D’Angelo Russell has set his sights on becoming the greatest player to compete in China after agreeing to join the Shanghai Sharks for the upcoming Chinese Basketball Association season. The 11-year NBA veteran wants to follow in the footsteps of Stephon Marbury and potentially surpass the former NBA All-Star’s legacy in Chinese basketball.
“For me, I think what Stephon Marbury did was something that I really want to try to inspire to be, if not even better,” Russell said. “I’m trying to be the biggest ever, bro. Still got a lot of game left in the tank.”
Marbury established himself as one of the most prominent foreign players in Chinese basketball after moving to the country in 2010. He won three CBA championships with the Beijing Ducks and became a major figure in Chinese basketball, building a legacy that Russell now hopes to emulate.
Russell appeared in 26 games for the Dallas Mavericks last season, averaging 10.2 points, 2.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 19.0 minutes per contest.
The guard was subsequently traded to the Washington Wizards during the season, but his stay in Washington was brief. The Wizards sent him to the Memphis Grizzlies during the offseason, and Memphis waived him later despite his $5.9 million salary for the upcoming season.
Russell, 30, entered the NBA as the second overall pick in the 2015 draft and spent 11 seasons in the league. He averaged 17.0 points and 5.6 assists across 655 regular-season appearances, earning an All-Star selection with the Brooklyn Nets in 2019.
His most productive NBA season came in 2019-20, when he averaged 23.6 points and 6.2 assists in 33 games with the Golden State Warriors before being traded to Minnesota. He also enjoyed a strong shooting season with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2023-24, averaging 18.0 points while making 41.5% of his three-point attempts.
