Culture
21:31, 31-Dec-2017
Sports Replay: Marbury sees future NBA players in China
["china"]
Share
Copied
American Stephon Marbury, who is retiring at the end of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) season, says he will continue working to promote and develop the sport in China.
Having played in the CBA for many years, Marbury has seen numerous Chinese players up close and believes there are potential future NBA players in the league.
“I think Beijing Ducks Fang Shuo and Zhai Xiaochuan can play because their style physically fit in the NBA, and they understand how to win and have the mind of the play in the NBA,” the 40-year-old guard said.
A former NBA player himself, Marbury is turning out in his last season for the Beikong Fly Dragons.
Chinese players will have big opportunities to showcase themselves on home soil after FIBA announced that the 2019 World Cup will be held in China.
Stephen Marbury talks tactics with Beijing Ducks guard Fang Shuo. /VCG photo
Stephen Marbury talks tactics with Beijing Ducks guard Fang Shuo. /VCG photo
Marbury also weighed in on Chinese center Zhou Qi who has had limited playing limited time in the NBA since he joined the Houston Rockets this season after winning the CBA Championship with Xinjiang last year.
“He has to get stronger, he has to work on go-to moves, and he has to be able to score on the low a lot," Marbury said of Zhou. "He can definitely play in the NBA, but he needs to up the weights."
The veteran also gave his views about basketball reform in China.
“For me, I took some different systems here in China; they changed to only one foreigner playing on the fourth quarter. I think they probably try to figure out what is the best system, which can build the players up,” he said.