Former NBA star's life in Beijing

Editor’s note: This year marks the 40th anniversary of China’s reform and opening-up, and huge changes have been made in Beijing, capital of China, over the past 40 years. We have invited 40 foreign experts to participate in a series of interviews named “New Era, New Insight” jointly hosted by GMW.cn（The official website of Guangming Daily） and the Information Office of Beijing Municipality and share their “Beijing Stories”.

Hi I'm Stephon Marbury. I am a professional teacher, I play basketball for 22 years. I played 13 years and the NBA, the first team I played for was the Minnesota Timberwolves. The second team I played for was the New Jersey Nets. The third I played for was the Phoenix Suns. The fourth team I played for was the New York Knicks. And the fifth I played for was the Boston Celtics. I then left after thirteen years and I went to play basketball here in China. And I have been currently living in China for the last eight and a half years.

I came to Beijing in 2012. I had the image of Beijing there this huge big city based upon where people say a lot of lights a lot of flash it was exactly that. But I also have my imagery of a being a place like Washington D.C. Beijing is a mixture of that feeling, but also has the feeling of Washington D. C. I'm from in America. So as combine but you know after being here for so long, you know has his own feel now.

Now is evolving like this city in this place that is really become a magic on earth. For me I mean I'm only speaking through my eyes and to my experience of what I've been experience in embedded here everything has been positive but you do have some ups and downs. Into the ups and downs because if somebody's positivity you're able to easily get through the negative times.

It is a miracle, I believe in higher power. I believing god and I believe that god power as up in a positive way apart empowers us up in a light that it forces us to be better on earth and something bigger than us. And I believe in trust that roles stand positive through stand committed stand in a positive like you're able to continue to tap into a higher power during difficult times.

Because I'm been to some of the most difficult times that a human being can experience and experience in death in succession. you know within weeks at a time where you're not even able to process so you know people think basketball is a big thing but when you love somebody and you lose someone and you know you're never going to see them again when you experience that you have a different feeling about certain things that go on in life and through those challenges god helped me through to do that

And come into Beijing, I feel like you know going to all over I went through and be able to play basketball here and one and championships in statues and museum. I mean I look at that I just say I'm deeply humbled by.

I can never ever replay Beijing for showing me the love that they showed me for embracing me the way how they have embraced me for giving me a platform to not only showcase my skills as a basketball player by giving me a voice for people to actually hear me speak and talk and actually listen.

It's nice for people can hear you, whereas there were times when I wasn't able to heard another places, which is okay because sometimes you go other places and they can't understand you better it's kind of like I can talk to my brother or my brother can talk to me about issues that we have with each other so talking to somebody else you can say how you feel you can speak how you feel.

Come into China, China gave me the opportunity whereas you know America is like my brother in a naked talk about me but other people can talk about me and come into China. China helped me get so please where I'm able to express myself in people who can fill me, understand me, understand my story from my side not from other people telling it.

The most unforgettable memory was the first time and like my mother she always says Stephon it always starts from the root? if you're not taught from the root is going to be hard to understand later on in life and when I first came to China, when I first arrived the most unforgettable memory that keep with me forever is the people in SHANXI.

The people in SHANXI as they gave me my basketball spry back like that instantly I went from being the press flying 7000 miles over a water from one country to another country, sitting on a plane I know what's going to happen and then I landed and about 4000 people were screaming, something that I do not know

But my spirit started, they started to wake up in my life's thought of the change in my basketball life started to change in I gone back on my feet, I never looked back. as is this been peace ever since then. in my life, basketball, business, I feel. tis so blessed.