Stephon Marbury and Shanxi Zhongyu split ways

After being shunned by pretty much everybody in the United States, his hometown, his hometown team, the NBA and even a family member, Marbury had finally found somewhere where he belonged.

China was always going to be an unlikely destination for a two-time All-Star; the dusty, dirty city of Taiyuan even more so.  But, it was working.  Flourishing, even.

Signing on in the middle of the season for the last place Brave Dragons of the Chinese Basketball Association last year, Marbury transformed from an unwanted NBA vagabond into China’s biggest basketball star as soon as he stepped off the plane.  His 15 games for the last place Brave Dragons generated arguably the most domestic and international interest in Chinese basketball since Yao Ming was playing in Shanghai as the world’s most sought after big-man prospect almost a decade ago.  CBA nightly highlight packages led off with Marbury and the Brave Dragons, with his stats and best plays receiving the most airtime out of any other player — Chinese or foreign — in the league.  The effect on the city of Taiyuan and the province of Shanxi was felt too.  Seen previously as a dreary dead-end for wandering professional basketball players, the area became an unlikely spot on the worldwide basketball map, yet another Chinese city to be on the receiving end of unlikely sources of globalization.

Embraced by not only a city, but a country chock full of basketball-crazed fans, Ma Bu Li, which is his name in Chinese, or “The Lone Wolf,” as he is called by the media, had found a pack to run with.

“Being in a place where they show nothing but love to you,” said Marbury in an interview to Bruce Beck in August, “its the best thing in the world.”

And on his Twitter feed, he even hinted he may finish his career in the CBA: “I may be there until I hang the shoes up. Retiring in CHINA that might be kinda dope.”

Keen to build off of their new found momentum, the two sides announced that they had signed a three-year contract in the summer, complete with business cooperations to let Marbury sell his low-cost “Starbury” brand shoes, and a clause that would allow him to become an assistant coach after his playing days were over.  Forget being just a basketball player, Marbury was a pioneer, an American running not only the point, but his own business venture in the fastest growing economy in the world.

Guys took notice.  Rafer Alston tried (in vain) to negotiate a deal similar to what Steph had worked out.  Steve Francis, who just signed with Beijing, was hung up for several weeks about “business provision”clauses.  James Singleton, Ricky Davis, Mike James, Quincy Douby, Randolph Morris and Josh Boone, no doubt based on Marbury’s short-term success in the PRC, have all made the jump from the NBA to the CBA this year.

In half a year, Marbury had changed himself, the city of Taiyuan, the way basketball players approach China as a whole, the CBA and at least in some part the caliber of foreign players teams are able to attract.  Last Feburary, Chinese basketball merely wanted the Lone Wolf.  This season, as the league steps through uncharted territory, it needed him.

And that’s why the news that Shanxi has suddenly decided not to bring Marbury back this for this season is particularly shocking to anyone who’s really followed this story throughout.

According to NetEase, Shanxi management notified Marbury that the team will not be signing the 13 year NBA veteran to a contract this season after he arrived in Taiyuan to link up with the team for training camp on November 24th.  The team announced that they have signed Jamal Sampson instead.

Specific reasons as to why the team abruptly changed its plans have not been reported, but whatever events have transpired in the last few weeks were serious enough for Shanxi to tear up whatever the two sides had agreed upon this past summer.  A source speaking anonymously to NiuBBall.com said there were unresolvable issues surrounding final salary and business cooperation arrangements.  According to the Wall Street Journal, Starbury Corp. was all set to manufacture, sell and market his affordable brand of sneakers to the Chinese market, with a goal to open three stores in Taiyuan by later this year.