Marbury wants role like Iverson, but Brown sees 76er as one of kind
Wallace Matthews


November 26, 2005

At some point during this afternoon's game between the Knicks and the 76ers, Stephon Marbury is likely to gaze wistfully across the court and wish that he had Allen Iverson's freedom.

And at some point during the same game, Larry Brown is sure to gaze wistfully across the court and wish that he had Allen Iverson.

The only thing sadder than wanting something you don't have is having something you don't want.

Although he famously proclaimed himself the NBA's best point guard last year, Marbury generally plays as if he wished he had a different position, one that allows him to create scoring opportunities for his favorite teammate, which is himself.

And although he famously proclaimed the Knicks' head-coaching position his "dream job" this summer, Brown's nightmare is that Marbury came along with it.

For six years, Brown had the Answer. Now, he has the Question, as in, "Can Marbury ever be the player Brown wants him to be?"

Not likely. The personality clashes and philosophical differences between the two men have been no secret since Brown lobbied hard to get Marbury tossed off the U.S. Olympic team Brown coached in 2004, and through the rocky first 11 games of his tenure as Knicks coach, those differences show no sign of abating.

Although for public consumption, Brown supports Marbury, it is clear that the old man's heart is still with that other No. 3, the tattooed, corn-rowed stringbean he left behind in Philadelphia.

"I've never seen anybody like Allen," said Brown, who still talks about Iverson as if he were his first girlfriend. "I coached him for six years. I watched him grow and get better ... I admire him because he plays so hard, he plays hurt, he always tries to win. He's an amazing competitor."

Before Monday night's performance by Marbury, when -- probably spurred by his rivalry with his cousin, Sebastian Telfair -- he played his best game of the year in the Knicks' 103-92 victory over Portland, the kind of things Brown generally has had to say about Marbury are slightly less complimentary.

Last Friday, when Marbury finished a miserable performance against the Nuggets sulking on the bench with a towel over his head, Brown had said, "If it's about one person, I think he should run track."

Clearly, Marbury wants to be Iverson. Just as clearly, Brown knows that is impossible.

For all of his street-tough bravura and cool facade, Marbury's blood runs a lot hotter than Iverson's, especially late in a game. Brown, who can say more with fewer words than any coach in professional sports, conceded as much when he said of Iverson, "He's not afraid to take the big shot. In fact, he wants to take the big shot."

Anyone who has witnessed Marbury and Jamal Crawford playing hot potato with the basketball as the clock winds down in a close game knew exactly what Brown was saying, or not saying, about his own point guard.

But then, the proof is in the numbers. In six seasons with the Sixers, Brown won 255 games, made the playoffs five times and the NBA Finals once. Iverson, who moved from point guard to shooting guard at Brown's behest, was the league MVP in 2001. Now back at point guard, Iverson is not only second in the league in scoring (32.8 ppg) but among the top five in assists (8.2), and averaging an astonishing 43.8 minutes per game.

Behind Iverson, the Sixers lead the Atlantic Division with a 7-6 record. Behind Marbury, the Knicks have managed just three wins all season, and just one at home.

"Allen's playing as good as anybody in the league," Brown said. "I thought he had his best season last year, and he's playing even better this year."

And in spite of their fabled storied relationship, it has been reported that when Iverson recently saw Brown on television talking about how much Iverson meant to him as a player, he broke down and cried.

"You guys all wrote about that stuff," Brown said in response to the run-ins he and Iverson had over trivial matters such as practice. "But you spend six years with anyone, even people you love and care about, and every day's not going to be perfect. There's going to be days that are crazy. I laugh every time I hear stories about my relationship with him. I know what it is. We haven't drifted apart at all. He knows how I feel about him."

Marbury, too, knows how Brown feels about him. Although the coach tried to take the burden off the player somewhat yesterday -- "I think if Stephon was in a situation like Allen, with the people Allen has around him, it could really help him" -- he quickly cut off a questioner who tried to point out the ways in which Iverson and Marbury were alike.

"I don't see any similarities," he said. "Nobody's like Allen."

For six years, Brown had the Answer. Now, he has the Question...

Great line, and great nickname for Steph: The Question

this article is more of the same old tired soap opera.

I'm sick of the bull****. Just play ball!

Wallace Matthews is an incompetent idiot. The Portland game was Sunday afternoon, not Monday night. Bown couldn't stand Iverson, now Matthews makes it sounds like they were gay lovers. Matthews should stick to boxing, he knows nothing about basketball.