When Chen Yang landed an eight-week job to be a translator for Stephon Marbury, he was already familiar with the negative stories that followed the former NBA star to China. But by the time Marbury returned to the United States on Monday, Yang felt like the man he had come to know was someone different.
“You hear things, but I didn’t see it,” Yang said. “I read a lot of stuff on Web sites and a story in The New York Times before he came here. But I have to believe my eyes, not my ears.”
Plenty of people saw Marbury’s erratic behavior for themselves last summer when he hosted a 24-hour Internet video chat in which, among other things, he cried uncontrollably. Afterward, no NBA team seemed interested in signing him. To keep playing – and sell his Starbury shoes – Marbury, now 33, signed in January with Shanxi Zhongyu of the Chinese Basketball Association.
“It ain’t the grandest of things,” Marbury told Yahoo! Sports recently. “The talent, as far as basketball, it ain’t there. By that not being like that, you can get other business as well from being able to play a certain way.”
Yang said there were concerns that “no one could handle” Marbury, but he enjoyed working with Marbury and said he was humble and punctual. Most of Marbury’s downtime, Yang said, was spent staying in his housing, where he called home to speak to his wife and children and worked on his Starbury brand.
“American journalists didn’t seem to like him, but he likes to tell the truth,” Yang said. “From what I know, he’s a nice guy.”
Shanxi was 4-13 prior to Marbury’s arrival and 6-9 afterward with several close losses. Marbury averaged 22.9 points, 9.5 assists and 2.6 steals in 15 games while playing with former NBA forward Maurice Taylor(notes). Despite the team’s lack of success, Marbury remained a big draw in China, Yang said Marbury sold more than 1,500 pairs of Starbury shoes between two autograph sessions.
“There could be dominance here with what I’m doing with my brand,” Marbury said. “There are so many people and they love my stuff. I got a great situation and I’m taking advantage of it.”
Yang said it is typically accepted that foreign players cannot play in the CBA’s All-Star game if they arrive in the middle of the season. Marbury’s popularity, however, allowed the CBA to make an exception for him, and he responded by totaling 30 points and 10 assists in the game. Afterward, he donated the money he received for being named MVP to a Beijing elementary school.
“The fans loved him all over China,” Yang said. “Every single game, home or away, they were sold out. A lot of teams didn’t sell out games before, but when Stephon was there, [fans] held up old pictures and wore his New York jersey. … It was a success.”
With Shanxi out of the playoffs, the All-Star game was Marbury’s last CBA appearance. Yang said Marbury left Monday afternoon and gave no indication whether he would return next season.
“I don’t know if he’ll come back,” Yang said. “I think he had a good time in the CBA. It was a good experience for him.”
David Mikael Taclino
Inyu Web Development and Design
Creative Writer
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