Stephon Marbury Working To Provide Masks For New York's Medical Workers

Stephon Marbury is making major moves to help his home-state. According to the New York Post, the former Knicks player is working with a supplier in China that’s ready to ship 10 million N95 masks to healthcare workers in NYC. The Coney Island native reached out to Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams to gain legislative support so that a number of nurses, doctors, and first responders working to contain the COVID-19 virus can benefit from the protective gear.

In a statement provided to NBC New York, Marbury said he’s lost a cousin to COVID-19 and that his “family is dealing with a very difficult time.” In New York City, the death toll is 1,218. There are over 66,000 cases within the state, ABC News reports. As a result, Gov. Andrew Cuomo extended a work-from-home order for non-essential workers to April 15.

The Post states Adams has reached out to Mayor Bill de Blasio and Gov. Cuomo’s offices but shared no decision has been made as of yet. “We’ve been communicating back and forth with the city and state, and for some reason they are saying they don’t need any more masks, but the hospitals are saying they do,” Adams said. In response, Jill Montag, spokesperson for the Department of Health said state officials are interested in ironing out the details of obtaining the masks.

On Instagram, Marbury stressed the importance of keeping yourself self and following orders that remain beneficial for your health. “The quarantine has purpose so we can help the infected and protect the healthy. The virus is the invisible killer. It has no heart or compassion as we’re all exposed. I too have family members exposed to this virus,” Marbury wrote. “No one is exempt as we see people of all stature infected by this virus. The only way to move pass this is through it together. We can do this by staying home until we create a solution that everyone can conform and perform well to. Positive energy laughter, prayer, meditation are some of the rules we can follow.”

Marbury now works as a coach in China for the Beijing Royal Fighters. He once placed for various teams in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) after his NBA-career run stateside came to an end in 2009 with the Boston Celtics.

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