Stephon Marbury to Retire from Basketball After 22-Year Career
Former NBA star Stephon Marbury is set to retire from basketball after the China Basketball Association's regular-season finale on Feb. 11, according to Marc J. Spears of ESPN.
"I'm tired man. I'm tired. I played 22 years," Marbury said. "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."
Marbury last played in the NBA during the 2008-09 season, but he carved out a second career in the CBA since 2010, mostly with the Beijing Ducks.
The 40-year-old won three CBA championships with the Ducks, earning six All-Star appearances. He was also the 2015 CBA Finals MVP.
He is so beloved in the city, there is even a museum celebrating his role with the team, which opened in 2015:
Marbury announced on Instagram in July he would play one more season, but he would move across the city to play for the Fly Dragons.
In the United States, the guard is best known for his 13 seasons in the NBA, during which he spent time with the Knicks, Suns, Nets, Timberwolves and Celtics. The No. 4 overall pick in the famed 1996 draft averaged 19.3 points and 7.6 assists per game, earning two All-Star selections.
He said he plans to stay in shape just in case an NBA team calls this season.
