Happy 38th Birthday Stephon Marbury

“Starbury” ” The Star Child”

These were the nicknames pinned on Stephon Marbury while growing up in the tough neighborhood of Coney Island/Brooklyn, New York while growing up. It always stuck with him til this day. But now-a-days, Stephon is a different persona. He’s currently leading the way as the starting point guard in his CBA (Chinese Basketball Association) Beijing Ducks. He’s lead them to 2 championships already and it hasn’t stopped since.

Everyone who knew Stephon, knew he always had a gift. A gift of basketball. He might have changed teams quite a few teams, even continents, but it hasn’t stopped him from doing what he loves. I’ve personally had multiple personal encounters with Stephon and he’s just a super nice person. He’s always about giving back, taking time to sign as much signatures on hats, books, t-shirts, and take as many pictures as possible. He’s a fellow New Yorker like myself. I often tend to think people misunderstand him. But he’s in a good place currently while in Beijing. I’m just here the recollect the good times he did bring.

The teams he’s played for more often than not were competitive, but timing is always stacked upon one’s fate. Starbury was fated to play ball ever since he was born. From the start, he was pinned as the savior. He was a savior for everyone who couldn’t make it out of the projects of Coney island. His elder brothers Eric, Donnie, Normon & younger brother Zach had struggled to achieve later success, which eventually all fell down into Stephon’s hands. By the age of 11, he was touted as the world’s best sixth grader in the nation by Hoop Scoop recruiting magazine. He had this swagger behind him that people often suggested he was overly cocky, but that was mainly that he had to build a thick skin in order to not let the outer demons get a hold of him. He had led the Lincoln Railsplitters to its city championship, something his brothers had failed to do (But cousin Sebastian Telfair had done multiple times, and fellow Brooklynite Lance Stephonson had done).

He later took his talent down to Georgia Tech, where he led the Yellow Jackets to a 24-12 record in route to the Regional Semi-Finale game of the NCAA tournament. But his tenor at Georgia Tech didn’t last very long going, as we currently call it, one and done and had put his name into the 1996 NBA Draft.