Former NBA star Marbury gets China's 'green card'

Former NBA star Stephon Marbury shows the Foreigner's Permanent Residence Card in Beijing, April 18, 2016.[Photo/Xinhua]

BEIJING - Former NBA star Stephon Marbury has become a permanent Chinese resident as he showed his "green card" on his Weibo account on Monday.

Marbury posted a short video on twitter-like Weibo, showing he received the Foreigner's Permanent Residence Card from Zhang Jiandong, vice mayor of Beijing.

Beijing's super guard is the first foreign player to get China's green card in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) league's 21-year history.

"I'm so thankful and blessed to receive my green card today from the Beijing Government. It's a true honor to be part of the capital of China. I hope I can not only help win more championships but continue to bring positive energy and love," said the two-time NBA All-star.

Stephon Marbury poses for a picture with Zhang Jiandong (R), vice mayor of Beijing.[Photo/Xinhua]

A Chinese green card is one of the hardest to obtain with only around 5,000 issued since 2004, when the policy was introduced. That compares with about 600,000 foreigners currently living in China.

The 39-year-old veteran, who steered Beijing to three titles in past four seasons, is recognized as the most successful foreign player in CBA history. A museum in honor of him was unveiled in downtown Beijing last December.