Stephon Marbury II, the son of former NBA All-Star guard Stephon Marbury, announced his college commitment on Wednesday.
The younger Marbury posted a photo of him wearing a California jersey to reveal his commitment to the Bears on Instagram.
“You can’t be washed if you ain’t get in the mud,” Marbury wrote.
Eleven years ago, eight-year-old Marbury went viral when his mom, Tasha, posted a video of his advanced ball-handling skills. Following his commitment, she shared a heartfelt message to her son.
“My baby son!! I’m not sure how you grew up so fast,” she wrote. “You had a ball in your hands before you could even crawl. I watched you do sit ups and pushups at age 2. You started running the stairs around 6/7. I thought you was being pushed too hard. What did I know?”
Marbury II continued to develop his skills as his father became a megastar playing in China. The point guard is completing his high school education at DME Sports Academy in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Interestingly enough, his DME Academy profile lists his favorite NBA player as … Tracy McGrady. The older Marbury and McGrady both played on the New York Knicks toward the end of their NBA careers, but not at the same time.
Marbury II will join a California program that went 13-19 in Mark Madsen’s first season as head coach. The Bears also landed Jovani Ruff, a four-star recruit from the class of 2025, on Wednesday.
“The sky isn’t the limit,” Tasha wrote to her son on Instagram. “Your mind is! So make it do what it do! Be great and do your thing.”