Sat Sep 17, 2005 8:34 pm
Besides his outrageous talent, Stephon was outrageously cocky. He walked through his world like he owned it, demanding whatever he needed and insulting those who he considered weak. In youth league games he would scream at opposing coaches, demanding they put someone on the floor who could guard him. In games at the Garden, where crowds gathered to watch him, he was treated like royalty, even by the drug dealers who held sway over day-to-day life at the Coney Island Houses.
The new collective bargaining agreement limited the amount of contract extensions to players in Stephon’s category to $71 million. Ray Allen took it and so did Allen Iverson. Stephon, meanwhile, said publicly he couldn’t be on the same court with Garnett knowing his teammate was making so much more than him. The comment made him the poster boy for greed and stupidity in the NBA, and nearly caused McHale to walk away from basketball.
“I feel like I’m the best point guard in the league, hands down.”
Sat Sep 17, 2005 8:43 pm
Sat Sep 17, 2005 9:26 pm
Sat Sep 17, 2005 9:28 pm
ceekay wrote:Selfish and cocky are not the same thing, Stephon is an excellent passer and loves to play the pick-and-roll and other games where he sets people up for the score. It's just that last season, whenever New York needed a basket or had the last possession in a quarter he went to the rim or took the shot most of the times.
I honestly think we should not hate basketball players for off-court behaviour, you have those kind of people everywhere, cocky people, rapers, whining people, etc. But since the majority of all people doesn't seem to agree with me on this, I'll just continue to hate Kobe Bryant the best I can.
Sat Sep 17, 2005 9:31 pm
Sat Sep 17, 2005 10:05 pm
Sun Sep 18, 2005 12:13 am
Sun Sep 18, 2005 12:39 am
ceekay wrote:Why would you think he is selfish? Because he's never been in the right situation to REALLY win? (People tend to forget the year that the Suns gave the Spurs a good run in the first round when Amare and Marion weren't the type of impact payers they are now)
Sun Sep 18, 2005 1:02 am
Sun Sep 18, 2005 5:09 am
Sun Sep 18, 2005 6:30 pm
John WB wrote:I've seen him play plenty. Get every Knick game here in NY and I wouldn't call him selfish at all.
The reasons the Knicks sucked last season was the rest of the team pretty much sucked. He had no help. Crawford is way too inconsistent and Tim Thomas only showed up for like 5 of 82 games.
Marbs did whatever he could to try and help the team win.
The one thing I would say about Marbury is that he's definitely not clutch. He and a lot of the Knicks guys faltered a lot when they had the chance to come back in a game, tie the game, win the game, or put the game out of reach.
He doesn't bully players physically. I don't know if he does mentally by trash talking or what, but trash talking is apart of the game and it seems everyone does that anyway. So I think its hypocritical for you to hate him for being all cocky during games, but then again I'm sure some of your favorite players do the same thing. Michael Jordan was a notorious trash talker. Do you hate him?
Marbury plays every game, he doesn't come up with injuries, he does charity work with the Knicks and he's never been in trouble with the law. What is there to hate? Oh yeah, he trash talks and said he's the best point guard in the league once. Oh no! Thing is probably most of the league fits into those qualities.
Mon Sep 19, 2005 1:36 am
VanK wrote:SM3 aka Fetus
Tue Sep 20, 2005 6:00 am
Tue Sep 20, 2005 8:31 am
Tue Sep 20, 2005 8:42 am
Jae wrote:I find it quite funny that he said he was thinking about donating a million dollars. I really fail to grasp the concept of announcing that you're thinking about doing something, as opposed to just doing it.
Tue Sep 20, 2005 10:02 pm
Thu Sep 22, 2005 3:19 pm
Thu Sep 22, 2005 3:24 pm
beauduvall wrote: Sprewell (need i make a comment on him)
Thu Sep 22, 2005 3:56 pm
Thu Sep 22, 2005 9:23 pm
Fri Sep 23, 2005 9:37 am
1998-99: Marbury Trade is Silver Lining
The Nets had the NBA's highest-scoring duo, the league-leader in steals and one of the top rebounders in the game. But, due in large part to injuries and a slow start to the lockout-shortened season, New Jersey finished 16-34 and missed the playoffs.
New Jersey struggled to a 3-17 start under coach John Calipari, but the team rallied to go 13-17 after Don Casey took the reins. The Nets were particularly strong at the end of the season, winning 11 of their last 21 games. Stephon Marbury averaged 36.5 points in the final four games, including a career-high 41 against Milwaukee in the season finale.
