Stephon Marbury
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Stephon Xavier Marbury (born February 20, 1977 in Brooklyn, New York) is a professional basketball player, currently playing point guard with the New York Knicks. Nicknamed "Starbury", he has been heralded since his teenage years as the next great New York City point guard. He was highly touted in both high school and college as a future NBA superstar. After a successful freshman year playing for Georgia Tech, he declared his intention to jump to the NBA. He was selected fourth overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1996 NBA Draft, then traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves for the draft rights to Ray Allen and a future first-round pick. In his first season in the league, Marbury averaged 15.8 points and 7.8 assists per game and was named to the 1997 All-Rookie Team. Throughout his career, Marbury has played for the Minnesota Timberwolves, New Jersey Nets, Phoenix Suns, and New York Knicks.
It is because he has been on so many teams that Marbury is considered to be somewhat of a cast-off. Many of his teamates in the past have complained that he does not care about anyone but himself and is a selfish player. While he was playing for the Nets in 2001, Marbury wrote the words "All Alone" on his sneakers.
One of the premier point guards of the league, Marbury was an NBA All-Star in 2001 and 2003 and an All-NBA Third Team member in 2003. Known for his quickness, ball handling and inside scoring, he stands as only the second player in NBA history to have career averages of at least 20 points and 8 assists per game (Oscar Robertson was the first, with career averages of 25.7 points and 9.5 assists per game). However, at times he has been called a selfish player with a shoot-first, pass-second mentality, and many of the teams he has played for have been unsuccessful. When asked by a reporter if he was the best point guard in the NBA because the Knicks were about to play Jason Kidd, whom Marbury was previously traded for, and the rival New Jersey Nets, Marbury infamously claimed that he was the best at the position. This in a year the New York Knicks finished last in the Atlantic Division. Marbury also played for the United States (Dream Team IV) in the 2004 Summer Olympics, becoming a member of the first United States team comprised of NBA players that has failed to return home with an Olympic Gold Medal. He and his teammates returned with a Bronze Medal. Despite the dissapointment, Marbury scored an Olympic record 31 points in a game against Spain.
External link
- NBA Profile for Stephon Marbury (http://www.nba.com/playerfile/stephon_marbury/?nav=page)fr:Stephon Marbury