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martin
Posts: 81040
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USA
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Knicks point guard Stephon Marbury contacted The Post late this afternoon and in two text messages said he got permission from Isiah Thomas to leave the team in Phoenix this morning.
Marbury had bolted in a huff, flying for home amid an apparent feud with Thomas over his starting role, leaving his future as a Knick in serious doubt.
Marbury landed in New York about 4 p.m. and said in the message to The Post, "I have one thing to say, and that's I got permission to leave. I would never leave my team on my own. What I’m telling you is that I got permission to leave from Isiah. He said I could go home. God bless. Peace be with you."
Marbury added he was not expecting to join the team in Los Angeles tomorrow night.
"No, I'm not coming to LA as of now," he said.
After Marbury missed the morning shootaround, Thomas was vague about the mysterious disappearance, the coach claiming he wasn't sure if Marbury skipped town, but a source confirmed he had.
"This is an in-house matter," Thomas said. "He's not here at shootaround. We hope he's at the game. If not, make no mistake about it, we do want him as a member of this basketball team. He is welcome back, and we want him as a member of this team."
Marbury's abrupt departure could lead to the end of his Knicks career. He told The Post over the summer he planned to play in Italy in two years when his contract expires. He has two years and $42 million left on his pact, and the Knicks may feel it's now time for a buyout.
If Marbury is correct that he had permission to return to New York, it is unlikely Thomas would suspend him for fine him.
Thomas and Marbury spoke Monday about his role on the team and Thomas was set to reduce Marbury's minutes, and potentially bring him off the bench tonight, because of his lax defense.
"We need leadership in the organization and he's capable of doing that, and we want him back," Thomas said.
Marbury, who is off to a poor start on both ends of the court, is coming off a wild summer. He appeared to defend Michael Vick and dogfighting, and was a key witness in the Anucha Browne Sanders sexual harassment trial, when he admitted to having had sex in a truck with a Knicks intern.
Thomas said this morning he and Marbury also went through a spat last November after which they "kissed and made up."
Marbury has told confidants he feels he's best playing 40 minutes a night and would struggle in a non-starting role because he's never done it before. The 30-year-old Brooklyn native has averaged 19.8 points per game in a 14-year career, the past five seasons with the Knicks.
He's averaging 15.2 points, which would be a career low, for the Knicks this season in their 2-3 start.
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11/13/2007 5:12 PM
