….for the New York Post’s Marc Berman. Which other NBA quote machine is likely to make Berman his personal diarist? On Friday, Marbury slammed Mike D’Antoni, sneered at the Knicks’ chances of signing LeBron James in 2010, and compared his upcoming year out of basketball to a Michael Jordan-esque sabbatical. Upon seeing Marbury’s comments greeted with something less than reverence, Berman took to his Post blog to defend his good buddy.
(above : Stephon, engaged in iChat with Berman, suggesting a third column to further explain the former’s point of view on Sunday)
It is fascinating that Marbury is not allowed to bash the team but everyone else in the continental U.S. can.
Marbury realizes the Knicks are a rebuilding team and doesn’t see LeBron James joining a rebuilding situation, especially once that doesn’t reek of promise (see: Danilo Gallinari).
Marbury feels the real reason they went this route “ cutting their payroll monstrously “ was to save James Dolan money on salary and luxury tax. If they are going to be mediocre, let them be mediocre more cheaply. And his point is, why should fans pay full price for this season’s product.
His remarks about his own career, you can laugh at if you want. Push comes to shove, I think he regrets turning down Boston’s early-July offer of $1.3M to return. When Boston got Rasheed Wallace, they were less interested.
Marbury, without an agent, didn’t see the horrendous economic climate. But then again, neither did veteran agent, Mark Bartelstein, representing David Lee.