Shaquille O’Neal is a massive figure across the globe today. However, no matter how big he is, it appears that he can’t be the most celebrated celebrity in every country. In fact, as the LA Lakers legend revealed, a certain Stephon Marbury is much bigger than he is in China. O’Neal once even embarrassed himself by assuming a Marbury statue there was modeled after himself.
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On the latest episode of The Big Podcast, O’Neal brought on Marbury as a special guest. During this time, Shaq initially took the time to say that the people of China were “very honorable”, and that he never had any problems while he was there.
However, he soon transitioned to being given a rude awakening to just how much bigger Marbury was than him in China. He said,
“I remember one time I was over there right? Because I thought I was the man. I had a little statue. But, my statue is in were another part of town. And one day, I’m like, ‘Yo, I ain’t know I had a statue there!’. They’re like, ‘Nah! That’s Stephon Marbury’s statue!’. This man got a 100-foot statue!”
Shaquille O’Neal ensured that he gave Marbury his flowers for his contributions to the basketball world, be it in America or Worldwide. An all time great honor followed, where Shaq claimed Marbury deserved a Hall of Fame induction.
For Marbury to have more clout in China than Shaq is a huge achievement. But how exactly did he endear himself to the Chinese public?
What made Stephon Marbury so loved in China?
Stephon Marbury joined the China Basketball Association (CBA) in 2010, where he then went on to play nine great seasons. However, his most notable achievement in the country was winning the 2012 CBA championship with the Beijing Ducks, something that earned him his now-famous statue.
Winning the team its first-ever basketball championship has practically made Stephon Marbury a national treasure in China. And given that he has only reciprocated that love for the country, this status of his is unlikely to change anytime soon.
