The Marbury Dynasty
When it comes to New York City Basketball there are so many names that have shaped the landscape over the years. There is one name in particular based out of the Coney Island section of Brooklyn that rang bells across the city, and that name was Marbury. That name alone is synonymous with elite ball players and unless you lived under a rock in the late 90’s and early 2000’s you’ve heard the name mentioned with nothing but high praise for their basketball acumen. The most popular of course was Stephon Marbury, who was the only one to actually maintain a career in the NBA. The five Marbury brothers would all attend Division 1 NCAA schools and would set the city ablaze with their basketball prowess. The brothers all had stellar High School and college careers but with the exception of Stephon, couldn’t quite get over the hump into the league.
Growing up in Coney Island, Brooklyn is very similar to any inner city in America. Drugs, gangs and negative influences become the norm and the pressure of making it out becomes goal number one. For the Marybury family it was Basketball that they would use as the vehicle to fuel this goal. There were seven Marbury children, 5 of which were boys who all gravitated to the game of basketball. Starring at Lincoln HS That was simply a way of life in the Marbury household. The Marbury’s would all attend Lincoln High School and bring that school to the forefront of NYC Basketball. They wore the number 3 and did so with respect and pride. Each brother trying to one up the previous brother. The city championship eluded all of the brothers except for Stephon Marbury who captured the title against Robeson in 1995.
The oldest brother, Eric Marbury set the groundwork for what would become the Marbury Dynasty. He was an extraordinary athlete who could dominate any game with ease simply by using his athleticism. He earned a scholarship to the University of Georgia and even played college ball with Dominique Wilkins during his time there. At 6’2 Eric played in the small forward slot and was a little too short to post up in the pros. He was drafted #2 in the 6th round of the 1982 NBA draft by the San Diego Clippers. Before he could get started with the Clippers he would be cut. He couldn’t withstand the physicality of the pro game at the highest level.
The next brother was Donald Marybury. He was more of a guard than his brother Eric and a little more agile on the court. What he lacked in strength he made up with his heart and passion for the game. Upon graduating from High School in 1982, his game was elite but his grades weren’t. He’ took the Junior College route where he excelled. He later earned a scholarship to Texas A&M where he led the Southwest Conference in scoring but ultimately looked over by pro scouts. Donald returned to Home to teach and help kids navigate the tough streets of Brooklyn, New York.
Norman Marbury or “Jou Jou” as he was affectionately known was supposed to be the one to break down the barrier into the NBA. An absolute stud out of High School he could do it all. He was on the all-city list a few times and at that time the city was as competitive as ever. He was offered a full scholarship by the University of Tennessee, but ultimately had that scholarship pulled when his SAT scores were deemed too low. The journey to three junior colleges and St. Francis University in Brooklyn resulted in no NBA and no degree. He ultimately played some pro ball overseas before heading back to Brooklyn. He never got another shot at the pros.
Growing up in Coney Island was the best thing to happen to me…My mother always said if you have love in your home it doesn’t matter where you live.
Stephon Marbury
Moses “Zach” Marbury is the youngest out the bunch. After Lincoln HS he enjoyed a few successful years at the University of Rhode Island. He ultimately would leave early and declare himself eligible for the 2001 NBA draft and to the surprise of many he went undrafted. He would ultimately play overseas and craft his basketball career in the shadows of his older brothers.
Stephon Marbury, who without hesitation, followed the same path as his older brothers and took Basketball as a way of life. Stephon benefited from the blood, sweat and tears of his brothers who paved the way for him. He was a fished product on the court and was molded by his brothers in a way that made it impossible for scouts to overlook him. He had the instincts, fearlessness and athleticism of someone who was bred to play basketball and it showed every time he stepped on the court. He quickly made a name for himself in NYC and made it known that he wouldn’t fall victim to the pitfalls that his brothers fell to.
Stephon was as elite as any point guard who ever came out of New York City. At Lincoln High School he dominated the competition on a daily basis. He was a different animal than the rest of his brothers. He learned from all the mistakes his brothers made and used that knowledge to succeed at each level that he played. He had one goal and that was to fulfill the family dream of making the pros. At Lincoln he was able to capture that elusive Public School Athletic League A City Championship when he led his team to victory over a tough Roberson team in Madison Square Garden. Stephon knew he would have to put in 10 times the amount of work his brothers put in to make the league and stay there. He ended his high school career averaging just under 30 points and 10 assists. The path was clear. His next test would be at the college level.
