Knicks fans...

Marbury definitely does seem to be hanging on this shoe thing quite heavily. Maybe Briggs is right.

Posted by nixluva:

Posted by Allanfan20:

Marbury definitely does seem to be hanging on this shoe thing quite heavily. Maybe Briggs is right.

COME ON! The only thing that's happening is that he's trying to ensure that this NEW project is successful. He has probably done the wheelchair classic many times over and this time he couldn't squeeze it in. He might have thought he could and then realized it wasn't possible to do. I think the evidence is overwhelming that he's a considerate guy when it comes to charity, but the media never misses an opportunity to spin things in a negative light when it comes to Steph. OH yeah let's just forget about all the years of great things he's done and harp on him missing one event.

The wheelchair thing, hey its no big deal, but for a guy trying build an image not showing up for a big event when your fans are paying to see you, and in your home town, in your home building is a bit a slap in the face to many.

This is about people that can't afford wheelchairs! Haircuts and cheap kicks just don't rank.

People only care about winning. We don't hear about 95% of the charity work people do. Marbs should concern himself within winning basketball games if image fixing is what he wants. Marbs could stab these people in their wheelchairs and NY would still love him if he made the second round of the playoffs.

Hopefully for the first time in his life he brings that attitude onto the court. Anyone that argues that this is a bad thing is an idiot. Anyone that talks about it like it will somehow make him a better basketball player is equally an idiot. Steph will make himself a better ball player, noone else.

New York Knicks star point guard Stephon Marbury, the brash b-baller from Brooklyn, takes his nationwide van tour to Peabody High School and Century III Mall today to promote the "Starbury1," a $14.98 sneaker available at Steve & Barry's. Designed by Rocket Fish, creators of Nike, Prince and Fila footwear worn by the world's best athletes, Marbury's shoes sold out the first nationwide shipment.

Once a little kid growing up in a big family in the Coney Island projects, Marbury believes his low-priced, high-performance shoe has triggered a "sneaker revolution."

Question: So, Stephon, you say you're going to wear a shoe that costs less than a pizza when you play against the best in the NBA. Have you been working out with the Starbury1? How does it feel?

Answer: It feels great. In fact, it's the best sneakers I've ever played with. I've been working out with them all summer, and the shoes are the best ever.

Q: The first shipment sold out, and now you're touring the country talking to many of the kids who bought it. What kind of feedback are they giving you?

A: All positive. Everybody has great reviews for the shoe. They're very positive about everything we're doing here.

Q: Why such a cheap shoe? You could make more marketing a higher-priced model, right?

A: Sure, I could. But for me, coming from where I came from, the Coney Island projects, in Brooklyn, I've seen a lot of poor kids. I was one of those kids. I haven't forgotten that. So when I was thinking about a new kind of shoe that eveyrone could afford, I thought we should start by thinking in a humane way. The first thing is that the shoe has to work in a real basketball game. And it has to be a lot less expensive than other shoes. I wanted a different kind of line that's going to be going for a long time and that's good for families trying to get by.

Q: It sounds so altruistic, but you also have earned a reputation since you came into the league with Minnesota of being a malcontent. Why the disconnect between some critics and the Stephon others of us know?

A: A lot of people just don't know me. Here we are, trying to do this great thing. We're sharing our story about a shoe, and I'm trying to talk to kids about making better decisions in life, but still there's a lot of guys who'll never like me. It's image first. They only judge me because they have this image in their minds. But they don't know about the environment I came out of. They've never been to my home. They haven't seen me around my kids. They don't know me because if they did, they'd see that I'm a positive person who would never think badly of anybody.

Q: Looking back at your career, are there things you would have done differently?

A: I wish I'd done nothing differently. I wouldn't change a thing because it got me to where I am today. Think of all the good work I can do with nonprofits now. I'm living a better life, and I'm giving back. I've been doing that for years.

Q: Who's the best guard in the world? Who do you hate guarding?

A: I'm the best point guard in the NBA. Look up the records. You'll see. Now, a lot of guys get on me because I haven't won a championship. But that's the thing about the NBA. Every season, every team but one won't win a championship. On the last day of the season, all of them are right there with me. Losers. So you can either be positive about that, and say, 'I really played hard, and I did the best job that I could do.' Or you can let it get to you.

Q: Who's the best guard in the world? Who do you hate guarding?

A: I'm the best point guard in the NBA.

I'm surprised he hasn't learned his lesson on that issue. I have no problem at all with him believing that he's the best but he should know by now he's just openning himself up to endless criticism by repeating that line.

Sell em at cost, or even better at a loss to you, if you want to pretend that you're doing this great charitable thing by selling cheap sneakers.

How do you know he's not doing that?

Posted by islesfan:

Posted by wsdm:

Sell em at cost, or even better at a loss to you, if you want to pretend that you're doing this great charitable thing by selling cheap sneakers.

How do you know he's not doing that?

"Asked how he can sell his items at such an unheard of price, Marbury simply states that it cost less than $14.98 to make them."

That's how.

No, that's how you know the company is making money off them. That does not tell you whether Marbury is making money or not.

Posted by islesfan:

Posted by wsdm:

Posted by islesfan:

Posted by wsdm:

Sell em at cost, or even better at a loss to you, if you want to pretend that you're doing this great charitable thing by selling cheap sneakers.

How do you know he's not doing that?

"Asked how he can sell his items at such an unheard of price, Marbury simply states that it cost less than $14.98 to make them."

That's how.

No, that's how you know the company is making money off them. That does not tell you whether Marbury is making money or not.

So he knows the people he's in business with are making money but he just keeps on doing it for free?!?

Come on, that doesn't even pass the laugh test.

Yes it does. Hahahahaha. People will make up anything to defend their heroes.

A better question is in what poor country are Marbury's sneakers being made? They're probably costing 25 cents a shoe to make.

Posted by Solace:

Posted by islesfan:

Posted by wsdm:

Posted by islesfan:

Posted by wsdm:

Sell em at cost, or even better at a loss to you, if you want to pretend that you're doing this great charitable thing by selling cheap sneakers.

How do you know he's not doing that?

"Asked how he can sell his items at such an unheard of price, Marbury simply states that it cost less than $14.98 to make them."

That's how.

No, that's how you know the company is making money off them. That does not tell you whether Marbury is making money or not.

So he knows the people he's in business with are making money but he just keeps on doing it for free?!?

Come on, that doesn't even pass the laugh test.

Yes it does. Hahahahaha. People will make up anything to defend their heroes.

A better question is in what poor country are Marbury's sneakers being made? They're probably costing 25 cents a shoe to make.

The fact that there's this much criticism about his charitable efforts suggests the critics are being more extreme than the supporters IMO. Maybe it's just better to agree to disagree on whether Marbury is a charitable guy.


[Edited by - wsdm on 09-13-2006 07:29 AM]