In an interview for an episode of HBO's "Real Sports" that will air Jan. 20, Stephon Marbury opened up about the dark time in his life in which he live-streamed himself crying and eating Vaseline in the summer of 2009, via Sports Illustrated's Ben Golliver:
In an upcoming segment on HBO's Real Sports, Marbury, now 37, reveals that his life was spiraling out of control as his NBA career was coming to a screeching halt. His wife, Latasha, remembers Marbury staying in bed all day eating Fruity Pebbles, isolating himself after his on-court struggles with the Knicks, the death of his father in 2007, and the unraveling of his "Starbury" discount sneaker company.
“When everything went on with the Knicks, and, you know, my father passed on, the [Starbury] brand was-- it was basically losing life slowly," Marbury tells HBO Real Sports' Carl Quintanilla. "And I was watching it. And I think that was hurting me more than seeing my basketball career going in the direction that it was going. ... I was trapped in my thoughts. I was trapped in how I felt about how I felt I was treated. I was trapped with decisions that I made.”
Marbury admits now that he was "definitely" clinically depressed and "suicidal" at that point in his life.
“I wanted to die," he remembers. "I wanted to kill myself some days. I did. ... It wasn't about basketball. It started to become about me. Because I was that depressed and I was that sick.”
Marbury, 37, has not played in the NBA since that time, which came after the New York Knicks bought out his contract and he played for the Boston Celtics for a few months. At the time, reaction to the incident was mixed -- some made fun of his zany behavior; others were concerned for his health. Most assumed it would be the end of his time in the league, which was correct. In 2010, he decided to go to China, where he has turned his career and life around.
You're probably already aware that Marbury has his own statue in Beijing, and you might have heard about his recent theatrical play. He's also a five-time CBA All-Star and has won two CBA titles with the Beijing Ducks. Marbury has spoken many times about how grateful he is for the opportunity he was given in China, and how he doesn't dream of coming back to the NBA. He even has "CHINA" tattooed on his arm. Understanding just how bad things were before he wen there, you have to be happy that he found his place.
