Starbury sneakers from Stephon Marbury - 5.1.2007.1

I must say I am impressed. There are few basketball players I am aware of that are really worth talking about these days. I admit I am not a fan of basketball; I liken it to tennis with 12 players a side. That does not mean I don’t think they have more skill than average at the professional level. Given my lack of knowledge, I am aware of certain players. One that has recently caught my attention, Mr. Stephon Marbury, as I mentioned impressed me.

What I am impressed about has nothing to do with his ability to bounce a ball (or the more controversial aspects of his sports career), but what he is doing about his responsibility to present a positive image to children. I cannot speak about his everyday actions, but his new line of sneakers demands conversation.

I saw Mr. Marbury being interviewed by Mr. Neil Cavuto yesterday on Fox News. The reason was the conversation on his new line of sneakers, Starbury. They cost $15. I did not forget the 0 in the number. Imagine that, a line of sneakers promoted by a star athlete,
that costs what they are worth. I thought the day would never come.

Finally someone is waking up and realizing that children, often from inner cities where money can be tight, cannot and should not need to afford ridiculously overpriced goods. Every sneaker on the market costs maybe $5 to make at the most, I’d guess, and parents have long been gouged to provide their kids the latest brand at retail costs in the $100+ range. When you consider that most products that can make a 20% profit are considered goldmines by corporations across the world you start to see the rip-off.

Mr. Marbury is giving back to the Black Community, and moreso to kids in NYC high schools that play varsity basketball. That is an act of kindness and responsibility. It’s a reminder that “bling” [truly a term of absolute ignorance] is just a way to stay poor and make someone else rich for no reason. It’s a lesson in fiscal responsibility, which I hope could lead to personal responsibility. It’s an entertainer doing something for the fans and not for their bank account. And it’s about time.

I don’t fault anyone for making or endorsing a product and getting paid for it. Even better if they actually support and/or believe in the product. But ripping-off kids is wrong no matter what the reason. And it’s insulting when a multi-millionaire exploits fans, especially those in the least economically capable communities, to make another buck. Even the worst stockbrokers I worked with or knew of in the market would NEVER take money from kids and orphans. To make it blunt, profits in excess of 200% for a piece of sporting equipment that can’t survive the wear and tear of daily use beyond 6 months or so, and targeted to children and young adults, is exploitive.

I also laud Mr. Marbury for being one of the NBA leading donations for Hurricane Katrina victims and the several barbers he has at Coney Island to provide free haircuts to the youth. Are all these actions the biggest things that can be done to help the community? No. Do they make a statement? I feel they do. What might that statement be?

I feel that unlike most athletes Mr. Marbury is stating that money is not the be all of life. That his personal prosperity is not more important than those that provide him the prosperity. He seems to realize that the fans are the reason for his success, ultimately. And he presents an image that is severely lacking among entertainers and celebrities today, especially if those entertainers are African American. That image is class, pride, perhaps humility. That is what I have been able to gather.

I don’t know a lot about Mr. Marbury, and even less about his profession of choice. Yet what I have been able to divine seems worthwhile, even though there are missteps which is part of being human. That is worth talking about, more to the point it’s worth having our children emulate to an extent.

This is what I think, what do you think?