned to open stores in China.

Chinese Permanent Residence

In 2015, Marbury received a Chinese "green card," which is a Permanent Resident ID Card. He was the fifth American basketball player to get a green card in China. He also earned the nickname Commissar Ma (simplified Chinese: 马政委; traditional Chinese: 馬政委). This nickname came from his role as a mentor to his teammates and younger players in China.

Sports Team Owner

On October 20, 2017, it was announced that Marbury would become the owner of the Beijing Lions. This team plays in the China Arena Football League.

NBA Career Statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

CBA Career Statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

Film and TV Appearances

• 1997: Big Bad Mamma Music Video by Foxy Brown (rapper) – Fairy Godfather
• 2000: ‘’The Jersey’’ - Himself (Episode: “Elliot and Goliath”)
• 2000: Between the Lions – Himself (3 episodes)
• 2004: NBA Ballers - Himself
• 2017: My Other Home — Won Best New Actor at 14th China Movie Channel Media Awards
• 2019: A Kid From Coney Island Documentary – Himself

See also

In Spanish: Stephon Marbury para niños

• List of National Basketball Association career assists leaders