http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/55697/20081127/q_rich_on_marbury_he_isnt_my_teammate/

Stephon Marbury's refusal to play for Mike D'Antoni and the New York Knicks after the way he has been treated this season has been met with hostility by his 'teammates', the New York Post is reporting.

Quentin Richardson has been playing through injury because New York is down to the bare minimum of players, and he is furious with Marbury's actions.

"The way the situation is, I don't consider him my teammate," Richardson said. "He hasn't played with us all year. He doesn't want to play with us. This is the second time. I don't look at him as a teammate. Teammates don't do that, regardless what's going on with the coach. You don't do that to teammates. We were basically left out there."

This is pretty clear cut. But of course, everyone is out to get Marbury, so this is clearly the fault of some mastermind or Keith Van Horn, and Marbury is faultless.

[Edited by - Solace on Nov 27 2008 07:49 AM]

Marb is a selfish pompous A##hole who cares only about himself. However, Walsh takes the blame for not exiling Marb from the team (Penny Hardaway style). There is no reason for him to be traveling with the team or sitting on the bench. Send him to Pennyville until a buyout is worked out.

Dude, isnt Marbs violating his contract by not playing. If you refuse to work at any job, cant they cancel your contract or dock him some pay? How is he getting away with this?

Posted by thejerk:

Dude, isnt Marbs violating his contract by not playing. If you refuse to work at any job, cant they cancel your contract or dock him some pay? How is he getting away with this?

Nobody has told him, "you're playing." What D'Antoni has said is, "Would you like to play?" Big difference, especially legally.

Posted by SupremeCommander:

Posted by thejerk:

Dude, isnt Marbs violating his contract by not playing. If you refuse to work at any job, cant they cancel your contract or dock him some pay? How is he getting away with this?

Nobody has told him, "you're playing." What D'Antoni has said is, "Would you like to play?" Big difference, especially legally.

He has a contract to play for the Knicks....as the coach, d'antoni doesnt have to play him. Same way D'antoni hasnt played Jerome James. Just because he's Stephon Marbury or he's making 20 mil shouldn't make a difference. I would banish him from the team and simply ignore him....no buy out till the trading deadline....as of now he's an asset. Until he's nont an asset? no buy out!

Send him home. Order him not to talk to the media and not to go anywhere near the team. Keep him out of the limelight and when he does talk to the media accuse him of violating the teams media policy, fine him, terminate his contract and approach Stern about getting out of payment because Marbury violated his contract. It may not work but getting him away from the team and the media would be a nice way to start.

Is this the same Qrich (along with Crawford) that, supposedly, told MDA that they didn't want Marbury to play?

I'm glad someone finally had the balls to say this...to me, now its official. But Q.Rich shouldn't have been the one to say it. He stopped being a teammate a long time ago

Marbury should just pack his bags for Italy, where he might find a team who'll give him the keys to the truck.

What he (and oohah) don't understand is that he will never, and should never, be given a "clean slate" in the NBA. There is no reason to ever presume that he will put the team first - he will always be tested. Being a teammate, let alone leader, is a constant test, of which Marbury has constantly failed.

Does he actually think if he's cut and picked up that his new team will grant him the benefit of the doubt? Does he think he can land somewhere else and announce an unwillingness to come off the bench and expect to be part of the future? Does he expect to have the kind of fans there, like he does here, who will blame the coach every time Marbury is held accountable for putting himself above the team?

Pack your bags Steph, get some language audio books and listen to them under the towel, and have a great trip.

Ciao and bon voyage.

Posted by fishmike:

Posted by TheGame:

The whole situation has been handled about as bad as you can by both sides. That being said, Marbury is under contract to play and whether he likes MDA or not, he has got to play. He does not realize how many millions he is losing by acting like a spoiled child. If he would have suited up and kept his mouth shut, he probably could have gotten a 3-4 year contract from another NBA team next year for solid money. Now I doubt there will be more than 2-3 teams willing to take him and they are all going to want 1-2 year deals at the most.

I dont know.. I think its been handled just fine by the Knicks. What do the owe Steph? This is the problem.. Marbury thinks he is entitled to x,y and z and he just isnt.

He should be suspended without pay. Like his whole career all he sees is himself, and thats all he cares about. Knicks are better without him and his best PG in the league caliber talent and they are proving that.

If Marbury is being mistreated its a result of his own stubborness. Any other player would have taken the buy out and been playing somewhere else for weeks now. But Steph has to carry on like this an piss everyone off.

Why should he be suspended? Have you not been reading or seeing what MDA has been saying about Marbury this season?


Would you take a paycut? better yet, would you take a paycut with stipulations attached? Don't know if its true, but I read a while ago that not only did the Knicks offer Marbury less money on a buy out but they wanted him to agree that he will not sign with a Eastern conf team.

Posted by fishmike:

He should be suspened for refusing to play. At the very worst he should lose that game check.

And seeing a buyout as a paycut is shortsighted to say the least, and yes I would take it. If I could switch jobs today for less money and better career path I would.

Marbury is showing every team in the NBa what kind of player and person he is. What do you think is hurting Marbury's finances more? He could have put himself in a great situation and be playing right now and showing the league he's still a good player. Instead he's showing the league that anyone that gives this guy a contract is a fool.

Maybe he is washed up and simply has nothing in the tank. Then sure.. hold out for the money. But if the KNicks need him he's got to play.

+1

Hahhaahah this is absolutely hilarious. The Knicks are the ones that disrespected him in front of the whole league. They are the ones who told him not to play. And on top of that they wont even respect the agreement they signed to pay him. The Knicks wouldnt even listen to the players union when they asked them to release Marbury and pay him everything he is owed because he had done nothing wrong.

The guy came in in the best shape of his life and ready to play this season. Right before the start of the season he was prepared to give it his all, said all the right things, and admitted his wrong. D'Antoni put him on th injured list! He wouldnt even play him in spot duty when it was obvious in some games that we needed him!! Now... now, when they actually see that they need him, now they beg him to play. Marbury now says to them, "No thanks". He doesnt want to play for a coach that would do that to him.

Now hey look, even I think the guy is bad for our team but I actually understand him in this situation.

Anyway, like SupremeCommander said there is a big difference between telling the guy "You're playing" and "Would you like to play?". The Knicks asked the latter.