Just 16 months after retiring as a player, two-time NBA All-Star Stephon Marbury has been announced as the new head coach of the Chinese Basketball Association’s (CBA) Beijing Royal Fighters (formerly known as Beikong Fly Dragons).
The point guard has already written himself into Beijing basketball folklore after leading the Beijing Ducks to three successive CBA titles from 2012-2015 before joining Beikong, where he retired in February of last year.
READ MORE: Stephon Marbury to Call It Quits After 9 Years in the CBA
Marbury’s retirement until this point has not been without its controversies. After posting a bizarre picture of a naked child on his Instagram in October of last year, accusations of pedophilia were leveled against the former NBA star, which he firmly denied.
Marbury first came to the CBA after leaving the Boston Celtics in 2009, initially playing with Shanxi Zhongyu Brave Dragons before Foshan Dralions came knocking in 2010.
On Weibo, the 42-year-old expressed his delight with his new role, commenting: “Thank you for the opportunity. I will give everything I have on the sidelines just like I gave everything inside the lines. The end is another start, I am back, are you with me?”
Marbury has a big challenge on his hands to improve on last season’s showing, where his squad finished rock bottom in the 20-team league, with just eight wins in 46 games.
READ MORE: Stephon Marbury Buys Chinese Arena Football Team in Beijing
[Cover Image via @starburymarbury/Instagram]
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