Posted by djsunyc:
'OUTSIDER' ISIAH RELATES TO STEPH
By MARC BERMAN
October 20, 2006 -- Isiah Thomas is Knicks coach and president, and yesterday he became the team psychologist in diagnosing why Stephon Marbury has come across as gruff and sullen in the past.
In some wild psychoanalysis, Thomas theorized Marbury put up a "hard layer" around him because as a famous superstar growing up on the Brooklyn playground, he was an "outsider." Thomas said he believes Marbury kept up the shield in the NBA, too, after being blamed for all of his teams' failures.
"I really have a soft spot for him because he's been the kid that loves everybody but he's been kicked around," Thomas said. "At the playground, he's the guy who kind of sits by himself. I was always an outsider, too. It's lonely at the top. Most superstars want to be in the group. Who wants to be alone?"
Thomas and Marbury are Westchester neighbors, their relationship airtight. There's hope this symbiosis will turn Marbury into a champion.
Thomas has told Marbury he's already a champion in life and should pay no mind to the "loser" perception because his teams never have gotten out of the first round of the NBA playoffs. Marbury's summer sneaker tour, on which he sold $15 discount kicks marketed toward low-income households, already has done wonders for his image.
"There's a vulnerable sweet side to him," Thomas said. "Because you're the kid in the park that everybody left by himself, you put on that hard layer, that hard, tough guy. But deep down inside, you're a nice guy. What I've tried to explain to him, it's OK to be the nice guy you really are, as opposed to carry the armor.
"The fight's over," Thomas added. "He's won in life already. Don't accept the tag of being a loser because in the real world and real game of life, you've won big time considering where you started from in Coney Island. It's OK to let that shy little kid come out sometimes."
For his part, Marbury is Thomas as coach. One year after his Larry Brown feud, Marbury never before has had such a close relationship with his coach.
"The road he had to go down, he sees the same thing in me," Marbury said of Thomas. "He has a big family. I have a big family. When they got together, everyone hit it off. That's why our relationship is the way how it is.
"Everyone thinks I have it easier because of our relationship. I have it harder than everyone else. Our relationship is not about basketball, he's changing the way (I am) as a person and a man."
Starbury is a champion in life. He is rich and should enjoy his sucess MONETARILY.
Isiah sounds like Starbury is a freaking head case. NOBODY LIKES HIM CUZ HES AN ASSHOLE!
Nix, The past is the past, if he changes, thats cool, but this guy has done nothing to prove otherwise.
Whats it gonna take to change it???
ALOT!
Its lonely at the top! And he ain't there.
He is rich, which is cool, and in life a lot of what we do is measured by money, but from a fans perspective he is a loser who really is trying to change his perceptions.
How you do that? Sell shoes cheap? AIn't like he's giving them away? Ain't like Nike and Adida's offered him a big contract and he turned it down. Sounds like he is in envy of his little cuz getting a shoe deal so he took the Steve and Barry thing. All he gotta do in my book is donate the profits to charity! That would be cool. Otherwise its not philinthrapic, its profit.
NObody loves poor Steph? HE don't care, he's rich! He can tell the world to go PHuch off, and he has over and over. So I phuched off and I ain't rooting for him other than being a knick. I feel the team is better without him and his selfish act.
I don't like him and I don't want to like him.
10/20/2006 10:18 PM