Stephon Marbury was born on February 20, 1977, meaning he will turn 41 early next year.
Stephon Marbury's last appearance in the NBA was a 23-game stint with the Boston Celtics in the 2008-09 season, where he finished with per game averages of 3.9 points and 3.3 rebounds. So let's just say a few heads turned when Marbury let his intentions be known that he plans on playing one more season in China before making an NBA return.
Marbury was a very gifted player during much of his 13-year NBA career that saw him make two All-Star appearances. He had a stretch of seven seasons in which he averaged at least both 20 points and eight assists a game six times.
As talented as he was, he was seen by outsiders as a malcontent. He didn't want to play second fiddle to Kevin Garnett with Minnesota. He wrote "Trade Me" on his sneakers while playing with the Nets. He was exiled to the bench by Mike D'Antoni towards the end of his Knicks tenure and then refused to play in a game when his presence was needed due to injuries.
Unlikely Turnaround In China
That changed once he began playing in China in 2009, where he has become somewhat of a folk hero. They erected a statue of him and also created "The House of Marbury Museum" in Beijing.
It's a redemption tale that would have been hard for anyone to believe. Marbury seemed lost towards the end of his NBA tenure (video of him eating Vaseline is one example), but he took a chance to move to China to play ball, and it couldn't have gone better for him.
He has proven he can still play basketball at a high level (albeit against lesser competition than the NBA).
So now he wants back in the league that essentially left him completely unwanted eight years ago. The CBA season is shorter than the NBA, so that would allow him the opportunity to sign with a team around March.
But he will be 41 years old, and nearly nine years removed from his last NBA action.
At a point guard position filled with younger players, is it possible an NBA team would give him a chance?
Point Guards Who Played After Their 40th Birthday
NBA Hall of Famer John Stockton last played in the 2002-03 season while he was 40-41 years old. He appeared in all 82 games and still was useful finishing with per game averages of 10.8 points, 7.7 assists, and 1.7 steals.
Two-time MVP Steve Nash was still playing at a high level at age-38 in 2012 when he was traded to the Lakers. The wheels came off once he arrived in Los Angeles as his body broke down, and he only appeared in 15 games during his last season in 2013-14 (five as a 40-year old).
Andre Miller played in 10 games (including the postseason) as a 40-year old in 2016. During that season of 2015-16, he appeared in 39 regular season games, and while he only played 11.8 minutes per game, he shot a very efficient 55.7% from the field.
These are a few more recent examples of NBA point guards playing until 40. Only one of the three, John Stockton, was able to play until 41 which will be Marbury's age if he were to be signed after the CBA season.
Vince Carter is the only player who will turn 41 during the 2017-18 season currently on an NBA roster. Manu Ginobili and Jason Terry (unsigned, rumored to re-sign with Milwaukee) will be the only others who are 40 once the season begins.
Not a very long list. While playing point guard at Marbury's age isn't unprecedented, it is for someone who hasn't appeared in the NBA in nearly a decade.
It might not seem realistic for him to return. Marbury has already proved his naysayers wrong once though with his redemptionary tale, so who's to say he won't again?
