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Stephon Marbury had a turbulent basketball profession. He moved from being a hailed franchise savior in New Jersey to Lambasteat as a scapegoat by his hometown of Knicks. All this became moved abroad to play in China, where he worshiped like God.
But in all ups and downs, one thing remained in line with Marbura – his ability to sell. From Brooklyn to Beijing, Kid Coney Island at all times had a unique Swagger and remained in contact with his roots.
He became the first NBA player who supported the Ball Ball I 1 brand, and introduced the company to a new stratosphere of cultural importance thanks to his spectacular kind of play and bravada. He turned his iconic nickname, Starbury, into a Bonowa brand, dominating the headers in 2006.
Now, as the principal officer of the Chamelo Eyewear brand, Marbury directs the same cultural strength and smart to the new arena.
Futuristic vision
Chamelo is not only old sunglasses. They not only block UV rays or make you look cool – you’ll be able to adjust the shade, switch colours, and even listen to music or receive calls. Although the technology itself is not completely new, Chamelo leveled it, reducing the shade time to just 0.9 seconds, compared to eight minutes on other platforms.
“What we do is exciting because it is something new in the world,” says Marbury. “We have prismatic lenses that change between four different colors. Nobody has ever seen it. And when you are part of something that has never been done before, and this is beneficial for everyone, it is unique.”
Marbury was first familiarized with Chamelo technology at the Jockey club in Hong Kong, where he met the founding father of Fenghua Li, an avid basketball fan.
“In the first five minutes he showed me glasses, and I wait – do it again,” recalls Marbury. “I’ve never seen something like that.”
Sensing the opportunity, Marbury immediately expressed interest in helping Chamelo in development in the USA, it was not a very long time before they each joined Malibu again and began to build the company.
Li was looking for Marbura not only because of his marketing efficiency, but his legendary status in China, where he won the three CBA championships for royal fighters in Beijing, becoming one of the most beloved athletes in the country.
“He decided that he would be easy to do business in America,” says Marbury. “I said: Listen, it is not important that people know my role – it is more important that we build it and show people that there is another wave of future technology.”
Cooperation and teamwork
Although Marbury wants Chamelo to detect his belt in the glasses industry, he also emphasizes the importance of cooperation.
“We want to make friends with everyone so that everyone can use our technology,” he says. Since joining the company as the director of Marek Marbura, she has conducted several creative marketing initiatives, including the limited edition of “Knicks Aura” sunglasses, a contract with China Duty Free Group and a partnership with the New York Mets legend José Reyes.
“It was love at first sight,” says Reyes. “Their style and technology that changed the colors of the lens reminded me of how I played. I would absolutely wear them in the game.”
As the first official Ambassador Chamelo, Reyes worked closely with the brand to jointly design a new collection of sunglasses, which debuted in 2025.
“I was practical with the project, paying special attention to the details,” he says. “My style will be strengthened in this collection.”
Entrepreneurial past
Chamelo is not Marbura’s first undertaking about consumer products. Almost 20 years ago, he launched Starbury, a brand of footwear, which was found by headers for USD 15 sneakers and commitment to price accessibility.
“Starbury was a great catastrophe course,” says Marbury. “I have to learn the American market in a difficult time.”
Despite the early noise, Marek disappeared after her exclusive retail partner, Steve & Barry’s, filed for bankruptcy during the financial crisis in 2009. Experience has taught Marbury a beneficial lesson on control: “It is better to have everything in place and build a company where you can be vertical,” he says.
While Marbura’s goal in Starbury Sneakers was to make footwear high -quality more accessible to children, some critics read the low price as a sign of low quality. Thanks to Chamelo, he adopts a more strategic approach, according to the “best best” price model.
“I always try to have something for everyone,” he says. “Our next step is to create an inexpensive pair of glasses so that children can experience and experiment with technology.”
In his short time, as a brand director, Marbura gave Chamelo to his characteristic Swagger and the unique New York Edge, helping the brand stand out in the crowded market.
“We feel privileged and grateful that when people enter some stores and see Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Versace and Prada, they also see small old ones,” he says.
Thanks to the last partnerships together with New York Knicks and José Reyes, the way forward for Chamelo becomes only brighter. It’s good that the shades are adjustable.
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Stephon Marbury had a turbulent basketball profession. He moved from being a hailed franchise savior in New Jersey to Lambasteat as a scapegoat by his hometown of Knicks. All this became moved abroad to play in China, where he worshiped like God.
But in all ups and downs, one thing remained in line with Marbura – his ability to sell. From Brooklyn to Beijing, Kid Coney Island at all times had a unique Swagger and remained in contact with his roots.
He became the first NBA player who supported the Ball Ball I 1 brand, and introduced the company to a new stratosphere of cultural importance thanks to his spectacular kind of play and bravada. He turned his iconic nickname, Starbury, into a Bonowa brand, dominating the headers in 2006.
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