Stephon Marbury was the type of player who didn't always put money over everything else. That's exactly what he proved when he was recruited back to the NBA after his legendary stint in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA).
After leading the Beijing Ducks to an emphatic championship run in his first season with the team, Marbury has already become a legendary figure in the CBA . To honor his significant contributions not only to the Ducks organization but also to Chinese basketball, a statue of the NBA All-Star was built in Beijing.
Steph's exceptional debut season in the CBA did not go unnoticed. The Houston Rockets wanted to sign him under Kevin McHale's orders. However, Starbury said it was too late as he couldn't repay the Chinese people's grand and touching gesture by telling them he was leaving.
"500,000 people voted in like 3 seconds so they was like Stephon Marbury is going to get a statue in Beijing," Marbury said on Club 30 with Henrik Lundqvist. " And during this time, that's when I was being courted to come back to the NBA and my business manager he was like, 'Man you could go back to making like $20 million a year.' Cause during this time, I'm making like $600, $700,000. I was like, 'I'mma stay.' He was like you going what? I said, 'Dude, they're about to build a statue.' I was like, 'How do I leave that?'"
The opportunity to play overseas came after no team recruited Marbury in 2009. Many believed his move to the CBA was all about money as he turned down a veteran's minimum contract offer from the Boston Celtics .
However, what many didn't know was that it was never the case. According to Stephon, he couldn't even think about basketball at the time, as his father had just passed away. He felt lost, and China brought him back on track.
For Marbury, he helped take Chinese basketball to another level, but at the same time, the Chinese people also helped him in a lot of ways.
"I brought a different spirit to basketball in their country. I was open to learning, accepting, and loving the culture. I had open feelings about it, and I went there when I was mentally sick and depressed from losing my family members and all the stuff I went through in basketball. So, during that time, it was Chinese people who helped me revitalize and pick me back up," Marbury once explained on the " Mark Jackson Show."
"I was with Chinese people. So, to have that experience and to learn something new and be completely open to it, but still be able to stay who I am, keep my spirit and my identity. It was magical. It was a big culture shock at first, though, because they did everything differently," he concluded.
Marbury did not fail to deliver when he chose to stay in the CBA. He went on and won two more championships, two MVP awards (Finals and International) and was named CBA All-Star seven times.
Marbury's statue was erected just outside the Ducks' home arena in Beijing. To this day, some are still wondering why Stephon deserved that kind of homage from the Chinese fans.
For one, Starbury led the Ducks to their first CBA championship in franchise history. However, it was his overall impact on the sport and the city of Beijing that the Chinese fans appreciated the most.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on May 2, 2026, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
