J.R. Smith was in trouble. After he injured himself during the season opener, he visited a Beijing doctor without his Chinese team’s permission. For the team, the doctor visit was the last straw. He had already broken rules several times, and on top of that, he required that the team pay $900 per night so he could stay in a 5-star hotel. The juice wasn’t worth the squeeze, the team was beginning to think. It planned to terminate Smith’s contract and add another American player.
With his new job in jeopardy, a desperate Smith turned to the wisest sage in China, a new-age Confucius, the one man with the power and vision to repair Smith’s standing in China. He turned to, um, Stephon Marbury? (Sheridan Hoops)
In the talk with Smith lasting for more than an hour, Marbury told him that what kind of league the CBA is, and what he should do to succeed here:
“You have to adapt yourself to the new environment and culture, at least to your team. You cannot expect to continue the lifestyle of the NBA, because it’s not the NBA.”
“You’d better eat and live with the team. In the CBA, it’s impossible for the whole team to stay in a 5-star hotel. This is the reality. If you want to win, to be friends with your teammates, you must respect them, and get their respect in return, although you speak a different language.”
After seeing the happy end of the story, Marbury said: “I’m happy for him. I hope he cherishes the opportunity, because not everyone can get a second chance. Every price is worth it, wish everything goes well for him.”
… “and, um, eat a lot of Vaseline, tattoo the side of your face, and sell ****** shoes for $10 a pair.”
