Stephon Marbury, the man that had the Starbury shoes, has decided to take off the shoes for one year and just sit. Well, he is going to do more than sit, because he plans to build up his empire even more. So as a business decision, he will not take the 1.2 million to go back and play for the Boston Celtics.

Business decision as in no other team really wanted a selfish old point guard.

Hey, you are picking on one of my all time favorite players, ranking right up there with Adrian Dantley, not only in talent, but in court selfishness. Stephon once said in an article in Sports Illustrated, back when we all read magazines, that he only played for the money. That is the guy for my team all right.

Adrian Dantley often would take the rock and ask you to just watch as he went 1 on 5 and scored or got fouled. It was amazing, but after a while all your team could do was stand around.

Stephon Marbury is always good for a quote or two and had this to say about the Knicks, where bad blood still exists.

“I’m just talking as a fan and New Yorker who grew up loving the Knicks: Why would I give you my money to watch them?” Marbury said, according to the Post. “This is atrocious. Guys coming down court, just raising up 3-pointers from anywhere. The coaching is horrible. What kind of coaching is this?”

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LeBron James will not sign with the Knicks

Oh, and the LeBron opinion had to do with the Knicks as well. Stephon claims that there is no way that LeBron is going to sign with the Knicks. They are in a rebuilding phase, so why would he sign with them?

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There is always the question of whether you want someone like Stephon Marbury on your team. It is complicated. No one doubts his talent, but it is all those other things that matter just as much. Just what are you getting with Marbury on your team?

Maybe even the bigger question is what state of mind is Marbury in?

When Marbury walks into that Celtics locker room, the con is over. He has been threatening a long time to show what he can do for a contender. Now he gets his chance. He hasn’t played a regular-season NBA game in over a year, a playoff game in five years, and hasn’t won a postseason game in six. Losing has always been someone else’s fault – his GM, his coach, his teammates. What’s more, losing is a habit for him. It’s never cost him a big contract, nor bothered him enough to stop partying or show shame.

Marbury still rejects the idea that it’s ever been his job to make his teammates better. “How am I going to make someone else better?” he asked, and always, that question is an answer within itself.

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What is Boston thinking? Well, for starters, if it works, the NBA title will be a whole lot easier, beyond that it is a huge risk. They know they will be creating a distraction both on the court and the locker room if it does not work.

The Celtics are focused on defending our championship and are working day and night to finalize our playoff roster,” Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck said in a statement Tuesday night. “We don’t have anything to announce at this point except that we intend to do everything we can to raise Banner 18.”

What he means is this: The Celtics won’t just do everything, they’ll do anything. They’re hoping against hope that Marbury can make a difference, but they’re running the risk of downloading basketball’s ultimate Trojan virus. Finally, Marbury is free of New York, and just understand: He was never, ever in a rush for this reality.

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Will Stephon lean in the direction of the Boston Celtics?

Those of you that read this blog on a regular basis must think of me as Stephon Marbury’s press agent or something. That needs to be explained. More on that later.

First there is this Celtic business. It turns out the Celtics have been blowing smoke about picking up Marbury and getting Reggie Miller out of retirement.

According to sources, the Celtics have had talks with Marbury (the Knicks gave him permission to speak with other teams in hope that it would hasten his desire for a buyout), but one source close to the situation said yesterday the club has made no firm commitment to him on a deal.

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Reggie does claim the Celts have contacted him, but that does not seem serious, come on.

Stephon, meanwhile, claims the Knicks should let him go to the Celts.

“The question to be asked to the Knicks is: Are they fearful for me playing for another Eastern Conference team? My thing is, they shouldn’t be fearful,” Marbury was quoted as saying. “They’re trying to get under the cap for 2010. They shouldn’t be worried about me. You had guys saying I was a distraction, I’m a cancer. If I’m all those things, wouldn’t you want me to go to another team?

“It shouldn’t matter that I go to Boston if you’re the eighth seed and Boston is in the front. It can’t be about money. The Knicks got plenty of it. It’s got to be personal. If it’s personal, then how is business being done there?”

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Oh, and my love for the Stephon Marbury? Years ago he tortured my Pistons with 9 or 10 straight shots from all over the court in the 4th quarter of an inconsequential game. Later in Sports Illustrated he admitted that he only played for the money. How sad. Have often wondered how good he could be with strong willed players around him. Maybe with Boston we will find out.

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The Knicks turn their back on Stephon Marbury

Why would Stephon Marbury be at a Lakers game?

