Stephon Marbury to Stay with Beijing Ducks through 2017

Beijing Ducks' basketball star Stephon Marbury has signed a contract extension that will keep him playing for the reigning Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) champions through 2017.

We're surprised because when we interviewed Marbury for our March cover story, he told us pretty clearly that he planned to play for one more year (which would be the next CBA season), then coach. Looks like the 38-year-old feels like he can play beyond his 40th birthday, which will fall during February of that 2017 season.

The contract extension almost seems like an after-thought for a player who seems to have been honored with everything lately. Marbury already has a statue in front of the MasterCard Center, where the Ducks will play full-time next season; he was honored with his own line of stamps by China Post; and coming up next, a biopic from Village Roadshow in which Marbury will play himself.

We're starting to wonder what's next for Starbury. Celestial bodies named after him? Warships named for him? Songs sung about him?

Photo: Beijing International