Stephon Marbury walking the red carpet at the Tribeca Film Festival is quite a homecoming. Marbury was a young basketball sensation from Brooklyn who went pro in 1996 and eventually played for the New York Knicks for several seasons.

But he didn't find real success and happiness until he traveled halfway around the world to play in China.

"It's been a great experience going to China, playing in a country where there's 1.3 billion people. There's a 400 million people that play basketball. It's been nothing but an amazing experience. You get an opportunity to see different people experience a whole new culture, so for me, it's just been a great experience," Marbury said at the film premiere.

The new doc, "A Kid From Coney Island," follows Marbury on the journey from embattled NBA player traded many times, to beloved superstar in China, where he played for a decade before he retired last year.

"Triumph. That's the word that I would use," he said. "I went through a lot, with a lot of adverse times, put myself in some up-and-down situations, and then here I am right now."

New York Filmmakers Coodie Simmons and Chike Ozah know it means a lot to debut the film at Tribeca.

"There's people that love him here. There's people that don't love him here. I think it gives New Yorkers at least a fair shake to understand his side of the story," Ozah said. "Stephon trusted us. He never once was like, 'Oh, let me come in the edit and see which direction y'all are taking.' He truly trusted us."

Surprisingly, the filmmakers say this documentary is not about basketball; it's about family.

"It's funny how somebody said, 'Oh, they got a basketball movie at the Tribeca,'" Simmons said. "We're like, 'No, this is a family story. It's about his family and the family he created in China.'"

The film also emphasizes the important of neighborhood basketball courts as a place that creates community, and Marbury's enduring impact on the NBA.

"The fact that it's hip-hop. It's Stephon and Allen Iverson — they brought hip-hop to the NBA. The chains, the tattoos — really what the NBA is today is really because of Stephon Marbury. New York and that New York flavor and style that he had, so that was important to talk about," said Simmons.

"A Kid From Coney Island" plays through the end of the festival. The filmmakers hope to get a distribution deal after that.