http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/knicks/story/238759p-204870c.html

Tim to Kenyon:
Get in the ring!

Hatred for Martin ages like fine whine

BY FRANK ISOLA
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Apparently, there is nothing "fugazy" about Tim Thomas' hatred of Kenyon Martin.

Thomas still wants a piece of Martin, whom he called a fugazy - or fake - tough guy during the Knicks' first-round playoff series last year against the Nets. Nearly six months after the two volatile forwards exchanged insults, Thomas yesterday renewed his "any time, any place" challenge to Martin.

"I already told him, if he wants to see me, let's do it in a ring so everybody can see it," Thomas said. "Enough talk, enough talk. I put that out there clearly. I'm not looking forward to fighting Kenyon on the court, where you throw one punch and the rest of your teammates are around. I'm not looking forward to that.

"I'm looking forward to somebody promoting it in a square ring with some gloves on so everybody can see what happens."

When asked if he was being serious about squaring off against Martin, Thomas replied: "Why wouldn't I be? I said it last year. I ain't got no reason to hold my tongue about that."

Martin has moved on in one sense, going to the Nuggets in July. Thomas spent the first part of his offseason recovering from the injuries he sustained in Game1 against the Nets, when he was knocked out of the series courtesy of a Jason Collins flagrant foul. Thomas suffered a sore back and sore left hip.

At the time, Thomas felt that Collins' actions were premeditated. He also criticized his teammates for not retaliating and then went after Martin, the All-Star power forward who dominated the Knicks' front line in the series.

Thomas and Martin crossed paths several times over the summer, including at a charity function in Martin's hometown of Dallas.

"I saw him in Dallas three straight days and absolutely nothing happened," Thomas said during the Knicks' annual media day. "I talked to him. It wasn't very nice. It wasn't pleasant."

Thomas claims that Martin never offered a response, saying, "He'd better not say nothing. What he said was for the papers."

Thomas' bravado notwithstanding, his run-in with Collins did speak to a larger issue about the Knicks' overall toughness. While Thomas was writhing in pain on the Meadowlands floor in Game1, not a single teammate responded with either verbal or physical threats. The passive response was telling, especially when you consider that in the '90s the Knicks ruled by intimidation.

If Patrick Ewing were knocked senseless, Charles Oakley or Anthony Mason would see to it that there would be retribution. But the Knicks have lost a lot of their toughness in recent years by trading Latrell Sprewell and Charlie Ward. Both Kurt Thomas and Shandon Anderson play a physical brand of basketball, but Kurt Thomas is a prime candidate to be traded while Anderson could have his contract bought out.

"You have to look at sports like you're going to war," Tim Thomas said. "That's always the case in football. Guys stand up for one another."

The Knicks were a relatively new team last season with all the changes Isiah Thomas made to the roster and coaching staff after being named general manager in December. Tim Thomas would like to believe that after taking having taken their lumps - quite literally - in last year's playoffs, the Knicks will be a tougher and more cohesive unit this season.

"I would hope so," he said. "I think from day one we will trust one another as a unit. That's why I'm so excited we're getting a full opportunity, a full camp to get to learn one another, to get to jell with one another, on and off the court. I think that's going to be very, very important."

Originally published on October 5, 2004

I'll pay to watch that, lol. Think it'll happen?

Posted by Rich:

If Patrick Ewing were knocked senseless, Charles Oakley or Anthony Mason would see to it that there would be retribution.

Yea they would. I only hope Zeke finds and puts people like that together. Hopefully Junkyard is gonna get in peoples faces.

lol

sweets is too mild mannered

This is sad. I wonder if this entire team will be Fugazy. Zeke has put together a bunch of guys who are supremely talented but also incredibly high maintainance. I wonder if this will work. It doesn't seem like a group of guys who will be able to focus on winning it all.

