Possibilities. Marbury to join the Heat.

[rNubb]

Marbury didn't reject the Heat, he's just waiting for a call back

By Trey Kerby

On Friday we all had some laughs about Stephon Marbury(notes) turning down a chance to play with the Miami Heat. 'Twas typical Marbury to refuse a shot at a championship in order to throw "alley-hoops" and shoot halfcourt threes in China. However, there's another part of Stephon Marbury that rears it's head pretty often — fighting with the media.

And now, he's doing just that, making this the perfect Marbury story arc. From the New York Post's Marc Berman:

Marbury, back in China for promotional events, said a Chinese reporter mixed up the translation of his remarks and that it was erroneously reported he had rejected the Dream Team's overtures -- an account picked up in New York.

The 33-year-old told The Post that the Heat contacted him in early July before LeBron James(notes), Dwyane Wade(notes) and Chris Bosh(notes) formed the Dream Team and told him they would get back to him after "they handled all the things they had to handle."

Marbury still is waiting to hear back from Heat president Pat Riley, as Miami continues filling out its roster and could use another point guard. Marbury has not heard from James or Wade.

"It's total nonsense, why would I turn down a chance to play for the Miami Heat?" an irate Marbury told The Post from Beijing. "The report was a fabrication."

OK, cool. This makes a bunch of sense too. It's pretty easy to envision a scenario where the Heat were brainstorming ways to build their team and someone suggested Marbury making a return to the NBA. Then, maybe the Heat made a call and told him they'd get back to him after adding James and Bosh, then realized they had seriously just called Stephon Marbury asking him to play a small role on a team competing for a championship. Then they probably shared a hearty belly-laugh and ate tuna salad sandwiches before moving on to more serious matters. That is a very feasible thing that may have happened.

And while Marbury says the report is both a fabrication and a misquote, he also clarified part of his statement to Xinhua News, telling the Post that "[his] point to the Chinese journalist was that a point guard is not essential on that unit because James and Wade handle the ball so much and he would be taking on a small role in their success, as opposed to his status in China." So basically, yeah, he might prefer starring in China to barely playing in Miami. I'm not quite sure how a report can be fabricated but also contain inaccurate quotes while still needing to be expanded upon, but I also don't have a tattoo on my scalp. Yet.

While we don't really know what's going on here, we do know one thing is true. If, somehow, Stephon Marbury ends up back in the NBA, he will be the exact same guy that left a year ago. That's kind of comforting.

 

[Spectrum]

Marbury wouldnt have fit with Miami anyway.

Chinese team says Marbury to stay


Associated Press

BEIJING -- Former NBA All-Star Stephon Marbury has agreed to three more years with a Chinese basketball team, whose owners will set up a company to produce and sell his line of athletic apparel and shoes, the team said Thursday.

Marbury played 15 games last season with Shanxi Zhongyu of the Chinese Basketball Association. The point guard was a fan favorite in the rustbelt city of Taiyuan, showing none of the defiant personality that had alienated management, teammates and fans in the United States.

Marbury, 33, will play two more years and may be asked to become an assistant coach in the third, Shanxi said in an announcement on its website. His salary will be the same as last season, which was never publicly announced, but team owner Wang Xingjiang had said he offered Marbury $100,000 to play half a season in China.

As part of the deal, the ownership of Shanxi Zhongyu will create a company to produce and sell apparel and shoes from the point guard's "Starbury" brand.

The company also will open three Starbury shops, though details have not been decided, the team said.

Marbury has not yet signed the contract, but will do so before the new season, the announcement said. He has returned to the U.S., and the rest of the Shanxi team also will travel there for training.

The New York City native was the highest-profile NBA player to join China's professional basketball league, but certainly not the first. The CBA depends heavily on foreign talent to raise the level of competition, though each team is only allowed to have two overseas athletes who play a combined six quarters per game.


Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

 

[Brother Blues]

I assume he has all the money he needs...in China he can score a lot of points and get the adulation he certainly won't get here.

So,yeah....China is a good place for him.