Chinese basketball is currently on a quest to find the next Stephon Marbury (pictured, in red). (Photo : Getty Images)
Chinese basketball has since become the target of former NBA players looking for a generous pre-retirement package. But no one from among them could perhaps match the pioneering exploits of Stephon Marbury, who stormed China's top basketball league with his sheer competitiveness.
At 39 years of age, Marbury is now at the twilight of his basketball career. Yet, his fateful refusal to take on the veteran's minimum at Boston Celtics, which could've brought him to another year in the NBA, led him to rediscover his youthful hunger in the CBA, under which he played for three teams so far.
Marbury spent his first two years in China with the Shanxi Zhongyu Brave Dragons and Foshan Dralions, both of which highlighted his apparent discontent over playing basketball in China. But it was during his stint at Beijing Ducks, his current team, when he began endearing himself to Chinese basketball fans.
The extent to which Marbury's reputation in China grew went to the point where the average Chinese basketball fan would classify two kinds of foreign players: him and the others. To many of them, the ex-New York Knicks point guard is one-of-a-kind--the best the CBA has ever seen.
It therefore comes as no surprise that Matt Beyer, agent to several foreign CBA players, is on an ongoing quest to find a fitting successor to "Lao Ma"--Marbury's popular Chinese designate, considering that the player's already hovering over retirement age.
Beyer himself recognizes the CBA's reputation as a popular choice for NBA players holding out on one last payday. But Marbury's drive and motivation, which set him apart from other foreign players in China, is a trait that's currently almost exclusive to the player himself.
Plus, contrary to what many foreign players initially about the CBA, the league's tough restrictions on non-performing imports make it harder for them to match Marbury's contributions to the Chinese game. Thus, it may take a great deal for many to match Starbury's Far East feats.
