Starbury Shines in the CBA

As I turned on SportsCenter last night, to my surprise, I found Stephon Marbury heading the Top 10 Plays. However, this time he wasn't playing for the Knicks, Nets, Suns or Timberwolves -- he was winning MVP of the CBA All-Star Game.

Stephon has been overseas playing in China all year and most of us have failed to even recognize it. The former all-star's last NBA experience came last season when the Knicks (who used to believe Starbury would be their ultimate path to a championship, thank you Isiah Thomas) bought out his enormous contract and he signed with the Celtics to come off the bench.

Starbury has likely seen the last of his days in the NBA, but apparently this has motivated him to be an all-star elsewhere?

False.

In researching Starbury's single game in the all-star game, it turns out he prides himself on taking 3-pointers from half court and continuing his reputation as a selfish player.

Oh, how great things never fail to change.

My next question would be: Who's next?

If I had one guess, I believe Allen Iverson will be the next CBA all-star. Iverson, like Starbury, has failed to acknowledge he is no longer capable of playing at an NBA level, and there is a lack of interest around the league regarding adding him unless he willing to come off the bench.

AI disagrees.

AI believes he is still fully able to start for an NBA, where his statistics over the past few seasons clearly beg to differ. If AI would be sensible for a second (practice? no, just kidding), he would realize that if he were to come off the bench for a championship-caliber team, team's would surely be calling him.

What we can really take away from this whole scenario is that the CBA is the ultimate winner. Starbury may be getting his minutes and stats, but the CBA is getting "superstars" (being that they are past their prime, and then some). The league is thriving off the attention they receive with these players.

And for the NBA, it has become what Florida is to senior citizens -- a place to grow old.