However, for Steph it was about something different. His decision to play in China was primarily based on expanding his Starbury line into a new and booming market. Instead of relying on others to push his product, he made the move to China to hustle his line himself. Smart move. With the NBA dedicating tons of resources toward building their brand in China, and being successful at it, Steph was able to parlay that into checks. Positioned properly, I'm sure he made a decent come up.
I do believe Steph's choice to play in China was based on expanding Starbury, but I'm also convinced it was an opportunity for Steph to redeem himself. After tarnishing his reputation, which appeared to be beyond repair, Steph voluntarily (with the help of advisors, I'm sure) removed himself from the madness. Once he took time to reflect on all of his actions, it appears he realized that he needed a change of scenery. A fresh start.
Imagine receiving the opportunity to live your biggest dream, but none of it plays out the way you've always envisioned. Everything that can go wrong does. Everywhere you turn, fingers are pointed in your direction. Searching for light at the end of the tunnel, but only continuing along a dark and lonely path. This is what happened to Marbury. But, once he recognized that his life was at an ultimate low, he took accountability for his actions, and did what was necessary to reclaim his identity. I'm glad he did.
I've been a Marbury fan since his Georgia Tech days. When he joined the Knicks I was optimistic, but that optimism quickly faded to disappointment. I didn't follow his career while he was in China, but it seems that the time spent over there was valuable. Not only did his line do well, but it appears that he was able to get his mind right. Kudos to him for that. I hope that he'll maintain that level of clarity and peace when he returns to the States. Fans love a great comeback story and I'm sure that if he decided to suit up for the NBA again, fans would welcome him back.
Marbury's two-month stint in China came to an end on Wednesday at the CBA's All-Star Game. According to reports, it was quite successful. Although he didn't take his team to the playoffs (some things never change...sorry, I couldn't resist!), he was named MVP of the All-Star Game after scoring 30 points. Finally, the Star in Starbury is shining again.
It was definitely a good decision for Marbury to step away from life as he knew it and focus primarily on basketball and his brand. I too liked Marbury and found his recent behavior a little troubling...and odd. There may be some underlying reasoning behind it all...who knows. But like you said, taking his brand overseas was a very good look, especially with the obvious popularity of the NBA in China, there's nothing but dollar signs to be seen from that move (if acted out well).
ReplyDeleteNice post :-)