Video Included: Stephon Marbury Scores 41, Wins First Championship

Published: 30^th Mar 12 9:26 pm

by Dave Daniels
Dave Daniels

RANT It!

Stephon Marbury won his first professional championship, and it was with, of all teams, the Beijing Ducks. In the Ducks’ title game, Marbury scored 41 and the Ducks clinched the 7-game series in 5 games. They beat the 7-time champion(and 6 out of the last 7) Guandong Southern Tigers for the Ducks’ franchise first championship ever.

“This has been incredible, it has been an incredible experience,” Marbury said in tears after the game. “This shows what this team is made up of, everyone stepped up and everyone played their role. We have been blessed as a team.”

The Ducks stepped up at the end of the game, even when Marbury fouled out with less than 2 minutes left, they still made some free-throws to ice the game.

“We believed, we are a team, Stephon carried us the whole game, but when he fouled out everyone knew that we had to step up to win,” teammate Randolph Morris said.
“It was our defense again, we blocked shots and we didn’t give them the shot they wanted.”

Marbury has had a career checkered with flashes of brilliance and many moments of knuckleheaded-ness.

He wanted to be the go-to guy for the Minnesota Timberwolves and get paid more than Kevin Garnett, which was an unrealistic proposition for Twolves management. His agent demanded a trade in 1998 lockout shortened season, and he never seemed to find a comfortable home after that.

Marbury bounced from the Nets, to the Suns, to the Knicks, and then his final stop in the NBA, the Boston Celtics. Marbury then took his talents to the CBA, where he has found success the last 3 seasons, averaging 24.4 points, 6.9 assists, and 1.9 steals a game. Marbury revealed to the China Daily that he “[has] been restored by a culture filled with love, compassion and care.”

The video above shows a man in catharsis, releasing a primal scream to a city that has grown to love the humility and passion he puts into the game.

Applaud should be given to Marbury for re-writing the end of a career that could have gone without a championship, and maybe this will make some NBA executives start to picture Marbury celebrating a championship and screaming on their home floor.

Should another NBA team give the much matured Marbury a shot?