This week on the China Sports Insider Podcast we sit down with basketball star Stephon Marbury – arguably the most famous foreigner living in China, where he’s been for more than a decade. It’s a wide ranging chat about his current coaching duties in the CBA bubble, the upcoming Olympics, his career in China, plans for the future, and more, so please give it a listen.
But before the chat with Marbury, we focus on the latest Olympic ice hockey news. With COVID-19 again ripping through much of the western world, it’s increasingly likely that the NHL’s schedule will be disrupted to such an extent that the league may prevent its players from going to the Olympics, because it will need the scheduled three-week break to catch up all the postponed games. But if that doesn’t happen, the players should still travel with confidence, despite all the misinformation bouncing around North American media. We break down what’s true and what isn’t, and what NHL players can expect when they get to Beijing.
We’ve had some great feedback on the podcast so far, but we’re always happy to hear from listeners in the comments below or elsewhere on social media. What else would you like to hear about? Who else should we speak to on the podcast? Let us know! And please help us out by subscribing and sharing!
On the show this week, we expose the myth circulating in the NHL about China’s quarantine rules at the Olympics (1:18), explain what’s actually in the Olympic playbook and compare with the NHL’s current protocols (2:08), what happens if you keep testing positive (3:55), explore where the rumors are coming from (4:56), discuss the NHL’s reluctance to send players to Olympics (6:49) and explain why organizers have failed to adequately address these concerns (8:27). With COVID rampant in sports leagues around the world, some have predicted Beijing will postpone the Olympics to 2023. Mark vows to eat his hat if that happens (9:26). Finally, what’s new in Version 2 of the Olympic playbooks (12:58) and what is the latest on tickets for spectators (13:45)?
Then, Mark and Haig sit down with two-time NBA All-Star and three-time CBA champion Stephon Marbury to find out what life has been like inside the CBA bubble (15:03), how he motivates his players as coach of the Beijing Royal Fighters (16:26), an update on the CBA season so far (17:15), how Marbury avoided the worst of the pandemic (18:27), why he wrote an email to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver (19:35), and what advice he would give to the NBA as the league suffers another COVID outbreak (20:14). Next, we find out what Marbury is most looking forward to at the Olympics (21:14), find out his advice for hesitant NHL players (22:42), ask how he deals with difficult questions from reporters (24:23), and see what he’s most excited about with the Beijing Olympics just 50 days away (25:39). We also discuss Marbury’s case for the NBA Hall of Fame (26:29), compare his NBA and CBA experiences (27:15), get the scoop on his recent spat with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith (28:39), find out which foreign players in the CBA he’s closest to (30:58), get his advice on adapting to life in China (32:51), and find out what’s next for Stephon Marbury (35:02).
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Catch up with some previous episodes:
- NYT’s Tariq Panja and former CSL adviser Nikki Wang talk Chinese football, as the league returns after a four-month break
- Hockey Drama and Steph Hsiao Talks NFL in China
- More Peng Shuai, Olympic Boycotts and Josh Lee on Esports in China
- Peng Shuai’s “Statement” and What it Means for Tennis in China + Rowan Simons
- Podcast: Jon Howse Talks Hockey Development in China
