Details emerge on Stephon Marbury's Chinese theatrical play

Last week we wrote about Stephon Marbury getting his very own theatrical play in China, and now we have new info.

First, it seems someone realized the past tense structure of the original English title, “I Was Marbury,” didn’t quite make sense. The play is now called “I Am Stephon Marbury.”

Dress rehearsals started this week, according to the play’s official Weibo (China’s Twitter) page. The play will include dancing, cheerleading and this impressive display of basketball handles.

Though the titular star of the show was on hand to support the first day of rehearsals -- by showing up in the jersey of his first NBA team, the Minnesota Timberwolves -- Marbury has since left for the U.S., where he’s training with his Beijing Ducks teammates.

It’s interesting that Marbury wore his old T-Wolves jersey, because he still doesn’t have fond things to say about his stint there. In an interview with CBS LA, Marbury, when asked about his 1999 trade to the New Jersey Nets, said he didn’t force the trade.

“They said I forced the trade … did I hold a gun to the owner’s head? No I did not do that. I said that I wasn’t going to re-sign there. I wasn’t going to give seven years of my life to Minnesota. It’s not culturally diverse, snow, 40-below…”

Marbury also denied the widely circulated rumor that he had a falling out with then-teammate Kevin Garnett over the latter’s enormous $126 million contract, dismissing it as a smear campaign started by Kevin McHale. 

The Coney Island native also claimed he has no plans to leave China, telling CBS LA, “Why would I leave a place where they immortalize you?”

He’s not that far off. There are reports from Chinese media that after his play, Marbury will also star in a TV series titled “New Yorker in Beijing.” 

-- Ben Sin