"We are all like water. We can flow freely in life, or we can crash and be destroyed," said Stephon Marbury, quoting Bruce Lee's philosophy of water and sharing his journey.

A string of TED talks that can enable international audiences to understand China better recently went online. Stephon Marbury, head coach of the Chinese Basketball Association's (CBA) Beijing Royal Fighter Basketball Club and former National Basketball Association(NBA) player, addressed his love of basketball, his special relationship with China, and the implications of China's philosophy of water on his life.

Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, he was selected fourth overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1996 NBA draft.

"I was consumed so much by winning that I became obsessed with it," said Marbury, as this thought became the motivation to go forward and the most significant burden for him. "The more I tried to win, especially in the NBA, the further away from winning I found myself and from my teammates. Eventually, I crashed like a tank of water and hit a brick wall. Splat!" he said.

With confusion and apprehension, Marbury came to China. For Marbury, who had only heard of the Great Wall and Yao Ming, what would it be like to go to China, and would he fit in well? This concern dissipated the moment he stepped off the plane.

"When my flight landed, and I stepped foot on China soil, love welcomed me here," he said. Marbury admitted that he received love when he needed it the most, and he will always be grateful to the Chinese people for that. With this love, he decided to stay in China and recognize China as his second home.

In 2019, Marbury officially signed with Beijing Royal Fighter Basketball Club to start his new role as its head coach. He quoted an old and traditional Chinese saying about the coaching career: "After surviving innumerable trials and hardships, the bond between a people is bound to become stronger."

"It takes hard work and be willing to learn to win a CBA championship, and more importantly, to focus not on yourself, but on building a solid relationship with your teammates and learning and knowing when to be a guiding force to help your teammates grow and building their confidence," he said.

At the end of his speech, Maberry again emphasized the significance of the "philosophy of water" and advised everyone to learn from it.