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Former All-Star Marbury had suicidal thoughts
Alan is an expert gambling writer who works as one of the chief editors for Basketball Insiders. He has been covering online gambling and sports betting for over 8 years, having written for the likes of Sportlens, Compare.bet, The Sports Daily, 90min, and TopRatedCasinos.co.uk. His particular specialisms include US online casinos and gambling regulations, and soccer and basketball betting. Based in London, Alan holds an MA in English Literature and is a passionate supporter of Chelsea FC.
All posts by Alan DraperUpdated40 mins ago on April 20, 2024
Former NBA guard Stephon Marbury admitted that he struggled with depression and suicidal thought as his career in the league was coming to an end in 2009.
“I wanted to die,” Marbury told HBO’s “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel” in an interview that will be shown Tuesday night. “I wanted to kill myself some days. I did.
“It wasn’t about basketball. It started to become about me. Because I was that depressed and I was that sick.”
Marbury told Gumbel that his failing “Starbury” shoe company, the death of his father in 2007 and his stalled basketball career led to his downward spiral.
“When everything went on with the Knicks, and, you know, my father passed on, the (Starbury) brand was — it was basically losing life slowly,” Marbury told “Real Sports.” “And I was watching it. And I think that was hurting me more than seeing my basketball career going in the direction that it was going.
“I was trapped in my thoughts. I was trapped in how I felt about how I felt I was treated. I was trapped with decisions that I made.”
The 37-year-old former All-Star last played in the NBA in 2009 with the New York Knicks and the Boston Celtics. In addition to five years with the Knicks, Marbury also spent portions of his 13-year career with the Celtics, Minnesota Timberwolves, Phoenix Suns and the New Jersey Nets.
Marbury has played in the Chinese Basketball Association since 2010.