Did you know he sat in Jerry Buss’s seat? Jerry is the owner, you know.

Marbury is living in Los Angeles, working out at a facility in Manhattan Beach and hiking in Runyan Canyon near Hollywood. This was the second Lakers game he’s attended this year. The first, rather famously, came in December when he sat courtside for the Lakers-New York Knicks game.

But there’s also no connection, Marbury said, between his

attendance Friday and the Lakers’ recent injury woes in the backcourt.

“No, there isn’t a correlation,” he said. “I gotta get out of my deal before I can do anything else.”

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Why would the Lakers want Stephon Marbury? Isn’t he a ball hog, a disruptive force on the team, a bad chemistry guy? Well, yes, yes, and yes.

Well, then why would the Laker even consider taking on Stephon Marbury?

Because sometimes it works. Because Stephon would know this is Kobe Bryant’s team. There was always doubt about whose team it was in New York.

Now think about it, with Kobe, Pau, Bynum, and Marbury? That is a lot of big time talent and you still have Phil Jackson to make it work.

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Brad Miller to New York?

Mike D’Antoni has got it going on. The Knicks have been cleaning house and adding new players to fit the D’Antoni system.

The latest trade rumor, as reported by Eric Pincus of the most excellent hoop site Hoopsworld, has Sacramento trading Brad Miller for Stephon Marbury.

While this has yet to be confirmed, the Kings might be an ideal suitor for exiled point guard Stephon Marbury of the New York Knicks.

In addition to bolstering one of the Kings’ weaker positions, a Marbury trade could provide Sacramento with enormous salary cap flexibility this summer.

The Knicks would prefer to trade Stephon and are looking for players with two-year deals to field a somewhat competitive roster for the 2009/10 season – but more importantly have as much cap space as possible to go shopping for a banner crop of free agents.

Miller’s passing ability and face up game would be a nice fit in Coach Mike D’Antoni’s system. The Knicks would be able to cash out a disgruntled player for a very workable center.

Based on simple economics – can the Kings even refuse an offer of Marbury for Kenny Thomas and Miller?

Thomas has been languishing on the Kings bench for years. His contract finally runs out conveniently before the summer of 2010.

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Last week against the Pistons, with Rasheed Wallace on the bench, Brad Miller manhandled the Pistons. He is for real and still has a lot of hoops left in him.

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What are the Knicks thinking?

Sometimes you have to just cut your losses and move on. Are the Knicks listening?

No, it seems not.

The New York Knicks have no plans to do anything with Stephon Marbury, except pay him his $21.9 million salary and give him a great seat to watch all their games.

Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni and team president Donnie Walsh said that they will not waive, buy out or trade Marbury. They also will not let him play in games, unless there is an injury to their top three guards, Chris Duhon, Jamal Crawford and Nate Robinson.
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Stephon Marbury will be a free agent at the end of the year. Get rid of him. Even if all your guards were injured and could not play, do you really want to go to Stephon Marbury?

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Chris Duhon shows his passing ability

This one had to hurt.

One of my favorite hoop players to watch, but one of my favorite players to not have on my team, Stephon Marbury has lost the battle for starting point guard.

That was Mike D’Antoni’s explanation yesterday on why he has all but chosen Duhon as the New York Knicks’ starting point guard over Stephon Marbury . Duhon has looked barely adequate at best during three preseason games, but that hasn’t stopped D’Antoni from glowing.

D’Antoni’s most detailed support of Duhon came two days after Marbury said “I’m a starter, period,” following the Knicks’ preseason loss to Philadelphia.
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Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski was the Olympic coach and D’Antoni was an assistant and has influenced Mike D’Antoni in this area.

“It’s not like we’re coming off a championship,” D’Antoni said.

“(There’s) some gut feelings,” D’Antoni added. “People underestimate Duhon. I think he’s a really good basketball player and what he does is win. But I don’t want to compare him to Steph. I don’t think it’s fair.”

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Now if you think of the craziest thing the New York Knicks could do right now, what would it be?

No, dropping out of the NBA is not an option.

How about giving Stephon Marbury a chance to make the team? Yeah, that’s right, Stephon “bad press” Marbury is being given a chance to make the roster.

Stephon Marbury cannot believe the latest Knicks move

Let’s hear what the President Donnie Walsh had to say.

