Marbury to receive 'high honor' this month

Former NBA All-Star guard Stephon Marbury, who said he had already made the commitment to "embrace" China as his home, was thrilled to learn recently that his application for a Chinese "green card" was approved.

Marbury, who led the Beijing Ducks to three Chinese Basketball Association championship titles in four years since 2012, said on Tuesday that the Beijing Public Security Bureau had informed him that his application for a permanent residence card in China, which he filed in April, has been approved. The document makes long-term residency in China much more convenient.

"It's a high honor to be the only foreigner playing in the CBA to be granted the card. It's pretty cool to be able to do that in a country where it's not allowed to many. That's a historical moment (for my career)," Marbury said on Tuesday.