For the most part, Stephon Marbury has been a model citizen this season. He showed up to camp in shape and has attempted to deflect the attention garnered by his place on the inactive list. In fact, aside from an awkward exchange with Newday’s Ken Berger at media day, Steph has emerged as somewhat of a sympathetic figure in the ongoing Knicks melodrama.
But “Steph being Steph,” you knew he couldn’t go too long without saying something absurd.
From Steve Adamek of The Record:
We wonder about Stephon Marbury, in case you haven’t figured that out already, but Thursday, he made us do it again.
Besides not playing or dressing, he now isn’t scrimmaging with the Knicks. His choice, Mike D’Antoni said, and Marbury chooses not to because he’s not playing and he wants to let those who are get their run during practice.
Instead, during the portions of recent practices reporters have seen, he’s spent some of his time pedaling a stationary bike as if he were Lance Armstrong, after Sheryl Crow just broke up with him (as opposed to Eddy Curry, who pedals like he’s delivering newspapers). He’s also done some stretching and individual work on the side.
But what made us wonder where Steph is at was when he declared he called his old high school in Brooklyn (Lincoln) about scrimmaging with its team. Yes, $21.9 million-man Stephon Marbury, scrimmaging with high school kids.
“Seriously,” he insisted and Lincoln’s coach, Dwayne Morton, confirmed to another reporter that the two have talked about it.
As Adamek reports, scrimmaging with high school kids is probably a violation of Marbury’s contract. But if you’re the Knicks, do you even bother to intervene? Or do you give him the go ahead and tell him to stay away from Knicks practices altogether?
Donnie Walsh has to know better than to let this situation linger.
