In its effort to combat air pollution, the Chinese capital city of Beijing has named former NBA star Stephon Marbury as its Environment Protection Ambassador.
The latest star player of Beijing Ducks officially began his task to promote a more nature-friendly lifestyle on Monday.
"I just basically continue to encourage people to go green, mean taking the subway, putting trashes inside the right cans. All these stuff are important to the environment," Marbury remarked.
Marbury is currently regarded as a city hero after leading the team to its third league championship tilt.
"I believe the government here definitely take acts and take notice of trying to clear the air. So being a part of this is, anything they need me to do, I'm willing to do help," he added.
The two-time NBA All-Star player also shared that in America, he also encountered the same problem. He said: "They had air problems as well in past years a long time ago and it resolved problem. I know it's a possibility that the air problem can change here."
"Often my friends ask me about air quality here in Beijing, I often tell them that it's getting better," the 38-year-old player, who has extended his contract to 2017, shared.
The local government also has high hopes that its bid for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games could aid in speeding up the process.
The Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau reported last week that the average density of PM 2.5, particles with a diameter of less than 2.5 microns, has dropped by a 19-percent year-on-year statistic.
The news comes as a relief to Beijing's bidding committee who is waiting for the International Olympic Committee's evaluation report, set to be released in June.