One year at Georgia Tech — the most electrifying freshman season in ACC history before the NBA at 19.
Stephon Xavier Marbury was born in Coney Island, Brooklyn in 1977 and was one of the most sought-after recruits in the country. He chose Georgia Tech and in one freshman season averaged 18.9 points and 4.5 assists per game — the finest freshman season in ACC history to that point. He was the ACC Rookie of the Year and was named All-ACC. His combination of explosive quickness, playmaking vision and scoring made him immediately the most dynamic player in a conference that included Duke, North Carolina and Maryland. He declared for the draft after a single season. Milwaukee Bucks selected him fourth overall in the 1996 NBA Draft and immediately traded him to Minnesota. His NBA career produced 19.3 points and 7.6 assists per game across 13 professional seasons. His single Georgia Tech season — one year, one ACC Rookie of Year award, one lottery pick selection — represents the early wave of the one-and-done phenomenon. His subsequent celebrity career in China, where he became a cultural figure of enormous significance after his NBA career ended, makes his life story one of basketball's more remarkable.
ACC Rookie of Year
Career Honours
- ACC Rookie of Year
- All-ACC
- ACC scoring and assists leader