Hiatus Notes: Marbury, Gallinari, Van Gundy, Season
Former Knicks guard Stephon Marbury is working to set up a deal to bring 10 million N95 masks to New York amidst the coronavirus pandemic, Rich Calder of the New York Post writes.
Marbury has arrangements with a company in China that’s willing to supply New York with the masks for $2.75 each, Calder notes, roughly five dollars below what many retailers have been quoting around the state.
“At the end of the day, I am from Brooklyn,” Marbury said. “This is something that is close and dear to my heart as far as being able to help New York. I have family there in Coney Island, a lot of family … who are affected by this, so I know how important it is for people to have masks during this time.”
Marbury played 14 NBA seasons before playing in the Chinese Basketball Association. With hopes of facilitating his idea, he reached out to Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, who has struggled to get in contact with Governor Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio. Despite the situation being murky, Marbury’s intentions are clear.
“We’ve been communicating back and forth with the city and state, and for some reason they are saying they don’t need any more masks, but the hospitals are saying they do,” Adams said.
Here are some other notes related to the NBA’s hiatus:
- Thunder forward Danilo Gallinari has funded 400 COVID-19 testing kits, according to ESPN’s Royce Young. Gallinari partnered with the Oklahoma City-County Health Department to fund the kits and other equipment such as face shields, gloves, gowns and N95 masks. “There is a need, and so people in my position, if we can help, if I can help, it’s something that I feel that I want to do and I need to do,” Gallinari said.
- Jeff Van Gundy does not expect the NBA season to resume, as relayed by the Boston Globe. “We’re all underestimating the fear,” Van Gundy said. The NBA is still determining how to proceed amidst the coronavirus pandemic, which has claimed over 30,000 lives globally as of Sunday night.
- Kevin Paul Depont of the Boston Globe examines why the NBA and NHL should consider canceling their seasons and shifting their respective focuses to September. Both leagues formally postponed their seasons just over two weeks ago due to COVID-19.
And-Ones: Marbury, Rush, Zoosman, FAs
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.
Stephon Marbury Ready To End Playing Career
After 22 seasons in professional basketball, former NBA All-Star Stephon Marbury is ready to end his career.
In an interview with Marc J. Spears of ESPN’s The Undefeated, Marbury — who plays for the Beijing Fly Dragons of the China Basketball Association — said he is ready to hang up his sneakers after the team’s February 11 season finale. With the Fly Dragons out of the CBA’s postseason race, Marbury’s last game could be nine days short of his 41st birthday.
“I’m tired, man. I’m tired. I played 22 years,” Marbury said to 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.”
Marbury said he will stay in shape in case an NBA opportunity arises.
In mid-September, Marbury announced via Instagram that he was interested in an NBA comeback. However, he received no interest from NBA teams and signed a one-year deal with the Fly Dragons, a crosstown rival of the Beijing Ducks, the team Marbury spent six seasons with (2011-2017) and led to three CBA championships.
Marbury, the fourth overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft, spent 13 seasons in NBA, earning three-All Star nods. The Brooklyn, New York, native suited up for the Timberwolves, Nets, Suns, Knicks, and Celtics.
For his career, Marbury averaged 19.3 PPG, 7.6 APG and 3.0 RPG in 846 games.
A tumultuous end to his NBA career with the Knicks and Nets led Marbury to China, becoming the first major name to play professionally in the country. In addition to three championships with the Ducks, Marbury was also the 2015 CBA Finals Most Valuable Player. Marbury’s popularity in China earned him honors such as becoming the first foreign celebrity to receive a Chinese green card and a statue outside the Ducks’ arena.
Marbury feels his numbers in the NBA and in China are deserving of enshrinement in the Basketball Hall of Fame as an international player. Marbury said playing in China is harder than most people understand, adding that he helped “bridge the gap” for professional basketball between the two nations.
“It’s the Basketball Hall of Fame, not the NBA Hall of Fame,” Marbury said. “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.”
Free Agency Notes: Bogut, Morrow, Marbury
With Tony Allen, Shabazz Muhammad, and Jarrett Jack among the veteran free agents officially coming off the market this week, the list of available NBA unrestricted free agents continues to dwindle. While the restricted market still features several interesting names – Nikola Mirotic, Mason Plumlee, Alex Len, and JaMychal Green – there aren’t many UFAs out there with those players’ combination of youth and NBA experience.
For teams in need of backcourt help, Deron Williams, Monta Ellis, and Jason Terry are among the options that could hold some appeal, while clubs searching for frontcourt depth may zero in on Andrew Bogut, Spencer Hawes, David Lee, or Thomas Robinson. On the wing, Alan Anderson, Mike Dunleavy, Matt Barnes, Dante Cunningham, and Gerald Green are available. You can check out our full list of NBA free agents who remain unsigned right here.
