Marbury Basketball Classic Helping Kids Get To Next Level
by Tom Kertes


CONEY ISLAND, New York, June 17, 2006 -- The annual Stephon Marbury Basketball Classic is more than just a hoops tourney held in the Knicks’ star point guard’s old Coney Island neighborhood. “It is a movement,” Marbury said as dozens of little kids were literally hanging off of him on Opening Day. “It is a tournament that is going to last forever because of the legacy we built here as the first family to make it to the NBA.”
SMBC, in its 11th season, is Marbury’s love-letter to The Big Apple, as “I love New York more than sometimes myself, because this is what made me. Isiah Thomas has given me the opportunity to come back home and play professional basketball in the best city in the world.”

“It’s the only city that’s so nice, they named it twice -- New York, New York.”

Marbury sees this tournament as an example of what can be accomplished and had a message to the kids in the neighborhood. ”You don’t want to live here. Don’t want to be in Coney Island all your life,” said Marbury. “And if somebody tells you different, don’t deal with them. So what I’m trying to do is give kids hope and allow them to understand that with hard work and dedication, preparation, and all those different things, they’ll be able to succeed.”

The tournament has also been an avenue for Marbury to create jobs. He talked about creating a low priced line of classy sports apparel. “The sneaker is going to be $14.98, the same exact shoe you can spend $220.00 for,” he said. “You can take a saw, cut it open down the middle and see it’s exactly the same shoe. What we’re trying to do is allow kids to understand that we can still have the fly stuff and we don’t got to pay a whole bunch of money.”

Clearly and increasingly, Marbury sees himself as a community leader. He claimed last season made him into a changed man in more ways than one. “My mind was trapped he said. “Now I’m free. I was tested…I passed the test. I’m moving onto the next grade.”

“I grew as a person, became a better father, a better communicator,” added Marbury. “I can communicate with you guys (in the press) and allow you to understand what I’m saying. I couldn’t do that before because my mind was trapped. Now I can speak the way I want to speak. The kids understand me now. I couldn’t come back and give them what I’m giving them now because I wasn’t free.”

Over 10000 kids have played in the six-division SMBC over the years, including current NBA stars Sebastian Telfair and Chris Taft. This Opening Day opened with a contest between “8 and under” teams “Riverside Hawks” and “Next Level”. ”That’s exactly what I’m talking about, guys,” said a smiling Marbury while gently peeling the layers of kids off of him. “Getting to the next level.”

Posted by EnySpree:

Posted by oohah:

I can always count on you for a late-night post Eny!

I work nights bro,lol.....to my body it's about 12am to a regular person....which means it's bedime!!!!

Can't wait to see what people have to say.

Is it better or easier to run the trains at night?

oohah

Posted by EnySpree:

Marbury Basketball Classic Helping Kids Get To Next Level
by Tom Kertes


CONEY ISLAND, New York, June 17, 2006 -- The annual Stephon Marbury Basketball Classic is more than just a hoops tourney held in the Knicks’ star point guard’s old Coney Island neighborhood. “It is a movement,” Marbury said as dozens of little kids were literally hanging off of him on Opening Day. “It is a tournament that is going to last forever because of the legacy we built here as the first family to make it to the NBA.”
SMBC, in its 11th season, is Marbury’s love-letter to The Big Apple, as “I love New York more than sometimes myself, because this is what made me. Isiah Thomas has given me the opportunity to come back home and play professional basketball in the best city in the world.”

“It’s the only city that’s so nice, they named it twice -- New York, New York.”

Marbury sees this tournament as an example of what can be accomplished and had a message to the kids in the neighborhood. ”You don’t want to live here. Don’t want to be in Coney Island all your life,” said Marbury. “And if somebody tells you different, don’t deal with them. So what I’m trying to do is give kids hope and allow them to understand that with hard work and dedication, preparation, and all those different things, they’ll be able to succeed.”

