Stephon Marbury left the NBA six years ago, but he did not leave his game behind. In six seasons in the Chinese Basketball Association, the past four with the Beijing Ducks, Marbury has three titles, six All-Star Game appearances and MVP awards for the Finals and All-Star Game.
He is a hero in China.
It is time for Marbury to reenter American relevance. No, not the NBA, but his sneaker line is making a return. Based on Marbury's Instagram, "Starburys," famous for being sold at a reasonable $14.98, are a thing again.
After the 2006 debut, Marbury committed to wearing the high-quality, low-price shoe for the Knicks. Despite Marbury's icy divorce with the Knicks, his Instagram lists orange and blue as "Knicks Orange" and "Knicks Blue." Marbury was born and raised a Knicks fan in Brooklyn, where he starred for Lincoln High School.
The original Starbury collection was sold exclusively at Steve & Barry's, a retail chain that went defunct in 2009. Starburys were sold on Starbury.com after Steve & Barry's closed, but that site is also no longer in business.
Marbury attempted a reboot in 2013.
The new Starbury models are clean and bright. With Marbury's CBA success giving him momentum, the sneakers, if sold at $14.98, could be a success again.
One glaring problem: It is not 2006. Do kids in the U.S. even know who Stephon Marbury is these days?
One intriguing upside: The Chinese market is huge.
-- Follow Jeffrey Eisenband on Twitter @JeffEisenband.
