Stephon Marbury Net Worth

What are Stephon Marbury's Net Worth, Salary, and Career Earnings?

Stephon Marbury is an American professional athlete who has a net worth of $40 million. Stephon Marbury (born 1977) played 13 seasons in the NBA and became a basketball icon in China. Selected 4th overall in 1996, he played for Minnesota, New Jersey, Phoenix, New York, and Boston, making two All-Star teams and averaging 19.3 points and 7.6 assists per game.

After NBA controversies and struggles, he reinvented himself in China (2010-2018), leading the Beijing Ducks to three CBA championships. He became a Chinese cultural phenomenon, earning a museum, statue, and postal stamp in Beijing. The Chinese government granted him permanent residency in 2016.

Marbury's $15 Starbury shoes challenged expensive sneaker culture, offering affordable alternatives through Steve & Barry's stores. Post-playing career, he coached the Beijing Royal Fighters (2019-2020) and remains influential in Chinese basketball. His documentary "A Kid From Coney Island" (2019) chronicled his unique career trajectory from Brooklyn prodigy to Chinese basketball legend.

"Starbury" Shoe Line

Stephon Marbury is famous for creating a shoe line that sold for under $15. These "Starbury" shoes were first released in 2006, through a partnership with Steve & Barry's, the now-defunct retail clothing company. Marbury's shoes were notable for their low price of just $14.98 per pair, and the point guard only received money from actual shoe sales, not for simply endorsing them. Stephon intentionally chose a low price point after his own experiences as a child. He had trouble affording shoes growing up, and wanted to design some that wouldn't put kids in a similar dilemma.

When Steve & Barry's liquidated its final stores in 2009, the line disappeared along with them. In 2015, Marbury recently announced that his Starbury line of shoes is making a comeback.

He also dropped another bombshell over a series of tweets at the time: His shoes are made in the same overseas factories as Jordan Brand shoes for five dollars per pair, but the retail price difference is astronomical. In a different tweet, Marbury simply wrote, "$250 VS $15." Jordan Brand shoes range anywhere from $75-$250, according to Nike's website. That's potentially a 1,567% increase in price from Starbury to Jordan shoes.

Back when the Starbury line was first released, Marbury made a claim that if you cut his shoe or any other basketball shoe in half, you'd have the same basic materials. A few outlets took him up on that offer, and while the results were mixed, the general consensus was the Starbury was a solid enough shoe for everyday wear, and in some instances, the tests found that the Starbury was nearly identical and could be used for basketball.

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Salary & Career Earnings

During his NBA career, Stephon earned more than $150 million in salary before taxes and fees. When he was playing in China, his basketball salary was $2 million per year. He made significantly more from endorsements and shoe sales.

Bank Lawsuit

In 2011, Marbury was reportedly sued by Wachovia/Wells Fargo for $16 million. The story developed further in 2012, when he was sued for a further $3 million by Wachovia. This was the result of a real estate investment deal that Stephen was allegedly involved in. Allegedly, he personally guaranteed seven-figure loans related to the purchase and leasing of industrial real estate.

Some of these properties were leased to US government agencies, such as the Social Security Administration. In 2007, Wachovia lent $1.7 million to Starbury for a real estate purchase, only for the U.S. Bank to foreclose the property and sell it off for $1.3 million. The property was being used by the US Social Security Administration at the time. In 2011, Wachovia announced that they were still owed over $1 million by Marbury in unpaid interest and fees.

Early Life

Stephon Xavier Marbury was born on February 20th, 1977, in Brooklyn, New York. Raised on Coney Island alongside six siblings, his basketball talents immediately became obvious. It was during his childhood that he earned the nickname "Starbury," and he excelled in his high school basketball team.

By the time he graduated, he was expected to join the ranks of the best point guards in NBA history. Marbury was recruited by the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and immediately became their new starting point guard. He spent one season with the team, reaching the NCAA Tournament semi-final and proving his worth.

Career

Although Starbury was initially selected by the Milwaukee Bucks during the 1996 NBA Draft, he was quickly traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves. After his first season, he was named to the All-Rookie Team. However, Stepon grew tired of Minnesota for a number of reasons, and he demanded a trade. He got his wish in 1999 and was traded to the New Jersey Nets.

Finding his place, Starbury earned All-Star status and proved his potential with a number of key performances. However, just one year later, he was traded to the Phoenix Suns after failing to make the playoffs with the Nets. During his time with the Suns, Stephon made the All-Star Team once again and reached the playoffs. However, he was traded once again – this time to the New York Knicks.

The move proved to be a lasting one, and Stephon laid down roots with the Knicks. However, his relationship with head coach Larry Brown soon soured. Combined with the Knicks' poor performances, this made Marbury an unpopular figure with the fans. Eventually, Brown was fired and replaced by Isiah Thomas, and the Knicks improved slightly.

However, Starbury would soon turn on his new coach as well, allegedly attempting to fight him and blackmail him after learning that he had been benched. The entire team suffered from the controversy, and the Knicks started to perform even more poorly. Due to Marbury's $42 million contract, it was difficult for the Knicks to get rid of him. Eventually, Isiah Thomas was the one who was fired – not Stephon Marbury.

(STR/AFP/Getty Images)

When the Knicks signed Mike D'Antoni as their new head coach, he immediately looked for a replacement point guard. After D'Antoni signed Chris Duhon, Marbury was suddenly a backup point guard. Out of frustration, Starbury refused to play for the Knicks when he was offered the chance to sub in for 35 minutes. This blatant unprofessionalism prompted the Knicks to completely ban Stephon from attending any future games or practices.

In 2009, the Knicks bought out Marbury's contract, making him a free agent. He then transferred to the Boston Celtics, where he ended his NBA career. Although Starbury was offered a one-year contract extension at the end of the season, he refused.

In 2010, he joined the Shanxi Zhongyu Brave Dragons of the Chinese Basketball Association. In his first year, he failed to help the Brave Dragons reach the playoffs, and he transferred to the Foshan Dralions after one season. After failing to reach the playoffs once again, Marbury moved to the Beijing Ducks. As a Beijing Duck, Marbury won the CBA Championship three times. He then joined the Beijing Fly Dragons for one season before officially ending his basketball career. In 2019, he became the new head coach of the Beijing Royal Fighters.

(Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)

Controversy

In 2006, Starbury fired his personal chef, Thurayyah Mitchell. Later, reports surfaced that he had been having an extramarital affair with his employee and that he dismissed her because of the sexual harassment lawsuit that the entire Knicks organization was facing at the time. During the lawsuit, Marbury admitted to hooking up with a Knicks intern outside of a strip club in 2005.

In order to keep Mitchell quiet, Stephon allegedly offered her $1 million in a "hush deal," although it seems that she only ever received $600,000. When the payments stopped, she took Starbury to court for sexual harassment. She explained to the court that the NBA star told her that "making him happy" was part of her job description as a chef.

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