Beijing Ducks terminate Stephon Marbury's contract after role dispute
The Beijing Ducks and 40-year-old guard Stephon Marbury have parted ways, according to XinhuaNet.
The former NBA All-Star had his contract terminated after a dispute regarding his salary and role with the team. Marbury has led the Ducks to three CBS Championships.
Xie Haitian, the team's vice manager, noted that since Marbury was under a two-year deal, the team had the option for Marbury to serve as a player or assistant coach next season. Marbury turned down the assistant coach role and insisted that he wants to play for another year. Contract talks for a player coach role were underway before the Ducks made the decision to terminate the contract.
Marbury wrote a letter to fans on his Weibo account and said:
"I have not decided which team yet But there is one thing I'm 100% sure of no matter the team I play for the love between me and the club is always there, we will keep working with each other in the future. No matter where I am, I am a Beijinger. Beijing is my home forever."
Marbury received a Chinese green card in 2016. He first arrived in Beijing before the 2011-2012 season.
He played for the Knicks, Suns, Nets, Timberwolves and Celtics in his NBA career.
