BEIJING, (Reuters) – Twice NBA All Star point guard  Stephon Marbury will become the highest profile American to  play in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) after he  agreed to join China’s Shanxi Club.

The 32-year-old, a free agent since leaving the Boston  Celtics last season, had agreed a deal with the northern club  and will arrive in Shanxi next week, the team announced on  their official website (www.sxcba.com).

“The aim of signing Marbury is to pay back our fans and try  to win more games in the rest of the season,” said Shanxi boss  Wang Xingjiang.

The 2001 and 2003 NBA All Star is expected to help boost  Shanxi’s ticket sales as well as their chances of making the  playoffs. Shanxi is currently 15th in the 17-team league.

Wang added that Marbury’s salary would not be too high  because the former New Jersey Nets and Phoenix Suns player  wanted to promote his personal brand of shoes in China.

Shanxi last season hired former NBA player Bonzi Wells, who  scored as many as 50 points a game. The contract ended after  less than two months when Wells went on holiday but failed to  return on time.