The Chinese Basketball Association is incredible, because it’s a land of defensive apathy and is filled with former fringe NBA players that are now certified bucket getters in China.
A look through the CBA stats for this season reveals some incredible names dominating the league, like Jared Sullinger who is averaging 40 points and 17 rebounds because of course he is. And then there’s Jimmer Fredette, who just dropped 50 points and a near triple-double in a game, and is averaging close to 40 points per game on the season with nearly 15 three-point attempts per game.
While Jimmermania may be the new wave in China, no American player will ever touch the popularity in China of Stephon Marbury, who is still playing at age 40. Last night, Starbury and Jimmer went head-to-head and on a rare non-three attempt from Fredette at the rim, the two got into an altercation after Jimmer took offense at a hard strip from Marbury.
After a hard foul, Stephon Marbury and Jimmer Fredette got into an altercation during a game in China. Watch: pic.twitter.com/FCFIg1szRi
— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) November 10, 2017
You can see Marbury swipe down hard for the strip, which, while not called a foul, clearly upsets Fredette who felt there was extra contact. So, Jimmer steps to Marbury and shoves him, and then the two go chest-to-chest, nose-to-nose before referees and teammates sprint the other way to separate them.
I think my favorite part of the entire thing is in the background, Migos “T-Shirt” is playing in the arena as the little brouhaha gets deescalated. If you asked me what two NBA players in China were least likely to get into a scrap in the year of our lord 2017, Jimmer and Marbury would probably have been near the top of my list, but this is why the CBA is amazing. Anything can happen.
