Steph Marbury had a quote “You can’t break the game down to me if you never played at this level before, if you never had sex before and you’re a virgin, you can’t tell me how it is to bust a nut.”

I know what Marbury means, but I do not entirely agree. There is no disrespect whatsoever in his statement. It is just really a solid statement to analyze, no pun intended.

To understand Marbury, you first have to understand who he is. He is a rebel in every sense of the word. Rebel is a positive characteristic in this context. Marbury is unique from his playing style to being a trendsetter on social media, addressing community issues differently, and building a career that may triumph his all-star NBA career in China, where this man has statues in his likeness. Marbury has been a trailblazer.

He thinks differently, and it shows how successful he has been both on and off the court as an entrepreneur. When I talk about success, I do not mean monetization; I am talking about his ability to create things independently that enhance his brand and help the community.

So when Marbury says this as a kid that made himself into somebody from the projects in Conely Island, NYC, he speaks from the heart. He has an opinion, and who is the say it is wrong or right?

I am a former professional player (Europe, South America, Asia) that never played a game in the NBA. Now, I am a basketball data analyst. Does that mean I cannot write about the NBA? I am free to write about what I choose, and I know Marbury will like it because I am coming from a numbers perspective.

If I were to agree with Marbury, it would be to say that analysts who do not focus on the numbers and facts and focus on their opinions, I can see his point. Analysts that talk badly about players and their performance or work ethic that have never played at that level can make things hard for me to disagree with Marbury’s statements. How can you talk bad about a player at a level that you have never played before? If you did not have an analyst role, people might call you a “hater.” Hater is urban slang for someone jealous. Although I do not wholeheartedly agree, I do see his point.

Let’s make sure that we honor the ones who have played a sport at a very high level because the NBA is their baby. Many of them did not have much before they went to the NBA and their legacy is tied up in the years they wore that Jerry West logo. That is what they are known for, and it takes a bunch of individual ego to make it to that level of competition. Anyone with an opinion that is not in that elite group should at least listen. Listen is what I did. Listened to Marbury’s statements, and now I am critiquing them to the best of my ability.

I have a good feeling that Marbury will enjoy my work as a basketball data analyst. It is for the love of the game. Marbury would love what I am doing with youth basketball, making it a math sport for the community. Starbury and I would see eye to eye. He may be the one to take us to China (fingers crossed).

Someone send him this article for your boy and tell him how we are iterating basketball to make it mathball. Starbury, keep being you, and do not let anyone tell you differently.