As we wait to see if those veterans find new homes, let’s round up a few more free agency notes…
- Agent David Bauman tells David Aldridge of TNT (Twitter links) that a CT scan on Andrew Bogut‘s tibia shows “complete healing,” and a radiology report shows that Bogut’s leg is “solidly united.” According to Aldridge, Bogut will be back in America early next week, and if NBA teams agree with his agent’s outlook on his health, the veteran center seems like a good bet to land a new deal soon. We heard earlier this week that four NBA clubs have expressed interest.
- Anthony Morrow will officially come off the market shortly, having reached an agreement with the Trail Blazers. Before striking a deal with Portland though, Morrow also received interest from several teams, including the Timberwolves, Bucks, Pelicans, and Bulls, reports Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders.
- Former NBA guard Stephon Marbury, who has expressed a desire to return to the league once more before calling it a career, told The Associated Press this week that he has spoken to at least one NBA team (link via New York Post). “It’s still premature right now, but I’m open to coming back and trying to play that veteran leadership role,” Marbury said. “For myself it’s a perfect ending being able to mend ties. It will be a team that I will be able to help and I’m looking forward to it.”
Stephon Marbury Hopes For NBA Comeback
Despite turning 40 in February, former All-Star guard Stephon Marbury hasn’t given up on returning to the NBA, relays Chris Chavez of Sports Illustrated.
Marbury, who had his contract in Beijing terminated this spring, tweeted this morning that he is “working on the come back to the #nba.”
Marbury is one of the most successful foreign players ever in the Chinese Basketball Association, putting up huge numbers and winning three championships. The Beijing Ducks parted ways with him in April after a dispute over money and his role with the team for the next two years. His contract included an option to make him an assistant coach for the upcoming season, which Marbury didn’t want to do. In July, he announced plans to stay in the CBA with the Beikong Fly Dragons.
Despite his advanced age, Marbury remained productive in China, averaging 21.4 points, 5.5 assists and 4.0 rebounds in 36 games last season. He hasn’t been in the NBA since the 2008/09 season when he played 23 games for the Celtics.
International Notes: Marbury, Randolph, Austin, Vesely, Goudelock, Griffin
Two-time NBA All-Star Stephon Marbury will reportedly sign with the Chinese Basketball Association’s Beikong Fly Dragons, reports international basketball journalist David Pick (link via Twitter). This will be Starbury’s ninth season playing in China.
Marbury had played for the Beijing Ducks since 2011, but is now set to join his fourth different Chinese team. Since coming over to China, the star point guard has won three CBA championships, made six all-star teams, and been named both a CBA Foreign MVP and a CBA Finals MVP.
What else do you need to know from the international basketball scene?:
- Former NBA player Shavlik Randolph will be joining Marbury with the Fly Dragons, as he has signed a contract with Beikong, tweets 247 Basketball (link via Sportando).
- Former NBA prospect Isaiah Austin has also signed with a Chinese team, the Guanxi Rhinos, reports David Pick (Twitter link). The Rhinos play in the National Basketball League, which is the second-tier league to the Chinese Basketball Association. In November of 2016, Austin was medically cleared to return to basketball after his career had been on hold due to Marfan syndrome.
- Three-year NBA veteran Jan Vesely is close to making a final decision that will keep him playing in Turkey despite NBA interest in him this offseason, according to Nikos Varlas of EuroHoops.net.
- Former Lakers guard Andrew Goudelock announced on Twitter that he will be joining Olimpia Milano for next season, via Sportando. As first reported by EuroHoops, the deal is expected to be for two years.
- Eric Griffin might opt out of his deal with the Italian team, Pallacanestro Cantù, as a result of the significant interest he is receiving from several NBA teams, including the Jazz, according to David Pick (Twitter link). Last season, Griffin was an Israeli Premier League All-Star.
Beijing Ducks, Stephon Marbury Part Ways
After winning three Chinese Basketball Association championships in six years with the Beijing Ducks, former NBA All-Star guard Stephon Marbury is no longer a member of the team, per Qiushi Li of ESPN. The Ducks held a 2017/18 team option on Marbury as a player or an assistant coach, but the two sides couldn’t reach an agreement on his role, prompting the club to terminate the contract.
“We agreed that I would leave this season and the door is always open to coach,” Marbury tells Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. “They had the option for me to play or coach, and they wanted me to coach. It’s understandable at my age, but my age doesn’t dictate my game. This gives me strong desire to work hard and try my best to come back to help a team win a [championship].”
Marbury, who turned 40 in February, explained in a letter to fans on Weibo that Beijing has not yet decided on a head coach for next season, making it difficult for him to accept an assistant coaching role with the club. Marbury also wants to continue playing for at least one more season, having previously announced his plans to retire as a player in 2018, and he expects to draw interest from other CBA teams.
A former fourth overall pick in the NBA, Marbury hasn’t played in the Association since he appeared in 23 games for the Celtics during the 2008/09 season. However, he became an international sensation in China, particularly after joining the Ducks in 2011. He was perennially among the CBA’s scoring leaders, and has won the league’s Foreign MVP award and the CBA Finals MVP award.
Although Marbury has spent most of the last decade in China, he recently expressed a desire to return to the NBA down the road as a coach.
