Former New York Knicks point guard Stephon Marbury is the first foreign basketball player to receive a Chinese green card. Since joining the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) in 2010, the former NBA star also received the title of an honorary Beijing citizen, his own statue outside the arena and his own series of postage stamps.

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According to Quartz, Marbury took to Weibo to confirm that his green card application last April has been approved.

"I'm so blessed and thankful to receive my Chinese green card. Being the first foreign basketball player to receive a green card means a lot in making history in China. Thank you so much!" he posted.

BBC reported that since China launched its green card system in 2004, only 5,000 out of 600,000 foreigners living in the country has been granted the said permit. This is in huge contrast to the US who grants approximately 1 million green cards every year. It was said that getting a Chinese visa is "notoriously difficult" given its stringent requirements for residency.

Before joining the CBA, Marbury has played in several basketball teams including the New Jersey Nets, Phoenix Suns and New York Knicks. In the last four years, Marbury has been instrumental in leading the Beijing Ducks to victory, winning three championships to date.

In December, China honored Marbury with his own museum in Beijing, an achievement the basketball player said he never thought was possible.

"Today was one of the best days of my life in opening my own museum. I couldn't have dreamed this dream for myself although God has created another miracle in this life for me," he wrote on Weibo.

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