Surrounded by cameras, Stephon Marbury slowly moved up the steps and headed to the gym.
It was a familiar scene for the former NBA and CBA All-Star.
However, this time, the cameras flashed for a different reason.
Marbury became a CBA head coach.
NEW BEGINNINGS
The American was already seen as a veteran when he first came to China in 2010, but he managed to prolong his playing career until 2018.
After one-year break, Marbury finally inked a three-year contract with Beijing Royal Fighters (formerly known as Beijing Aolong) to became head coach of the Chinese Basketball Association club.
"This is definitely not what I expected," Marbury told Xinhua about his new nomination.
"This is something that just evolved into me. I love basketball and I've been playing basketball all my life. This is my way of giving back to the country, to Beijing."
Marbury started playing for the Beijing Ducks from the 2011/12 season, carrying the team to their first-ever CBA title that year. Following further championship wins in 2014 and 2015, a statue of Marbury was unveiled at the Ducks' Wukesong Arena.
While playing for the Ducks, Marbury's experience led him to play a "coach on court" role, which he said began his preparation for being a head coach.
"Coach Min [Lulei, Ducks' head coach] gave me the opportunity to help create different strategies for us to win games," he said.
"He understood his players. He challenged his players. He worked us so hard. When you're working so hard, you're tired and you feel the way how you feel in practice, but when you get inside the games, the game's so easy, and you don't get tired.
"He's a very caring coach. We all looked up to him as a father figure, and he did something that a lot of people never did before. He won three championships in four years. He's a legend and he's a legend to me.
"He did things that a lot of people probably can't see. He trusted his system and he believed in what he did as a coach for so many years. When he finally won, his system was proven."
EVERYTHING IS A CHALLENGE
Embarking on his first appointment as a head coach, Marbury sees a lot of difficulties ahead.
"Everything is a challenge," said Marbury.
"Everything is brand new. Last year they didn't do that well, they were at the bottom of the of the league."
The Royal Fighters are one of the youngest teams in the CBA. The team had been targeting the playoffs at the beginning of last season, but only won eight games in the 46-game season.
"I think that I can make a difference," Marbury said.
The first "difference" that Marbury brings to the team is Dominique Jones, an efficient attacker who has proven himself in the CBA.
Looking to youth, Marbury plans to make full use of the first-pick advantage. 23-year-old Wang Shaojie will join the CBA Draft this year, and the big forward and top-scorer of CUBA champions Peking University is regarded as the top favorite for the first pick.
"We're going to draft him," Marbury said.
"We think that he has very high potential. And playing in the CBA, he's definitely a reminder of a guy like Wang Zhizhi,"
Marbury's former Ducks teammate Randolph Morris and Sun Yue are also targets.
The Royal Fighters have not given Marbury a specific goal for next season, and the coach knows only too well how tough the league is.
"The CBA is not an easy league to win." Marbury said.
"It's very, very difficult."