And-Ones: Fredette, Marbury, O. Johnson
Multiple teams offered Jimmer Fredette a 10-day deal after his season in the Chinese Basketball Association concluded, but he turned those deals down to stay home with his wife and newborn daughter, Ken Tingley of the Post Star reports. The guard played this season with the Shanghai Sharks and the team wants him back next season, though he has not made a decision on where he wants to play. Beijing has also made Fredette a contract offer for 2017/18, per Tingley.
As a result of his noteworthy college career and his year in the CBA, Fredette has become extremely popular in China. Tingley adds that the Communist government, which does not allow the free flow of information, previously contacted Fredette to make sure he wouldn’t use his social media popularity to share political views. Fredette told them that he was not political and that simply playing basketball was the goal.
Fredette showcased his scoring ability in his lone season in China, averaging 37.6 points per game on 47.4% shooting. He had a 73 point game and he won the league’s MVP award. He’s still eligible to play in the NBA’s postseason should a playoff team sign him.
Here’s more from around the league:
- Stephon Marbury will play one more season in the CBA before becoming a coach in the league, Steve Popper of NorthJersey.com relays. The scribe adds that Marbury would like to eventually return to the NBA as a head coach .
- Marbury said he admires the way Carmelo Anthony has handled the constant adversity with the Knicks, Popper adds in the same piece. “I think he’s handled it great,” the point guard said. “He understands. He knows. This is the biggest market in the world as far as in the NBA playing basketball. He understands if he wins what it will be like here. Sometimes you’ve got to go through the tough times and all of the dark times in order to get to the light.”
- Orlando Johnson has signed with the Lebanese Basketball club Riyadi, according to E. Carchia of Sportando. Johnson was the No. 36 overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft.
And-Ones: Age Limit, Marbury, Boone
Lou Williams, who came into the league out of high school, isn’t a fan of the NBA’s one-and-done rule, Baxter Holmes of ESPN.com relays. “It’s a dumb rule,” Williams said. He added that he wants everyone to be in control of their own path.
“Personally, I understand the NBA and government and all of these things are extremely different,” Williams said. “You can go to war at 18, so you should be able to make a living at 18, especially if college isn’t what you see for yourself. You’re not realistically going there to be a “student-athlete” and wake up at six in the morning and lift weights and then have your day full with study hall and all these things. If you’re really not committed to that process and you’re only there for basketball, then I think that hurts the university as well.”
Here’s more from around the league:
- The NBA age limit isn’t changing anytime soon, Tom Ziller of SB Nation argues. Ziller doesn’t believe the proposed zero-or-two rule would require the league to devote more time scouting the high school ranks, something it aimed to move away from when it established the age minimum. The scribe also believes that the D-League is ready to become a serious alternative to playing in the NCAA.
- Stephon Marbury said his time with the Knicks was the “toughest” stretch of his career, as Ian Begley of ESPN.com passes along. “So much turmoil was going on,” Marbury said. Marbury clashed with teammates and coaches during his five years with the team. He agreed to a buyout with New York back in 2009.
- Melbourne United, a team in Australia’s National Basketball League, has signed Josh Boone, Olgun Uluc of Fox Sports reports. Boone last played in the NBA for the Nets during the 2009/10 season.
Atlantic Notes: Larkin, Celtics, Blake
Shane Larkin, who recently inked a two-year, $3MM deal with the Nets, believes his career was stalled by the Knicks‘ triangle offense during the 2014/15 season, Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News writes. “[The triangle] just wasn’t the best fit for me,” Larkin said. “It’s a good system but I’m a pick-and-roll point guard. That’s how I got in the NBA, playing pick-and-roll in college. That’s how I got here and now being back in a system where I can play the pick-and-roll and just getting in the lane, create for others, shoot my floater, and do a bunch of other things.”
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- The Nets still haven’t made a decision regarding whether the team will attempt to negotiate a buyout with point guard Steve Blake or keep him on the roster, Bondy adds. “I know we have a lot of guys at the point guard position. That’ll be resolved hopefully in the next month, eliminate, so hopefully we won’t have as many going to camp,” GM Billy King said.
- The Knicks signed Derrick Williams for less than initially thought, as he’ll get $8.8MM over two years, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets.
- Thaddeus Young has a 15% trade kicker in his deal with the Nets, Pincus relays (on Twitter).
- DeMarre Carroll‘s four-year deal with the Raptors comes to $58MM total, notes Pincus (Twitter link).
- The Celtics have officially renounced their rights to Shaquille O’Neal, Stephon Marbury, Michael Olowokandi, Michael Finley, Carlos Arroyo, Nenad Krstic, P.J. Brown, and Scot Pollard, which in turn removes their cap holds, Pincus notes (Twitter links). These moves drop Boston below the salary cap line for the first time in nearly 20 years, Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com writes. Boston also loses any form of Bird Rights to these players, though that is a mere formality since it is highly unlikely any of them would be suiting up for the team in the future.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.