Stephon Marbury honored with museum in Beijing

— -- Stephon Marbury is so big in China that he's been immortalized with his own statue and postage stamp. Now a museum dedicated to the former NBA star is set to open next week.

Marbury attended the grand opening for the 300-square foot museum in Beijing on Monday. It is scheduled to open to the public next Monday.

Marbury has led the Beijing Ducks to three of the past four Chinese Basketball Association championships, including last season, when he was named finals MVP for the first time. He averaged 29.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 2 steals over the best-of-seven series, which Beijing won 4-2.

A college standout at Georgia Tech, Marbury was a first-round pick in the 1996 NBA draft by Milwaukee, but he was traded to Minnesota. He also played for New Jersey and Phoenix before joining the New York Knicks amid high expectations that were never realized, partly because of the team's dysfunction. His last stop in the NBA was with Boston in 2009.

With his NBA options limited, Marbury in 2010 headed for China in hopes of jump-starting his career. On Monday, he said of all his jerseys, his Beijing uniform means the most.

"My Beijing jersey means more to me than any of them. I don't [say] that because of the championship, but just because I'm here at home and I've had a support system," Marbury said, according to china.org.cn.

"All those places that I've played at is a preparation for me to come to Beijing. For me, my Beijing jersey will be the jersey that I will retire here in China." 

Marbury, 38, is averaging 18.5 points per game this season for Beijing, which has a 13-7 record through 20 games.

A statue of Marbury, erected in 2012, stands outside the Ducks' arena, and a postage stamp honoring him was unveiled in April after he led the Ducks to their latest title.

He even had a part in a musical inspired by his career's second act in China and has said he plans to stay in China after retiring and hopes to coach the national team someday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.