The Nets acquired Marbury on March 11 in a three-team, eight-player blockbuster that sent Sam Cassell from New Jersey to Milwaukee. Marbury averaged 23.4 points and 8.7 assists in 31 games with the Nets, and for the season he posted 21.3 points and 8.9 assists per game.
Keith Van Horn (21.8 ppg) and Marbury were fifth and eighth, respectively, in the NBA's scoring race. Marbury was third in assists and Kendall Gill was tops in the NBA with 2.68 steals per game.
Gill was also the only Net to play all 50 games. Injuries hit New Jersey's centers the hardest, as Jayson Williams (20 games), Rony Seikaly (3 and Jim McIlvaine (27) all missed significant time. Williams sustained a season-ending broken leg on April 1. He was the NBA's second-leading rebounder (12.0 rpg) at the time.
Injuries also affected the point guard rotation. Because of a sprained ankle, Cassell only played four games before being traded. Backup Eric Murdock missed 35 games with knee and groin injuries.
1999-2000: Marbury and Gill Reach Milestones
During the 1999-2000 season, Stephon Marbury dished out his 2,000th assist and Kendall Gill scored his 10,000th career point, but the team finished 31-51 and missed the playoffs for a second consecutive year.
To say that the New Jersey Nets season was an emotional roller coaster ride would be a vast understatement. After starting the season at 2-15 - a franchise record low - few thought the team would ever come close to making the playoffs. But they did. And though the team fell short in the end, the Nets were still alive in the playoff race at the beginning of April with three weeks left in the season. Once again, injuries hurt the team down the stretch. After the first week of April, the team was without their leading scorer and assist man, Stephon Marbury (knee), tough rookie Evan Eschmeyer (ankle), and starting shooting guard Kerry Kittles (knee).
The Nets were officially eliminated from playoff contention on April 7 after a 103-85 loss to the Miami Heat. The team lost their final 11 games of the year.
Stephon Marbury led the team in scoring (22.2 ppg) and Kendal Gill led the team in total steals (139), ranking him ninth in the league.
2000-01: Marbury voted an All-Star; No. 1 pick proves worthy
In his NBA head-coaching debut, Byron Scott certainly did not have the type of season he had hoped for. Injuries hampered the team right out of the gate, having to start the season without three of their players (Kerry Kittles, Jamie Feick and Keith Van Horn). From there, the chemistry of the team fluctuated as they tried to make adjustments each time a new player was injured. The team finished with a 26-56 record and missed the playoffs for a third consecutive season.
Individually, rookie Kenyon Martin was outstanding in his NBA debut and point guard Stephon Marbury was voted to the All-Star Team for the first time in his career. Reserves like veteran Johnny Newman and Lucious Harris stepped up in their roles as starters, while sophomore Evan Eschmeyer showed great effort at his starting center position. But the injury quotient (345 games lost to injury) provided distraction and disruption, depriving Coach Scott of a consistent, healthy lineup. The potential success of a team that featured Marbury, Van Horn, Martin and Kittles was never able to materialize.
Marbury’s metamorphosis actually began before the '02-03 season kicked off. Bothered by bone spurs in the preseason, the Suns’ go-to player in the clutch decided to delay ankle surgery until after the season was completed. The surgery would have sidelined him for nearly two months and likely would have doomed the Suns’ chances of having a winning season.
Further proof of Marbury’s new-found leadership was evident when he spoke on behalf of the team to coach Johnson, suggesting that the Suns should rely less on the team’s new “motion” offense in favor of a more structured offense. Phoenix averaged 84.4 points per game over its first 15 games (8-7 record), but totaled 96.8 points over the next 16 games (11-5) as the Suns climbed up the standings, as high as fourth in the Western Conference at one point.
“If you look at the talent, there’s a great story in what Marbury accomplished this year in terms of not just his statistics, but in terms of his perception,” Colangelo observed. “What we’ve witnessed is the maturing of Stephon Marbury in my opinion. That’s a great credit to him.”
Fri Sep 23, 2005 12:08 pm
Fri Sep 23, 2005 1:29 pm
Fri Sep 23, 2005 2:48 pm
Fri Sep 23, 2005 6:13 pm
Matthew wrote:And as for the "best point guard in the nba" comment, its obvious you guys have never been close to playing in a high level of sports. You need to believe deep down that you are the best, even if you arent. if you go out there in any sport and are intimidated by your opposition, its over. You wont have a shot to win. Its that simple.
Matthew wrote:Stephon just showed his emotions, and now you losers are trying to make him look like a lesser man because of it? I guess that makes you bigger hey? Stephon cried... and he cares.