Stephon Marbury Says He's Trying To Get 10 Million Medical Masks Sent To New York During The Coronavirus Crisis

NY Post- Former Knicks star Stephon Marbury wants to deliver the Big Apple something it needs even more than an NBA title — 10 million N95 masks for hospital workers and other first responders handling the coronavirus pandemic. Marbury, who played in the NBA 14 years before moving overseas to become a legend in the Chinese Basketball Association, told The Post he’s made arrangements with a mask supplier in China willing to sell New York 10 million masks “at cost” for $2.75 each – well below the roughly $7.50 that N95 retailers have been quoting the state.

The Coney Island native said he got the idea last week after learning of the state’s lack of protective gear and the astronomical price its been paying for masks. So the now-retired, former point guard decided to reach out to Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, a presumptive 2021 mayoral candidate who has backed Marbury’s local charities in the past, to let him know he’s ready to dish his biggest assist yet.

“At the end of the day, I am from Brooklyn,” Marbury said during a call from his Beijing home. “This is something that is close and dear to my heart as far as being able to help New York.” With China now beginning to recover from the pandemic, Marbury’s mask contact has more N95s than that country currently needs, according to Brooklyn Borough Hall. The gear would be delivered 2 million at a time over five weeks.

Despite the good intentions, Adams’ efforts to connect with Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio’s staff to present Marbury’s offer have gone anything but smoothly. “We’ve been communicating back and forth with the city and state, and for some reason they are saying they don’t need any more masks, but the hospitals are saying they do,” Adams said Thursday. However, when contacted hours later by The Post, state Department of Health spokeswoman Jill Montag said she “had no idea who the borough president spoke to” and that the state officials “in charge” of buying masks  “want to talk to Stephon!”

What a wild run it has been for Stephon Marbury in New York. From high school legend to disappointing Net that helped get Jason Kidd to New Jersey to savior of the Knicks to ultimately disappointing Knick to affordable sneaker maven that put Steve & Barry's on his back to the guy that ate Vaseline to Chinese Basketball God to potentially motherfucking hero of New York City. Think about that for a minute. Stephon Marbury may become the man that helps New Yorkers on the front line of this war against coronavirus get millions of masks during a deadly pandemic for millions of dollars less than retail price because he has a "guy".

The phrase "Everything happens for a reason" is a phrase nobody wants to hear when they are going through tough times but is a phrase everyone says when they come out better on the other side. But if Stephon Marbury is able to be the person that gets New York millions of needed masks during this pandemic because of a contact he met while in China, every crazy step of his crazy journey was worth it and not just because he is a God in China with his own museum.

I never thought I would become a Marbury fan again after the left the Knicks in flames and went head-to-head with my pal and coworker the Wonton Don. 

But it appears Marbury and Donnie appear to have squashed their beef and Marbury is trying to squash the spread of coronavirus while saving a city being ravaged by disease millions of dollars along the way. Stephon Marbury may go down as a true hero in this entire pandemic, which considering the current state of the world, is only like the 1 millionth craziest thing of 2020. He truly is Peace Star, even if thisTwitter murder from less than a year ago is still on the books.

Also I know this video has to be fake but I wanted to put it in a blog and pretend it's real because "Spread love, it's the Brooklyn way" has never resonated more than it has during this Marbury story.