Former NBA star Stephon Marbury has been named the head coach of the Beijing Royal Fighers in the Chinese Basketball Association, writes Kevin Wang of ESPN.com.
Marbury, a former fourth overall pick who made All-Star teams for New Jersey and Phoenix during his 13-year NBA career, has enjoyed a second act over the last decade as a star in China. As a player for Chinese teams, including the Beijing Ducks, Marbury won three CBA titles and was named a CBA All-Star six times. Now he’ll remain in China as a head coach in Beijing, having reportedly signed a three-year contract with the team, per Wang.
“Thank you for the opportunity. I will give everything I have on the sidelines just like I gave everything inside the lines,” Marbury wrote on his Weibo social media account. “The end is another start, I am back, are you with me?”
Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Brandon Rush hasn’t played in an NBA game since the 2016/17 season, in part due to a heart infection, but he hasn’t given up hope on making a comeback, per an Indianapolis Star report. Rush is currently playing in the BIG3 in the hopes of proving he’s capable of returning to the NBA. “That’s the main goal for me right now,” Rush said. “I just want to show people that I can still hoop. I just want to show my athletic ability, showing that I still got a little bounce to me. (Show) that I can still shoot the ball and defend at a high level.”
- Undrafted free agent Yovel Zoosman, who has spent the last several seasons playing in Israel, has reportedly received a four-year offer from Maccabi Tel Aviv, but remains primarily focused on finding a deal with an NBA team, a source tells JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors (Twitter link).
- ESPN’s Kevin Pelton (Insider link) shares his top-30 list of 2019 NBA free agents, with Jeremy Lamb, Delon Wright, and Tyus Jones among those who place higher than expected on the analytically-influenced rankings.
- Jeffrey David, the former Kings executive who was accused of siphoning $13.4MM from the team and pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, has been sentenced to seven years in prison, writes Samantha Maldonado of The Associated Press.
on good behavior jeffery david can get-out in 4 yrs, which begs to ask “would you spend 4 yrs in jail for 12M?” yes!
He’s paid back 13.2 of 13.4 million that he stole
hypothetical question you couldn’t have failed it any more
Congrats, you trolled him.
Too bad, all he ever “GAVE” to the Timberwolves was an “ATTITUDE”. Where was he when the TW needed him?
There’s three former wolves mentioned in this article fyi
Congrats to Steph Marbury. What an interesting career change. I bet he never thought he would be a head coach of a Chinese basketball team. Knock those walls down dude. Create opportunities for others.
Jeffrey David is reportedly appealing his seven year prison sentence and is offering to spend an equal amount of time as an executive with the Minnesota Timberwolves instead.
Brandon Rush? Yeah the league needs a 33 year old 6.8 scorer with a bad ticker on their team. Good luck there
Starbury was one of my favorite players in the league back in the day… shame didn’t stay longer in the league, but real happy he found success in China as a player & hopefully now as a head coach!
Starbury you were, you are & you will always be a legend to me dude!