Two-time NBA All-Star Stephon Marbury was named head coach of the Beijing Royal Fighters of the Chinese Basketball Association on Monday.
Marbury, a native New Yorker, was the No. 4 overall pick of the 1996 NBA Draft. After 13 years in the NBA with five teams, he moved abroad to continue his career in the CBA.
He retired in February after winning three CBA championships.
"Thank you for the opportunity. I will give everything I have on the sidelines just like I gave everything inside the Lines," Marbury, 42, wrote on his Weibo social media account. "The end is another start, I am back, are you with me?"
Chinese media reported he signed a three-year deal, but no financial terms were announced.
Marbury has become a popular figure in China, where a postage stamp was issued and a museum created in his honor. For his philanthropic efforts, he also was named one of Beijing's top 10 model citizens.
In 2015, he was the first foreign player to receive a green card in China.