Marbury to retire Feb. 11, believes he's worthy of HOF induction
Playing professional basketball for over two decades in both America and China has taken its toll on Stephon Marbury, which is why he's at peace with his decision to hang his kicks up for good in just a matter of weeks.
Turning 41 years old on Feb. 20, Marbury will bring his playing career to an end on Feb. 11 when his Beijing Fly Dragons take on Jiangsu Tongxi in their season finale for the Chinese Basketball Association.
"I'm tired, man. I'm tired. I played 22 years," Marbury told The Undefeated's Marc J. Spears. "It's all good. I'm straight with how it is right now. I like being able to have control over going out the way I want to go out. I'm 100 percent at peace with it. One hundred percent."
While his accomplishments during his 13-year NBA career may not be worthy of enshrinement into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on their own, Marbury feels his resume overseas paired with his Association run make him more than deserving of a nod.
"My numbers (19.3 points, 7.6 assists, and three rebounds in the NBA) are Hall of Fame. That's first," said the former two-time NBA All-Star. "You look at guys who have never won championships on the globe, they are in the Hall of Fame. Two, what I have done to help basketball globally to bridge the gap from America to China, with China being one of the main components on the Earth for basketball, that right there alone should bridge that gap.
"It's the Basketball Hall of Fame, not the NBA Hall of Fame. So, for basketball, I played in Olympics, I played in the Junior Olympics. With what I've done and given to basketball is all Hall of Fame."
Marbury was selected fourth overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in the legendary 1996 draft, but was immediately traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves. He also suited up for the New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns, New Jersey Nets, and Boston Celtics before heading to China in 2010.
It was on foreign soil where Marbury became both a megastar and local hero, winning three championships with the Beijing Ducks, as well as Finals MVP honors in 2015. He's had a museum erected in his honor in Beijing, complete with jerseys, trophies, and a wax statue in his likeness. Marbury also has a statue outside of the Ducks arena, and even appeared in a 2014 Chinese musical called "I Am Marbury," which was based on his life.
He does plan to stay in shape, at least, on the off-chance an NBA team elects to give him a call.