Is it really so important to maintain some level of animus towards the Knicks recent history, or Knicks players at all times... or the ridiculous speculation about who gets Marbury's minutes, today?

Who can know anything about healing if you don't comprehend, in the context of raw emotions, what just happened?

Forget about polls about the long-term effects. Not today.

Take a day and reflect on your own Dad and what he meant to your interest in sports and then consider how far it REALLY is from Coney Island projects to Madison Square Garden.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/04/sports/basketball/04knicks.html?_r=1&ref=sports&oref=slogin

A Frustrating Season Turns Sorrowful for Marbury

...Donald Marbury was renowned as a fierce advocate for all of his sons, and a fixture in the Coney Island basketball community.

Donald Marbury sent his two youngest sons, Stephon and Zack, to Garfinkel’s camps. “They were a very, very close-knit family.”

The final hours of Donald Marbury’s life were surely filled with mixed emotions as he watched Stephon play from a seat in the Garden’s lower bowl. For the fifth straight home game, fans booed Stephon during pregame introductions, and each time he made a mistake. The Knicks fell behind by 14 points with Marbury on the court and rallied while he was on the bench, prompting fans to boo again when he returned to the game.

Indications are that Donald Marbury left the Garden around halftime. If so, he was in the stands long enough to enjoy a delightful turnaround in the fans’ mood. They roared when Stephon hit a 3-pointer that tied the score at 50-50. They cheered again when he completed a 3-point play to cut the Suns’ lead to 59-57 just before the intermission.

The news of Donald Marbury’s death reached Knicks officials just after the game ended. Gaylord Worrell, a family friend and assistant to Stephon Marbury, delivered the news to Marbury and Thomas.

The team initially withheld the information from reporters because not all family members had been told the news yet. However, word leaked out over the next hour, and the team confirmed the news late Sunday night.

For weeks, Marbury has dealt with anger and resentment from his coach, his teammates and his fans. Now the reigning emotion is empathy.

[Edited by - misterearl on 12-04-2007 08:07 AM]

I believe after all of his recent troubles , Stephon Marbury will go thru a serious spiritual awakening .

Not that closer to the light video stuff. I believe someone asked steph how was he gonna get over all of this and, as he left the area, shouted to someone, “Jesus, that’s how.”

Posted by misterearl:

Crossroads

playa - ...or Marbury could decide his emotional tank is on empty and he could walk away from the game for longer than we may imagine.

how does he find peace with people booing his every move?

He will have a lifetime opportunity to turn things around because nobody will boo him for a long time.
And he will have special attention from the teammates and coach (may be...).
So it is all in his hands. His farther will like him to become what he always wanted him to be - the NY legend.
Can he? We'll see...

arkrud - what type of "special attention" are you suggesting Marbury receives from his teammates becaues of his Dad?

Posted by misterearl:

arkrud - are you suggesting that players will defer and cater to Marbury more to soothe his feelings more than trying to win basketball games?

c'mon...

I think if they will do this I will not be surprised.
There are things much more important for the team that win one or two games.
Not talking about the fact that there are much more important things that bbal itself.
I think you are very low on our players if you think they cannot do this. They are better people as you think. They may be not as good as players but I think a lot of them are decent individuals.






[Edited by - arkrud on 12-04-2007 1:43 PM]

The team, as always, is in a tough situation with regard to Marbury. Do they try to win one for him and appear to not need his floor presence in the process? Do they lie and tell the sportswriters they miss him and they can't wait for his return? And what of the fans - when he does return should they turn their boos into falsely muted groans when he and the team play poorly? Wont it feel contrived to everyone involved?

Marbury's time in NY is past due, and no one can make it all better for him. Over the years we've tried loving him, hating him, and feeling sorry for him, but none of it improves the fit. I think the best thing would be for him to take an extended leave while the brass tries to find a permanent solution - be it a trade, buyout or retirement deal. I think it's what's best for the Knicks family and the Marbury family.