NY POST: Marbury denies ESPN report
Here is a story in today's NY Post quoting Knicks guard Stephon Marbury:
By Marc Berman
When Boston visits the Garden tomorrow, Stephon Marbury won't be wearing Celtics green.
The banished Marbury said he would be "honored" to play for the Celtics, admitted they are on his short list, but denied an ESPN.com report he has made a decision to join Boston if he gets released by the Knicks.
Marbury said Boston has not made an offer. A source close to the situation said the Celtics wouldn't be Marbury's No. 1 choice either because of the limited role, backing up emerging point guard Rajon Rondo.
Another source said Celtics president Danny Ainge has interest in Marbury, as has been reported here since the summer, but Ainge wonders if a buyout will ever be worked out. Marbury prefers to join a playoff-caliber team in a starting role, though the Celtics could be the pick if his only options require coming off the bench.
Marbury threw bouquets the Celtics' way yesterday.
"If the world champions have interest, how can I not?" Marbury told The Post in a phone interview from Minneapolis, where he visited his cousin, Sebastian Telfair. "I would be honored to put on the white and green. The team that I am on has said they don't want me. I want to move on with my career. And they should want to move on."
Nevertheless, Marbury said it's "nonsense" to discuss teams he might sign with, considering he is not close to being out of his deal.
Marbury expressed displeasure the Knicks continue to drag this out. Knicks president Donnie Walsh had said he would resolve the Marbury issue after Jan. 1. Marbury thought he would hear something yesterday, but last night Walsh said he plans to restart buyout talks next week when the Players Association officials return from vacation.
On the Boston report, Walsh said, "If there is an offer out there, maybe there's motivation (for Marbury) to do something."
Marbury said he is disappointed because he feels the Knicks have held him hostage because they don't want him to play in the East with either Boston or Miami. A source said Walsh and owner James Dolan did not want to buy out Marbury before training camp because they feared he would sign with either of those rivals.
"It shouldn't matter what team I play for because they said they had the team that would put them in the playoffs," Marbury said. "They don't want me anyway and (supposedly) I'm a cancer. It doesn't matter if I go to Boston, Orlando, Miami or the Lakers."
Walsh denied he doesn't want Marbury to sign with Boston, but admitted the Knicks prefer he doesn't go to a team they are competing with for the eighth seed. "Boston? No, I really don't mind Boston," Walsh said.
Asked about Miami, Walsh said, "That would be different."
The Knicks gave union attorney Hal Biagas permission to talk to teams on Marbury's behalf and Marbury gave him a list. Biagas has reached out to the Celtics, among others.
Marbury still defends his decision to decline coach Mike D'Antoni's offer Thanksgiving Eve to become the team's starting shooting guard. Marbury said he felt D'Antoni asked him to play only out of desperation following the trades. He didn't want to commit to a coach who does not believe in him. The Knicks still lack a backup point guard to Chris Duhon.
"We talk about this being a marathon, not a sprint," Marbury said. "You can't substitute the runner after the race started."
Here is more Marbury from the Star-Tribune in Minneapolis:
On reports he could reach a settlement soon on what remains of a contract that pays him $21.9 million this season and if he'd like to see himself reunited with Kevin Garnett in Boston: "Definitely. When I left here, it wasn't about basketball. When I was younger, I had a different disposition as far as how I wanted to live life. Reuniting with Kevin is something that I would love. Going to Boston would be great for basketball and for fans to see Kevin and I reunited, like when we were younger.
"There is some hope, if I can get out of my contract and they're interested in me. How can you deny the chance?"
• On whether he wonders what would have been if he hadn't left Minnesota and Garnett: "Yeah, I have. I'm not going to sit here and say I have never thought about that. I watched the guys play in the [2004] Western Conference finals and I was like, 'Man, I wish I was there playing with those guys.' I'm not going to say that never happens, because it does."
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athletes are already spoiled with these guaranteed contracts. why pick up a player that is on a contract and refuses to play? by chosing not to play or sit out on the last year of your contract because you want to restructure the contract or want an extention, this tells you the character of the person. there is no honor in the athletes heart, only greed in their eyes
Boston fans will lose there minds if this cancer comes to Boston. Marbury is a pefect example on everything that is not TEAM! It is now, has always been and will always be about him. NO Thanks!
Hear it from Marbury himself here:
jameyburke.blogspot.com
Boston, you don't need this. If Ainge pulls the trigger on a deal like this, he needs to be evaluated mentally.
Let's face it, Starbury would make a great second unit guard. And the Lakers would be a better fit for him. We just lost Jordan Farmar to knee surgury and we will have plenty of minutes available.
Besides, Boston is done!!!!!! He would be a damn fool to board that sinking ship!!!!
The Lakers could give him that championship ring he so clearly yearns for.
hog
I cannot stand Starbury, but please note that he tried for a long time to earn a spot by behaving and pworking hard in practice, etc. In an attempt to get him to agree to a buy out the coach/GM told him he'll never play for the team this year.