"You have to look at sports like you're going to war,"

What a joke this guy is. I'm sorry, but someone who calls out a superior player and his OWN TEAMMATES in the papers as TT did during the playoffs, while not getting off the bench and making an effort to come back while his team was getting swept, is not a guy I consider to be a big building block going forward. Remind me why we traded for this guy? Oh yeah, to get Nazr, who's about to lose his starting job to Vin Baker.

Not to mention throwing a dumb war reference around while our troops are out fighting a real war. Pathetic

This is very disappointing. Tim Thomas is pathetic. One thing to flap his mouth right after getting knocked out of the playoffs, when he was justifiably angry and emotional. Quite another thing to keep at it 4 or 5 months later. At best, this is an unecessary distraction. At worst, it will lead to him and Kenyon going at it (and, I'd bet, on the court, not in the ring) ... TT selfishly putting his own revenge over the team's success. Guy is not showing himself to be a winner.

I want to see how Isiah, Lenny and Marbs respond to this latest childish outburst. Their response will be telling as to whether TT is going to stay on this team, and whether we have the right leadership to yank talented idiots back into line when they start to stray.

What would MJ or Phil Jackson have done had Rodman come out with some similar statement during the Bulls' heyday? Don't think they would have held their tongues.

I do agree with you (Toodamark). I hope that TT continues to grow, and most of all find himself something to continue to motivate him. I don't mind the talk through the media, but he also has to do the same thing on the court. I want to see a very vocal TT on the court, one that provokes the best player on the oposing team to play his worst basketball. Jordan believe it or not was notorious at doing that. TT will be an all-star this season. I want to see him go head to head with: Artest, Jefferson, Lebron, Vince, Pierce, and the other SF/PFs in the East. I do believe that TT has an advantage on all of them, he just has to bring the desire or fire necessary to be better than these names that I have just named.

we start the season off with shanden andersen and isiah's conflict and 6 months later TT still is acting like a 12 year old. i really dont get it, these dudes get paid multi-multi-million $ just think if you made 250,000 a year[which is a solid salary] it would take you 40 years to make what these guys make in 6 months. You would think that making so much money would add some maturity to some individuals SOMEHOW, but really its not the case. Truly I could care less if TT can beat up Martin Mike Tyson or Spongebob, Im concerned about him playing 40 minutes and putting up 17 and 7 and playing good team D. TT HAS to put up 17 and 7 shooting 45%+ in 36-40 a night, that is all that counts. If he is back to 14 and 4 with porous D--then we truly have a fugazy we will need to plan to get rid of.

You must have forgot, Isiah welcomes this type of attitude. How do you think that he dealt with Rodman and Lambeir? Bottom line is this, Isiah is trying to instill an attitude in each and everyone of our players that will drive us to the big dance, and I do believe that TT is just one part of the puzzle. Now I want to see Marburry and Houston with that attitude. It is one thing for Marburry to come out and said that he wants to win, but he must instill that same mentality in his team-mates. The report is that he had contacted Crawf and others even when he was in Athen. To me, that is leadership. YOu go Marb.

Posted by Kwazimodal:

Tim Thomas should let his game do the talking instead of beating this dead horse.He could have just given a "no comment" when the press baited him.This is what I was concerned about but I thought the guy should be given the benefit of the doubt.All I can say is that he better play is A off consistently or Isiah is going to get tired of this soap opera as well and try to move him.

When you are a 6'10" SF in this league, it is a huge advantage. Check this out: Artest 6'7", Jefferson 6'7", Lebron 6'8", Vince 6'6", Pierce 6'7". Tell me that 6'10" with excellent ball handling, complete all around game is not an advantage????? IMO he is as talented as the guys that I have just names, but not as consistent.

[
TooDarkMark, thanks. I dont think TT has an overall advantage on the 4 players you mentioned, but he can play with any of them if he has the desire you mentioned. It's been his one knock in his time in the NBA, because the talent is there. When he played against KVH that one game, he scored like 31 points and almost beat the Bucks that day by himself. He doesn't have to score 31 every night, but that desire could mean more rebounds, blocks, steals, and dunks and that would be exactly what we need.