NEW YORK, NY - On Saturday, the Tribeca Film Festival premiered, “A Kid From Coney Island” at the Village East theater in NYC. Stephon Marbury gives the audience a look into his life at his most vulnerable moments in his career along with his greatest achievements. This film leaves you astonished at the resiliency and inner strength that created this legendary point guard.
The film opens up back in Coney Island where a young Marbury at the age of five is told he will play in the NBA. Many will say that is a great burden for such a small child but Marbury breathed basketball in his small lungs even at a young age. Marbury’s game is a blend of his three elite brothers that played on the collegiate level, but who’s NBA dreams were never realized.
As the film takes you through Marbury as a high school player at Abraham Lincoln his success on the court made him the hometown favorite. The film introduces another NYC legendary point guard, God Shammgod who passionately spoke about the battles he and Marbury would have on the court. These on the court battles created a lifelong friendship and bond.
Marbury’s life throughout the film shows his family’s love for him which kept him grounded. Once Marbury declared for college the intense pressure for him to become successful increased. Many players would collapse under that pressure, but Marbury only elevated his game at Georgia Tech. After one year, in 1996 he finally saw his hard work pay off and was drafted into the NBA.
The NBA dream that he work so hard for to give his family the life he always spoke about would see many road blocks. The film carries you into the dark days of Marbury career, the impact of the death of his father and clashes with coach Larry Brown that led to bad blood. From the outside looking in the media at the time painted a problematic Marbury. The loved he once received from fans and the media all but disappeared. This began to chip away at Marbury’s spirit. He would spend five years with the Knicks and a brief stint with the Boston Celtics before he retired from the NBA in 2009. The film then takes you inside Marbury’s bouts with depression and inside very public erratic behavior.
What might seem like a curse to most turn into a blessing for Marbury. The guard was offered opportunity to play basketball for the Chinese Basketball Association. Marbury moved to China and was born again. All the negative press and lost admiration from fans was gone. China welcomed him into their basketball family and country with open arms. A much needed shot of confidence that Marbury needed at his lowest point. In 2015, Marbury received a Chinese green card and became a permanent residence. After earning three championships in China Marbury would suit up for his last game in the CBA in, 2017.
The film appropriately closes out back in Coney Island with Marbury in a barbershop talking to a young boy named Xavier. Telling him he can be more than just a basketball player. He can become president of the United States and help his whole neighborhood. Marbury fondness for Bruce Lee’s, famous quote about water is shown to young Xavier on his cell phone. “Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless — like water. Now you put water in a cup, it becomes the cup; You put water into a bottle it becomes the bottle; You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.” After a fresh haircut young Xavier is given Marbury signature part in his hair. Marbury has become not just, “A Kid From Coney Island” he has now become the lifelong teacher that many young players need.
