By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
Starbury, also known as Stephon Marbury, sat down with Eurohoops at the FIBA studios in Paris.
Among several intriguing topics, the interview featured how much China helped him and the disrespect from talking heads like Gilbert Arenas for players using overseas options in their careers.
“NBA is the best,” he launched the interview, “Because it’s the best league in the world, best league on the planet, best players. Everything is the best, from the lifestyle, the way they travel, the way they train, the locker room, everything. It’s perfect. Everything is perfection in the NBA.”
“China is evolving, is growing. I love China for a base, for a foundation, a base of what I’ve done basketball-wise. China helped grow my game,” noted 48-year-old Marbury, a veteran of 860 games in the North American-based league, “I felt like I played better in China than I played in the NBA.”
“In FIBA rules, you have to know how to play the game, you got to pass the basketball the right way, you gotta know how to shoot the basketball, you got to be able to handle the basketball the proper way, cut back door. All this stuff that comes with playing with the game,” he continued, “China reintroduced me to the game.”
A naturalized player for China
In addition to the NBA and China’s CBA, his career featured international action, from the junior to the senior level, and the Olympic Games in Athens.
“If I was able to do that during that time and if I didn’t get picked by the USA, I would,” he told Eurohoops about wanting to take a naturalized slot on the senior national team of China if it was possible back in his playing days.
Using his experience in FIBA basketball, Marbury was confident when the discussion switched to Arenas and his views about players going overseas.
“Gilbert Arenas has probably not even played international basketball before. I’m not going to make a comment about what he’s saying for clicks,” he stressed, “I love Gilbert Arenas because he speaks his mind, but he’s also like a comedian character. He’s establishing himself as this type of person when you watch that type of content. That’s it.”
Following a dominating stretch since NBA players were introduced to the Olympics, Team USA was limited to bronze in 2004. And the New York native was part of the national team.
“We lost. Argentina, they played well. And the game was growing and other teams were playing well,” he recalled the tournament, “The game has even grown exponentially from then to now.”
“People in America, they are waking up. They are not stupid. They are watching the game, seeing guys playing, they’re seeing Luka [Doncic], they’re seeing the Joker [Nikola Jokic],” he added on the growth of basketball outside of the United States.
China catching up, Tsakalidis, World Cup
The former head coach in the CBA expressed optimism about China resurfacing as a powerhouse in Asia.
“I’m not going to comment on that,” he initially responded smiling to a question about China catching up with Japan, but continued, “Japan is playing great basketball. I just want China to get back into the realm that they were in. They will…”
Asked about Jake Tsakalidis, he requested contact with his former teammate at the Phoenix Suns before presenting his opinion about his career.
“If he just worked on a couple of more little things, jump hoop, all of that stuff, and some other kind of moves, he would have been dominant. But Jake was like, ‘Give me the ball’” he said.
“Qatar is gonna put on a display,” he went on to preview the FIBA World Cup 2027, “They are going to advertise for basketball, so people never want to leave.”