Walsh could be dragging this out to give himself a few more weeks to try to trade Marbury. Or he could be keeping Marbury around to prevent the point guard from making a smooth transition to a new destination (possibly Miami or Boston). Or he could be keeping him in case new point guard Chris Duhon doesn’t shine or gets hurt.

Walsh gave a clue he would still try to trade Marbury if things don’t work out with the Knicks.

“I’ve been doing this a long time,” Walsh said. “I can’t remember buying out a contract. I’d try to trade him. That isn’t good management if you have to do it.”

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You know, if you gave the Knicks a gun they would point it at a foot and miss, but the bullet would ricochet and blow off the foot anyway.

Stephon did not get along with his teammates or coaches. What are the Knicks thinking?

On whether his teammates like Marbury, Walsh said: “You might not like the guy but you can work with him.”

And what about Marbury’s pattern of battling coaches such as Larry Brown?

“There’s a history and pattern with Larry, too, and I love Larry,” Walsh said. “I’m not going to say I don’t like him because he got into a public argument with Larry.

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Stephon Marbury may never find his potential

For better or worse and most of the time worse, Stephon Marbury has been the face of the New York Knicks. He was like a plague to both Larry Brown and Isiah Thomas. Now the Knicks are prepared to face life without him.

The rumor is that the Miami Heat will go after Stephon. That may be a bad idea even though the Heat need a point guard.

Yes, yes, if Stephon Marbury would mind his ways the backcourt of Marbury and Dwyane Wade would be awesome, but therein lays the problem. Would he mind his ways. Stephon once admitted that he only played for the money.

Miami seems to be the wrong team for that to happen. Where is the leadership? Matrix is unhappy. Beasley if off to a ‘fined for smoking’ start. Wade is off and on injured. Riley is getting old. Just where is the strong leadership?

The Knicks are preparing to put Marbury on waivers by the end of the week, several sources with knowledge of the situation told Newsday. The team must await the go-ahead from Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan, however, because it would involve eating another large chunk of money in a buyout, Newsday reported.

Marbury is entering the final year of his contract, worth $21.9 million.
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Two stories…

Years ago my Detroit Pistons picked up NBA troublemaker Mark Aguirre. It will never work the experts said, but the experts failed to take into account the strong leadership of Isiah Thomas and Bill Laimbeer. Aguirre was everything the Pistons wanted and the reward was an NBA title.

Story number two…

One night while playing against my Pistons, Stephon Marbury buried shots from all over the court in the fourth quarter. You know that shot chart they show with the circles that are red for made shots? Stephon had about 10 of them all from different places on the court. It was amazing. Don’t even remember who won.

So that has always had me wondering if Stephon went to a team with strong leadership and could display those kinds of talents, just how good could he be? Just how good could the team he played for be?

We may never know.

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Knock knock.

Who is there?

Isiah.

Isiah who?

Exactly!

Isiah not Knick no more.

Please give me the Knicks coaching job, because if Isiah could stink as much as he did in New York and still hold onto his job as long as he did, then it will be mine for life! Think of it, Madison Square Garden, all the great fans, the money, Spike Lee, etc.

Thomas was fired as the New York Knicks coach Friday after a season of listless and dreadful basketball, a tawdry lawsuit and unending chants from fans demanding his dismissal.

Thomas lost a franchise record-tying 59 games this season, and along the way seemed to lose the support of his players, who didn’t always play hard for him the way they did last season.

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Knicks history

As a youth, the Celtics, Knicks, and Lakers were on my television set every Saturday or Sunday. Usually one game per week. And even though my loyalties were with the Detroit hapless at that time Pistons, my love was to watch the Knicks. They had Dave DeBusschere (from Detroit), Bill Bradley, Willis Reed, Walt Frazier, Dick Barnett, and later Earl “The Pearl” Monroe.

The 1970’s Knicks were a fabulous team and team was the word. Team is what they stood for, often throwing several passes and making several cuts before taking a single shot. The game was almost choreographed in nature. It was a thing of beauty.

This year’s version of the Knicks was loaded with players that do not stand for team. Maybe it is a function of the modern age, but me first is the new Knick motto and that is why Isiah had to go.

Isiah kept going after talented players, but they were all of the Me first variety. Stephon Marbury is the quintessential Me first player of all time. (Squibster note: Marbury is actually one of my favorite players to watch, but please do not send him to my Pistons).

There is not enough room to go into the litany of mistakes by Isiah, but it does not matter anymore.

The Knicks need a new coach and need to find the word Team again.

NBA Basketball special comment How could Isiah be kept on so long?

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