Yes, later when short-handed due to the trade they made a request, but by then who would trust them.
This is one of those situations where you cannot use the "player is on a contract and refuses to play" card...
i think if he came here he would be the man,but would have to share mins with rondo and for how long he put up with that
canibus nitwit, you must have short term memory loss. Think back to the Spring and you might recall it was the Lakers who were "done", and it was the Celtics who did it to them. Again. As usual. And will again.
Kobe the rapist vs Kevin the intense. Tough choice on who to root for there, eh? Yeah, I can see why you'd be a Lakers fan instead of a Celtics fan. You LA clowns are so pathetic, and yes, I would dearly love to see Marbury 'getting along' with Kobe. Hollyweird at its finest.
You clueless dope.
Marbury needs to go away - let him rain doom and gloom somewhere else.
Canibus hog, you're the biggest moron ever!!!!!
"Besides, Boston is done!!!!!! He would be a damn fool to board that sinking ship!!!!"
Are you serious???? They are 29-5!!!! A sinking ship? You should never be allowed to watch another NBA game ever for an idiotic comment like that!!!! You are clearly not smart enough to be a fan!
This doesnt make any sense for Boston. Just the drama he brings would be a distraction. The fact that he is a despicable quitter, and never been sucessful anywhere he has played is also an issue.
He is so greedy that he wont take 3million off the 21million contract and move on? Why should the Knicks pay him all the money and let him go to one of their rivals and showcase himself for another contract? If he doesnt come off any of the money, let him sit for the season. The Daily News says the Knicks offered him 17 million buyout. Why isnt this done?
i think this would work fine. boston needs another scorer from the bench.. or else lakers gonna kick boston's ass..
i think offering steph a minimum contract is OK. if it will not work they can easily release the guy.. ayt?
WE CANNOT HAVE A BUNCH OF CHOIR BOYS AROUND HERE!!!... We need stability at the point. Right now, RONDO CAN'T SHOOT TO SAVE HIS LIFE. I think he says a prayer everytime he shoots. Everything else is fine, driving, defense, although he's passing ability some times is questionable. BUT SERIOUSLY FOLKS, I DONT MIND STARBURY. He will be fine here in boston. He'll be like Manny in LA. He'll behave and do what he has to do because he wants to shed that "CANCER" label the knicks have given him. If you guys can stop for a minute and really look at the guy. I dont think the guy is like a scum bag of the earth. I think he'll be just fine in here, atleast for one year, lets see after that. lol
Maybe Boston is the place! Manny won big here for years in spite his Weird ways, Randy Moss was terrible with the Raiders. They played all excellent teams in one of the years with the Raiders. They lost most or all of those games, but they played great and were showing they were very much on their way back. he had been voted Captain and all that. He was the FIRST player to quit. Now look at him though he drops too many passes, and then look at Lamar Jordan. he stunk with the Raiders, and has been a stud when healthy. KG has no problem with him, and no one want to win more than KG. SO who knows!
q
I really don't know Stephon Marbury and neither do any of you. The media has the ability to instill fact and fiction in our deciding process to choose what would be a correct move for Marbury and the Celtics. The team (Celtics) will have to weigh the options. Let's face it, Sam Cassell has not played this year and House is not a point guard, I feel that House would be more effective in his true position as a 2 guard behind Ray Allen. This is only one area of concern for the Celtics. The main concern is in the front court of the bench. Also, I do think Gab Pruit will be an assett to the Celts but, not this year. The absence of Posey and PJ has put a void in thebench's front court.
the canibus hog sounds like a bitter delusional faker's fan...THE BOSTON CELTICS ARE AND WILL BE AGAIN THIS YEAR ""THE CHAMPIONS OF THE WORLD" ... You, the Zen master and all Laker fans can friggin STICK-IT !!!!!!!
last I checked the guy has about an 8ast a game career average. I'll take that off the bench with House spotting up and Powe in the block. KG/Perk will body slam him if he gets out of line and if that doesnt work they will drop him like a bad habit. I say win/win no matter how you spin it.
I'm 100% behind a Marbury signing with Marbury coming off the bench as the 2nd point man. I watched Knicks games during the preseason and he was playing great....and he was playing behind Duhon as the Knicks' 2nd team point guard. There's no big mystery about why the Knicks told him he would not start the season with the team and that the Knicks "were going in a different direction". The reason they did so was solely to f uck with him so that he would agree to a low dollar buyout to gain his freedom. Good for him that the Knicks weren't able to coerce him to do what they wanted him to do.
If, at this point, you don't believe that Danny Ainge knows what he's doing, then you'll never believe. He makes calculated moves and if Marbury is in his sights, then you can be sure this will be well thought out.
No,No,No! Come on Danny at what price are you willing to defend your title? I will never support a player who quit on their team or has been such a "cancer" everywhere he goes. The last thing we want around here is a NY Knicks team of the eighties. Bad boy's, bad boy's, whatcha gonna do... No thank you! Remember the team you played on in the eighties always went out and got great role player that knew their roles and did it well. Keep looking!
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