http://www.nypost.com/seven/07122008/sports/knicks/pressure_point_119536.htm

PRESSURE POINT
KNICKS EVALUATING MARBURY'S FUTURE
By MARC BERMAN

LAS VEGAS - Stephon Marbury bounded off the Knicks' team bus at Vegas' Valley High last night - a new tattoo inscribed on his left temple. The "3" logo found on his Starbury sneaker and apparel line is now a permanent part of his bald head.

Good thing the permanent tattoo ink wasn't used on his Knick jersey.

Even the ****y Marbury knows he may be giving up his Knick jersey in a couple of months, with team president Donnie Walsh and coach Mike D'Antoni contemplating waiving him before the season opener.

"Right now I've been told I'm going to be playing basketball here," said Marbury, who joined the Knicks' summer-league team for last night's first practice.

However, Marbury, 31, acknowledged nothing's certain.

"I love New York, I want to play in New York," Marbury said. "But I understand the direction they would be going in if that was to happen.

"I'm supposedly old. But there are 29 other teams. I love New York. I want to finish my career here. I feel I have a lot more to give. But I guess I have to prove that because I haven't been on the court much. You guys are saying I can't play anymore. It's kind of fun. It's a challenge."

Marbury, who played just 24 games last season because of season-ending ankle surgery, has trained vigorously since May, running the Hollywood Hills, a mountain called Runyon Canyon.

"When November comes, that's when everyone will see what I've been doing," Marbury said.

If waived, Marbury has told confidants the Celtics are on his radar because of his ties with Kevin Garnett and Boston's need of point-guard depth, though Paul Pierce didn't sound like a fan.

D'Antoni will take the veterans who show up in Vegas out to dinner separately, partly to get a feel for Marbury's value to his mates. The perception is Marbury wasn't a locker-room favorite, players jealous of the attention he receives.

"The biggest thing is getting to know people, and it goes a lot further than basketball," D'Antoni said. "Basketball, we'll figure it out. You got to make the locker room right."

The Knicks this week signed point guard Chris Duhon, but Marbury's issue cuts deeper than replacing him with another body. It's about the new regime's desire to symbolically change the culture.

When asked about Marbury's status, D'Antoni said, "Steph is on the team. [Duhon] is another guard we added who we think can push the ball, is a good defensive player. Just because one goes in, doesn't mean another goes out."

Privately, Marbury desperately wants to stay and has done everything to ingratiate himself with D'Antoni, including showing up first to Vegas, along with David Lee.

"It's a system my game is built for," Marbury said. "To have the opportunity to play in the system is definitely gratifying."

But he is too proud to beg. "It doesn't matter as long as I'm playing basketball," Marbury said. "That's the most important thing. As long as I get the opportunity to get on the dance floor and play, it doesn't matter if I'm playing here or there. It's a business. If they choose to go that way, I'll understand. I won't take it personally."

If the comparisons to Mike Tyson weren't so easy...

I seriously hope he ends up with a team that has 3 taken or retired.

maybe its henna

Posted by Bippity10:

Getting a tattoo on your head is the first sign that you are fading into Bolivian

I'd like to think his interview parade last year was more telling than any sort of ink on his head.

Is there a picture?

sh!t, honestly it doesnt look as ridiculous as i was hoping for. :(

Hey, through and through the book on Steph is this:

He is not the consumate team player - make everyone better type of guy.
He is/was an amazing talent.
He did carry us when Lenny used him as anyone should: Let Marbury dominate the game.
Larry and Isiah misused him, trying to turn him into Eric Snow for reasons nobody will ever understand, and it destroyed him.
You probably can't go far with letting Marbury dominate games - BUT - when you try to take that away from him then you have NOTHING as we've seen.
He is AMAZING with the community he has a HUGE heart and is VERY giving.
Not very gifted in interviews, he's certainly out there to say the least, and should probably shy away from talking, but who are we to tell him what to do.
His time in New York is nearing an end - at the longest he's got about 9 months left in the uniform.


As far as I feel about his tenure here, it's a risk that we needed to take, and it didn't pan out for various reasons - it's hardly entirely HIS fault - and I dunno about you guys but I'm tired of shatting on the guy and listening to others shatting on him.

*LEAVE STARBURY ALONE RIGHT NOW!!!* ... lol.

It is what it is...and we'll all be moving on soon. Yet, he definitely gets far more blame than he ever deserves. He also doesn't deserve to be trashed on a personal level given what he gives back to the community. That gives him a pass on his antics as far as I'm concerned.

Posted by BasketballJones:

Looks more like -3 to me.

1 can only hope.

Posted by BasketballJones:

Looks more like -3 to me.

its supposed to be a star and a 3

Stutter on RGM pointed out that it's pretty sweet because it is HIS logo. Now, I'm no Steph fan, but it is his logo and in a way that's effing sweet.