Aside from the potential ramifications (I have Stephon Marbury in my Yahoo! NBA Fantasy team coincidentally named (prior to the draft) Starbury) the latest feud between Knicks point guard Marbury and New York Knicks President of Basketball Operations and Head Coach Isiah Thomas.
It's an ugly situation with both sides (as well as that of the media) vacillating between confirming Marbury's approved absences to ignoring questions on the subject altogether.
It got even worse when Marbury spoke out against Thomas today and threatened to "tell all."
Not that any revelations at this point would make President/Coach Isiah Thomas any rosier in the wake of testimonies of Stephon Marbury and Madison Square Garden Chairman, James Dolan which contributed to his demise in the Anucha Browne Sanders sexual harassment case. It's old news.
Now to the Knicks. You guys have already heard it all--the horrific signings and trades that have most likely set back the New York Knicks till the next decade (e.g., Stephon Marbury, Eddy Curry, Antonio McDyess, Jerome James, Jared Jeffries, etc.), the disgraceful Anucha Browne Sanders sexual harassment case, and least we forget the laughable Knicks Win-Loss record over the last couple of years despite sporting the league's highest payroll.
How bad can it get?
Daily News Sports Writer Frank Isola had this update which sheds some light on the Marbury-Thomas showdown:
"According to a person close to the team, Marbury's air rage began when Eddy Curry, following a conversation with Isiah Thomas, told Marbury that he and Marbury were being pulled from the starting lineup against the Suns.
Upon hearing that he would back up second-year guard Mardy Collins, Marbury marched toward the front of the plane to meet with Thomas. Five minutes later, an enraged Marbury told his teammates that if he wasn't starting he wouldn't suit up for the game. But it was something else Marbury said that stunned his teammates in the back of the luxury plane.
"Isiah has to start me," Marbury fumed, according to the source. "I've got so much (stuff) on Isiah and he knows it. He thinks he can (get) me. But I'll (get) him first. You have no idea what I know."
It is unclear if Marbury made the same threat directly to Thomas, whose first big move as team president was trading for Marbury. But clearly, the Marbury-Thomas war is officially underway and it promises to get uglier. Early yesterday, Marbury and a friend boarded a plane and returned to New York. Marbury, 30, could conceivably fly to Los Angeles today and rejoin the Knicks for tonight's game against the Clippers. Marbury faces a fine and suspension for every game he misses."
Come on! Mardy Collins (who incidentally left the Suns game after playing 5 minutes with a foot injury)! Nate Robinson! Despite all of his shortcomings and inadequacies (and $42 million greenbacks guaranteed for the next two seasons), Stephon Marbury is the most viable option at the point guard position for the New York Knicks.
The reported benching of Knicks center Eddy Curry also doesn't help matters much.
It is certainly a plethora of madness that will last long after (should it eventually happen) Isiah Thomas' term as President of Basketball Operations/Head Coach expires.
After all, (should the Knicks decide to cut their ties with the aforementioned Thomas and/or Marbury) it would be: a) nothing new; and b) what is another couple of million?
Isola added:
"A buyout is a possibility since Dolan has given lucrative severance packages to Scott Layden, Don Chaney, Lenny Wilkens, Larry Brown, Shandon Anderson, Maurice Taylor and Jerome Williams."
There is a precedent to this line of thinking.
Stay Tuned...
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