Stephon Marbury, a basketball legend, has seen and been through everything – the good, the bad, and the ugly.
He’s loved and hated by USA people, failed multiple times throughout his career, dealing with depression, and even been cast away from the NBA.
Despite all of this, he’s persevered and is an example to us all that no matter what life throws our way, it’s always possible to overcome it.
Marbury faced several downfalls throughout his life, but he never failed to rise and keep going. Though his basketball career in the United States ended in 2009, he didn’t give up hope. He had faith and found an unexpected career rebirth in China. He proved his haters wrong with all his hard work and made an excellent career path in a new place.
Let’s get to know him more in this blog post.
| Full Name | Stephon Xavier Marbury |
| Nickname | Starbury, Old Ma, Lone Wolf |
| Birth Date | February 20, 1977 |
| Birth Place | Coney Island, Brooklyn, USA |
| Age | 45 Years Old |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession | Basketball Player, Actor |
| School | Abraham Lincoln High School |
| Religion | Christian |
| Ethnicity | African-American |
| Father’s Name | Don Marbury |
| Mother’s Name | Mabel Marbury |
| Siblings | Zach Marbury, Eric Marbury, Norman Jou-Jou Marbury, Donnie ‘Sky’ Marbury |
| Marital status | Married |
| Spouse | Tasha Marbury (M. 2002)Nicole Thompson (ex-wife) |
| Children | Xaviera Marbury, Stephanie Marbury, and Stephon Marbury, Jr. |
| Height | 1.88m |
| Weight | 93Kg |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Black |
| Net Worth | $60 million |
Early Life of Stephon Marbury
Stephon Marbury was born on February 20, 1977, in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York. He was the youngest of six children, and his older brothers played basketball.
However, only Stephon became a sensation at Abraham Lincoln High School, where he led the team to numerous victories.
His successful high school career was drafted into the NBA in 1996.
Personal Life of Stephon Marbury
Stephon Marbury has had a few girlfriends (and a wife) during his basketball career. During his high school years, Marbury was in a relationship with Nicole Thompson. They had a baby girl together named Stephanie Marbury.
After high school in 1999, Stephon dated Latasha Freison for a while before marrying her in 2002. Together, they had two children – Stephon Marbury Jr. and Xaviera Marbury.
The couple was happy for 18 years until they decided to separate recently. Latasha filed for a divorce as she was also harassed by one of Stephon’s girlfriends.
While Marbury was playing for the New York Knicks, he had an affair with his chef, Thurayyah Mitchell.
Marbury paid nearly a million dollars to keep her quiet about their relationship. According to the NY Post, they hooked up five times. But when Marbury let her go and refused to pay her, Thurayyah screamed sexual harassment and made Marbury pay her $900,000.
The recent girlfriend of Marbury is Jessica Jung. Jessica Jung is a Korean Pop Star and is allegedly Marbury’s second wife.
The Career of Stephon Marbury
Marbury’s NBA career began when he was selected in the 1996 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks.
After being drafted, he was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Marbury was named to the All-Rookie Team in 1997 after averaging 15.8 points and 7.8 assists per game.
Due to a dispute with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Marbury was eventually traded to the New Jersey Nets in 1999 as part of a three-way trade.
The trading of Marbury from one team to another continued until 2009.
In 2004, Marbury was traded to the New York Knicks and played in the Olympics. The U.S. team failed to win the gold medal, resulting in a bronze medal.
Marbury had continuous disputes with coaches of the New York Knicks and a sexual harassment trial with a Knick’s intern, which led to diminishing popularity amongst the audience.
The controversies surrounding Marbury’s NBA career led to him being banned from attending games and practices with the New York Knicks in 2009.
The same year he signed with the Boston Celtics, but he left shortly after, citing an interest in his own business.
The Turning Point
While Marbury was struggling with his depression, he got a call from China to play for their basketball team. His CBA career started then and there.
He first played for the Shanxi Zhongyu Brave Dragons of the Chinese Basketball Association in January 2010. He won MVP All-Star, averaging 30 points and 10 assists, but failed to lead Shanxi to the Playoffs.
In December, he left Shanxi even though he had signed a three-year contract and joined Foshan Dralions.
After failing to lead his previous team to the playoffs, Marbury joined the Beijing Ducks in 2011. He saw this as an opportunity to finally flaunt his skills and leave a good impression on the Chinese audience.
He led the Ducks to the playoffs in the 2012 CBA All-Star Match, and his achievements did not stop there.
He led Beijing to their first-ever CBA Finals against Guangdong Southern Tigers, the seven-time champion, and finally to the 2011-2012 CBA Championship.
Retirement
2017 was Marbury’s final season as a professional basketball player. He announced that he would play for the Beijing Fly Dragons and retire after that game.
However, in his final game in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), he scored 20 points in a 104-92 win over the Jiangsu Dragons.
Afterward, Marbury finally retired from playing basketball and started his coaching career with Beijing Royal Fighters as a head coach on June 24, 2019.
Stephon Marbury is not only a former NBA star but also an actor who’s appeared in a few TV shows and movies.
His first acting gig was on the reality TV show Basketball Wives. As for movies, he’s starred in two films based on his life – My Other Home and A Kid from Coney Island. In both movies, Stephon played himself.
My Other Home is about his life in China and his CBA career, but A Kid from Coney Island is the documentary that shows Marbury’s overall life and basketball journey.
Below is the list of Stephon Marbury’s Awards and Achievements
- All-Rookie-Team Award in 1997
- All-NBA-Team Award in 2003 and 2004
- CBA Finals MVP Award in 2015
- Nominated for ‘China Movie Channel Media Award’ in ‘Best Male New Comer Category’ in 2017
Stephon Marbury’s Statues and Museum
Marbury’s first-ever CBA victory with the Beijing Ducks in 2012 made him a hero in China. He became the heart of the Chinese people and was celebrated with an extravagant statue of him holding the trophy on the MasterCard Center lawn outside the Duck’s arena in Beijing.
In the following years, he won two more championships with the Ducks – one on March 30, 2014, and another on March 22, 2015. He also won the first official CBA finals MVP award in his third championship.
When the Ducks won the third Championship, there was a grand celebration in Shina.
He is the only NBA player to own a Museum dedicated to him in China.
Through this, NBA bad boy became successful in winning fans in China.
Stephon Marbury’s Controversies
Marbury took a hiatus from basketball to focus on endorsements and his own line of sneakers, but his business endeavors failed, leading him into a deep depression.
Marbury’s father’s death, mixed with the failure of his business and problems in his career, resulted in Marbury becoming suicidal.
To cope with his depression, Marbury started making bizarre videos where he cried, ate Vaseline, danced to Michael Jackson songs with lotion all over his face, and poured water on his head.
These videos were posted on his social media accounts for all to see.
Stephon Marbury’s Net Worth
According to estimates, Stephon Marbury is worth $60 million.
In the past, Marbury owned a house in Los Angeles that was lost to foreclosure after Wachovia sued him for $3 million.
He now owns a house in Suitland, Maryland, worth more than $415,000.
Additionally, Marbury owns several luxury cars, including a Mercedes SLR 772, Rolls Royce, and Limousine.