With almost every major division 1 college in America trying to attract Stephon to their program, it was ultimately Georgia Tech who won the sweepstakes. He followed the recipe set forth by fellow NYC Point Guard Kenny Anderson, and hoped for similar success. Head Coach Bobby Cremins even made the trip to the Marbury household in Coney Island during his recruitment. In his recruitment of Stephon, Cremins had an opening for him to come in to replace Travis Best, his point guard who had left for the pro ranks one year prior. Many thought he would stay relatively close to home at Syracuse in the Big East but he didn’t want to share the conference with Felipe Lopez who was at St. John’s. He excelled at Georgia Tech and had one of the best freshman campaigns in history. Next step would be the inevitable… The NBA.
With the fourth pick in the 1996 NBA draft the Milwaukee Bucks selected Stephon Marbury. They would immediately send Stephon to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Ray Allen who was drafted the same night. He would team up with none other than Kevin Garnett, the young phenom from Chicago who was on his way to superstardom. From the outside looking in everything was great. KG and Steph were a young duo who was just scratching the surface of how great they could have been together. After two seasons Marbury wanted out of Minnesota. Some say he didn’t like the fact that KG was earning substantial more money than him and others say he wanted to leave to a bigger market. He soon got shipped out to New Jersey to play with the Nets. He really started to blossom as an NBA player and would earn All Star recognition as well as being selected to the All NBA 3rd team. Even with all of the individual accomplishments his team never made the playoffs. Then things for Stephon seemed to take a turn for the worst.
Stephon would later be traded for Jason Kidd and headed out to Phoenix to play with the Suns. He continued to do well individually in Phoenix but the Nets, the team that he got traded from, took off and got better in his absence. Their Eastern Conference Championship run without him led many to believe that teams were better off without Stephon. He curbed this distraction and was able to make his 2nd All Star appearance with the Suns. Teamed up with Amar’e Stoudemire and Shawn Marion the Suns would make the playoffs but get bumped in the first round to the San Antonio Spurs.
Marbury’s next move would bring him back home to the place where it all began, Madison Square Garden. He was a New York Knick, a dream that he has had since being a child growing up a Knick fan. This fresh start back home was a gift that ended up being a curse. Public spats with them coach Larry Brown led to Isaiah Thomas taking over the team. Sexual harassment fiascos and other situations brought the Knicks to one of their lowest points in history. Nearly all of the Knicks were being boo’d at home games and the chants of fire Isaiah became deafening. After Isaiah was fired from his positions as team president and head coach there would be a new regime that Stephon wanted no parts of. Donnie Walsh was now President and Mike D’Antoni served as head coach. When it seemed as if things couldn’t get any worse, he learned that his father passed away in when he was rushed to the hospital from the stands of Madison Square Garden during one of his games there. This dream of being a NY Knick ended up being being a nightmare for Marbury who’s next stop would be the Boston Celtics before making a move that would change his life and transform aura as a basketball player.
After he saw his NBA career dwindling, he made a move to the Chinese Basketball Association. He signed with the Shanxi Brave Dragons and never looked back. He also played with the Foshan Dralions, Beijing Ducks and Beijing Fly Dragons. Marbury regained his love for the game, and was finally happy again playing the game he loved. The people in China loved him and it seemed as if all of the issues and problems that he collected didn’t matter any longer. After a few strong years in China which included a few MVP’s and Championships, a statue of Marbury was erected in Beijing, outside of MasterCard Center. Marbury credits his success in China to the culture which he described as one filled with love, compassion, and care.
Marbury’s basketball career was filled with highs and lows but I’m sure he wouldn’t of traded it in for anything in the world. He is a successful businessman and basketball player out in China and plans on staying out there. He went where the love was and you can’t knock that. We watched the evolution of Stephon Marbury from afar and can say we’re proud to have witnessed it. From The Coney Island Housing Projects to a statue half way around the world, the Marbury name still rings bells in the basketball world. Salute ?