Stephon Marbury's legend to continue in China

Former NBA all-star player Stephon Marbury may suffer his most disappointing birthday ever on Monday, after he and his Beijing team missed the CBA playoff this season due to a one-point loss to defending Champions Sichuan in the last round of the regular season on Sunday.

But the 40-year-old veteran is very likely to fight another year for the capital-based team, and he expressed the thoughts on his personal Weibo account after spending his birthday with fans at his personal museum in Beijing last night.

"The positive energy will never die when we have breath in the body. The energy that was shared today was radiant and uplifting. I'm happy and honored to give one more season for the best fans in the world," he wrote.

Beijing almost grabbed the chance to enter the playoffs, shooting six three-pointers in the last one and half minutes of play, leveling the score 113-all with only 2.3 seconds left. But it only took a split second to fall from grace, as Iranian center Hamed Ehadadi's long pass found the fast-penetrating guard Wang Ruheng, who was fouled and made one of the two free-throws to seal the game 114-113.

It was the first time that Marbury will not enter the play-offs since he joined Beijing in 2011. In the past 5 seasons, he led his team to the CBA title three times: in 2012, 2014, and 2015 and set himself up as the unifying figure for the team.

In fact, Beijing's chances to enter the playoffs were already slim after the team lost to Liaoning on Feb. 12. No one thought they would be able to win a clash away against the league-leading Shanghai Sharks, who had never lost a single home game during the campaign.

But Marbury was determined to make miracles happen, despite suffering a strained thigh muscle. He bagged 34 points, including 18 in the last quarter, helping the team accomplish the seemingly impossible mission of toppling the Sharks and holding onto a slim hope of entering the playoffs.

Once abandoned by the NBA and his home country basketball fans, Marbury found a new lease on life in China. As his fellow players from 1996 faded away from the NBA stage one by one, the defiant Marbury went on to became the hero of Beijing through his efforts with its hometown basketball team.

A statue was erected in front of the Wukesong Stadium, and a personal museum dedicated to him was established in the city. He even assimilated to life in China, and eventually received his Chinese green card.

As one of the most successful foreign players in CBA, Marbury has left an indelible mark on the league's history through his work with the Beijing team.

No matter whether one loves him or hates him love or hate him, one can have nothing but respect for his contribution to China's top-flight basketball league. His time in Beijing has been nothing short of legendary.

After the game against Sichuan, Marbury proclaimed: "This is not the END for me!" So, let the legend continue. Enditem