BEIJING (AP) — Stephon Marbury reached an agreement to play for a professional team in China.
Shanxi announced it was bringing in the former NBA All-Star guard on Monday. In a release, the team said it expected Marbury to play his first game on Jan. 27 against Qingdao.
Wang Xingjiang, head of the Shanxi team, called the signing of Marbury “a reward to our fans” to help a struggling team.
“Marbury’s salary is not an astronomical figure because by coming here he also hopes to open up the Chinese market and sell his shoes,” Xingjiang said.
The team is 3-10 and in 12th place in a 17-team league.
Marbury has his own line of Starbury basketball shoes and apparel.
The 32-year-old Marbury played 13 seasons in the NBA with Minnesota, New Jersey, Phoenix, New York and Boston. He averaged 19.3 points in his career.
He played 23 games with the Celtics last season after a messy split from the Knicks.