Welcome to #MarburyWeek, a celebration of Stephon Marbury ahead of the release of his documentary, “A Kid From Coney Island.” The film, presented by SLAM and RTG Features, hits select theaters on March 10th.
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How did a kid from Coney Island end up with a statue in China? How did he overcome immense pressure to fulfill his dreams? And how did he persist in the face of adversity to rewrite his narrative thousands of miles away from home?
In their new documentary, “A Kid From Coney Island,” award-winning directors Coodie Simmons and Chike Ozah trace the incredible life of Stephon Marbury. Through in-depth interviews with relatives, friends and competitors (Ray Allen, Chauncey Billups, God Shammgod and many more), the film provides a thorough and honest portrayal of Steph’s journey, shedding light on both its ups and downs.
Coodie and Chike’s production captures so many chapters of this remarkable story, beginning with Marbury’s childhood in the Surfside housing projects. With the support of his community, Stephon sets out to accomplish a goal that has eluded his family for years: Make the NBA.
He ultimately manages to achieve this goal, but for a number of reasons explored in the documentary, life in the NBA does not come without hardship. “A Kid From Coney Island” follows Marbury’s entire career—his electrifying play for multiple teams, peculiar fall out of the NBA and subsequent rise in China, where he won three championships as a member of the CBA’s Beijing Ducks.
Overall, the documentary tells a tale of family, perseverance, passion and redemption that everyone, whether destined for basketball greatness or not, can relate to. Though his path was unconventional, Marbury succeeded at becoming an inspiration to all kids growing up in Coney Island.
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Click here to buy tickets to “A Kid From Coney Island.”
Alex Squadron is an Associate Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @asquad510.
