Starbury to Spain?

I hope the Vaseline prices in Europe are reasonable, because that exchange rate can be a killer. After struggling for half a season to find an NBA suitor, two-time all-star Stephon Marbury has expressed a desire to play overseas in Spain. The wildly talented and enigmatic point guard last played for the Celtics during the 2008-2009 season, where he averaged 3.8 points per game in 23 contests (including four starts). Marbury has averaged 19.3 points and 7.7 assists per game on his career, but at nearly 33 years old has struggled to adapt to a more limited role. While Marbury is well known for his on the court performances, his off the court exploits have dominated headlines over the past couple years. From his widely publicized benching and buy out from the Knicks to his infamous (and shirtless) webcam broadcast, the former great seems to have alienated himself from NBA teams. Playing in Spain would allow this former star to show that the competitive juices still rush through his blood, and that he’s not done yet.

The 6’2 Marbury has been a walking conundrum since being drafted fourth overall in the 1996 draft. The Georgia Tech product put up consistently excellent numbers throughout his NBA career, but his teams all seemed to improve upon his departure. The Timberwolves went from 25-25 in Marbury’s last season to 50-32 the following year. In Phoenix a similar phenomenon occurred as the team improved from 29-53 in Marbury’s final season to 62-20 the following year with Steve Nash playing the point.

If Marbury does find a suitor overseas, more than likely it would come from the Liga ACB. The Liga ACB is Spain’s premier basketball league and has featured many current NBA players including brothers Pau and Marc Gasol, Jose Calderon, Luis Scola, Rudy Fernandez and many others. In fact, FC Barcelona is currently home to future Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Ricky Rubio. Since it’s founding in 1956, this eighteen-team league has been deemed one of the most competitive leagues overseas. In fact, only the NBA is clearly more competitive. Should this former Lincoln High School product find an employer across the Atlantic, he will certainly have a lot to prove to critics back home. After turning down a one-year contract from the Celtics for the veteran’s minimum, Marbury was unable to find employment. Following this development, Marbury announced that he would take the year off to focus on his business interests, which includes a like of Starbury brand shoes that sell for fewer than fifteen dollars a pair. So for NBA teams looking to roll the dice on a late season veteran addition, perhaps it's time to look elsewhere.