The tournament has also been an avenue for Marbury to create jobs. He talked about creating a low priced line of classy sports apparel. “The sneaker is going to be $14.98, the same exact shoe you can spend $220.00 for,” he said. “You can take a saw, cut it open down the middle and see it’s exactly the same shoe. What we’re trying to do is allow kids to understand that we can still have the fly stuff and we don’t got to pay a whole bunch of money.”

Clearly and increasingly, Marbury sees himself as a community leader. He claimed last season made him into a changed man in more ways than one. “My mind was trapped he said. “Now I’m free. I was tested…I passed the test. I’m moving onto the next grade.”

“I grew as a person, became a better father, a better communicator,” added Marbury. “I can communicate with you guys (in the press) and allow you to understand what I’m saying. I couldn’t do that before because my mind was trapped. Now I can speak the way I want to speak. The kids understand me now. I couldn’t come back and give them what I’m giving them now because I wasn’t free.”

Over 10000 kids have played in the six-division SMBC over the years, including current NBA stars Sebastian Telfair and Chris Taft. This Opening Day opened with a contest between “8 and under” teams “Riverside Hawks” and “Next Level”. ”That’s exactly what I’m talking about, guys,” said a smiling Marbury while gently peeling the layers of kids off of him. “Getting to the next level.”

http://msgvox2.cv.net/ramgen/msgnetwork.com/06_2006/nyk_marbury_sot_061806.rm

check out the msgnetwork.com clip of him talking about what he calls a movement in the community.

I gotta admire Marbury for trying to do the right thing. I have stressed myself out how so many atheletes and other famous people come out of terrible neighborhoods and never give back. Never put their stamp on the areas they came from. It hurts me to see MTV cribs and shows like that seeing guys bragging about what they have but know they are not in the community giving back. If all the famous people from poor, violent neighborhoods did what Marbs is talking about then there wouldn't be as much violence and just dispair within these communites. These guys have the ability to create jobs for people that need them.

Fcuk Micheal Jordan by the way......before someone diggs me out about that.....ask me how many people I know growing up that have gotten robbed or killed for a damn near $200 pair of Jordans.

The mentality has to change and even though certain people can make it out of bad sitations.....it is their obligation to give back and hopefully that will start a domino effect....."the movement" that Marbs described.

We can't rely on our goverment....Katrina taught us that. This rich atheltes and other superstars need to be more like Marbury and create opportunities for people where they grew up. I know 5 people now that are unemployed. 3 have college degrees. Work is scarce and the bull**** you have to go through to get a corperate job, or just a decent job is sad. I hope more people follow Marbury's lead.

Posted by djsunyc:

b/c marbury may very well be on his way out also.

marbury violated the garden's PR "policy" in similar fashion to lb.

Posted by oohah:

Posted by EnySpree:

Posted by oohah:

I can always count on you for a late-night post Eny!

I work nights bro,lol.....to my body it's about 12am to a regular person....which means it's bedime!!!!

Can't wait to see what people have to say.

Is it better or easier to run the trains at night?

oohah

Service is slower after mid-night...about one train every 20 minutes if all goes well if there is a major delay at that time people could be waiting a long time for train. Less people but at that time is where you get the most roberies, drunks, and whatever else you can expect after dark.

During the day yo get more people, but there is less of a chance of their being any crimes, etc.

The risk of a major terrorist attack is always present though.

now back to your regularly scheduled programing.....

Posted by djsunyc:

b/c marbury may very well be on his way out also.

marbury violated the garden's PR "policy" in similar fashion to lb.

Posted by nyk4ever:

Posted by EnySpree:

Posted by djsunyc:

b/c marbury may very well be on his way out also.

marbury violated the garden's PR "policy" in similar fashion to lb.

of course you didn't contribute to what this thread is about.....just more about LB and PR "policy".

Face it Marbury and Brown are going to be intertwined as long as Marbury is here in NY because the Owner and GM chose Marbury and the rest of the players over Brown.

what does that have to do with the title thread?!?!?!?!?!