OT - Should Marbury have played?

[Sedale Threatt]

Stephon Marbury a leader?!?!?!? A leader of what, exactly? Losing teams with horrible chemistry and no chance to compete for anything meaningful? I have now officially read it all on RealGM.com.

So it's all some grand media conspiracy. Poor Stephon has been misunderstood, despite the indisputable facts that he's feuded with teammates and coaches everywhere he's been, has been traded by three different franchises and is now sitting at home with a fourth, and still has not been involved in a single, solitary playoff series victory.

Here is a post from another web site that pretty much sums him up. It's very editorialized, but the gist of it is spot-on:

- Coming off his first year at Georgia Tech, he opts for the NBA even though he promises coach Bobby Cremins he would stay at least 2 years.

- forced his way out of Minnesota to NJ after finding out management wanted him to emphasize distributing instead of scoring despite shooting .415 and .408 from the field and resented being replaced as the team's alpha dog by Kevin Garnett. Wolves fail to win a playoff series while Marbury is on team.

- Timberwolves immediately get significantly better and Nets significantly worse as Marbury sets record for most ill-advised shots and most number of possessions being caught out of position during transition.

- after wearing his welcome out in NJ within 3 years, is traded to Phoenix for Jason Kidd. Nets immediately get much better and Suns much worse as Marbury continues his ballhogging ways. Suns fail to win a playoff series with Marbury on team.

- after 2+ seasons, Marbury wears out his welcome in Phoenix and is traded to the Knicks. Isiah Thomas immediately gives Marbury humongous, team-killing contract despite finishing with losing record. Marbury feuds with coach Wilkens. Knicks get swept in first round.

- Knicks hire Larry Brown. Marbury feuds with him too. Knicks fail to make playoffs.

- Marbury is poster child of national team that disgraces USA in international competition.

- Marbury throws coach Brown under the bus after failing to make playoffs again and Isiah hires himself as coach to save face for trading for Marbury.

- Knicks tank under Thomas and Marbury. Marbury blames coach for failures, deliberately dogs it on court, fails to show up for game. Thomas fired from Knicks after failing to make playoffs again.

- Marbury the ultimate "nowhere man" in 2008, building up DNPs after Knicks hire real coach in D'Antoni, who discovers Marbury is terrible player, killing the Knicks with franchise-choking contract.

- Marbury lobbies to be traded, with 21 mil/yr contract and having never won a single playoff series in 12 yr. NBA career.

If he had any sense of work ethic or selflessness, he could have been Chris Paul before Chris Paul. He was that talented. How can anyone make up a bunch of lame-ass excuses about the media when the gory details are right there in black and white is beyond me. It's indisputable -- his career has been a total train wreck, and it didn't happen by accident or bad luck. It happened because he's a loser.

That's just the way life is. Some guys are winners, like Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan. And some guys are losers, like Stephon Marbury and Derrick Coleman.

[blix]

Marbury is one of the biggest douchetards to ever play the game of basketball. I can't believe anyone would actually take the time to defend him, or even think that there is a reason to do so.

There are examples after examples proving this, and the latest is:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3730245

Seriously. The media gives him a bad rap? Come the fokk on.

[RocketPower23]

^I have a question for you blix, where were his so called teammates when D'Antoni banished right from the start of training camp. There was no outcry for him, nothing. The players didn't consider him part of the team, especially when all was going pretty well for the team, but as soon as they start losing a few games in a row, they expect Marbury to be a teammate, come on. Marbury wants nothing to do with this team and nor does anybody on the team want anything to do with him, so for Richardson to try to act like Marbury has always been welcomed on this team is insulting.

I'm not a Steph fan, I want him off the Knicks, he has been a terrible influence for most of his years as a Knick, but the way the Knicks have handled this, is very disappointing. The coach is giving him an option to play! Why in the hell are you giving him an option, just tell him to suit up and he'll play. There is so much wrong here on both sides, it’s just become childish at this point.

[Mamba Venom]

Last year the Knicks wanted him to play so bad that the team CHOSE NOT TO TELL Marbury that his DAD collapsed at half time and had to be rushed to the hospital where he died.

Marbury has a right to be very upset with the Knicks. Unfortunately he doesnt understand how to explain his complaint.

By asking Marbury not to play the Knicks are black listinh him as a player in this league. Thats the same as an employer black listing you so that you couldnt find a job somewhere else. Thats not right.

The Knicks are also ruining Marburys ability to market himself. By doing this the Knicks are killing Marburys business ventures like those cool inexpensive shoes he made (the one good thing he has done in his career).

Marbury should have played when asked and because he made an emotional decision rather than a business decision he may lose nearly $20 mil. I don't like Marbury but the Knicks are dead wrong for treating a player like this. It's bad for the league!

[garcia3]

^I have a question for you blix, where were his so called teammates when D'Antoni banished right from the start of training camp. There was no outcry for him, nothing. The players didn't consider him part of the team, especially when all was going pretty well for the team, but as soon as they start losing a few games in a row, they expect Marbury to be a teammate, come on. Marbury wants nothing to do with this team and nor does anybody on the team want anything to do with him, so for Richardson to try to act like Marbury has always been welcomed on this team is insulting.

I'm not a Steph fan, I want him off the Knicks, he has been a terrible influence for most of his years as a Knick, but the way the Knicks have handled this, is very disappointing. The coach is giving him an option to play! Why in the hell are you giving him an option, just tell him to suit up and he'll play. There is so much wrong here on both sides, it’s just become childish at this point.

Last year the Knicks wanted him to play so bad that the team CHOSE NOT TO TELL Marbury that his DAD collapsed at half time and had to be rushed to the hospital where he died.

Marbury has a right to be very upset with the Knicks. Unfortunately he doesnt understand how to explain his complaint.

By asking Marbury not to play the Knicks are black listinh him as a player in this league. Thats the same as an employer black listing you so that you couldnt find a job somewhere else. Thats not right.

The Knicks are also ruining Marburys ability to market himself. By doing this the Knicks are killing Marburys business ventures like those cool inexpensive shoes he made (the one good thing he has done in his career).

Marbury should have played when asked and because he made an emotional decision rather than a business decision he may lose nearly $20 mil. I don't like Marbury but the Knicks are dead wrong for treating a player like this. It's bad for the league!

dead on

[Sofa King]

I bought those cheap starbury shoes and all 5 are sitting in storage while I rock my Jordans.