Syfo-Dyas
09-23-2008, 10:42 AM
BY ALAN HAHN
September 23, 2008
It has been believed since Donnie Walsh took over the Knicks in April
that Stephon Marbury's tumultuous days as a Knick were numbered. Now
the matter is days from being official, Newsday has learned.
Several persons with knowledge of the situation have indicated that
the Knicks are planning to part ways with Marbury by the end of the
week. One caveat is the approval of Madison Square Garden chairman
James Dolan, who must sign off on yet another multimillion-dollar
payoff for his NBA team. Marbury is in the final year of his contract,
which is to pay him $21.9 million.
The Knicks will likely place Marbury on waivers and, once he clears,
begin negotiating a buyout. Marbury will then be free to sign with
another team; the Miami Heat have a desperate need at point guard.
Though removing the controversial Marbury from the locker room is
believed to have been a foregone conclusion for some time - the old
addition-by-subtraction theory - it is also well known within the
walls of 2 Penn Plaza that Walsh is having trouble getting comfortable
with the idea of handing someone nearly $20 million to go play for
another team. Especially when that player might be in the best shape
of his career and focused - yes, rarely a word attributed to Marbury -
to prove a great deal of critics wrong.
Make no mistake; all indications from those who have seen him are that
Marbury is physically more ready for this season than the previous
two. The left ankle is healed after surgery last January to remove
bone spurs. His weight is reportedly down to 200 pounds after he spent
the summer training in Southern California - "Running the Hollywood
Hills," as has been repeatedly said from those in his camp. He has
refreshingly been mostly under the radar throughout the summer, with
nary a bizarre interview to be seen on YouTube (OK, he did have his
"Starbury" logo tattooed on his skull).
Marbury, who created a huge divide between himself and teammates after
he went AWOL in Phoenix last November, stayed to himself with his
workouts at the MSG Training Center this offseason until yesterday,
when he joined the other Knicks veterans in pickup games. One observer
from yesterday's workout noted the uneasy atmosphere among the other
players. "You could just feel the hate," the person said.
September 23, 2008
It has been believed since Donnie Walsh took over the Knicks in April
that Stephon Marbury's tumultuous days as a Knick were numbered. Now
the matter is days from being official, Newsday has learned.
Several persons with knowledge of the situation have indicated that
the Knicks are planning to part ways with Marbury by the end of the
week. One caveat is the approval of Madison Square Garden chairman
James Dolan, who must sign off on yet another multimillion-dollar
payoff for his NBA team. Marbury is in the final year of his contract,
which is to pay him $21.9 million.
The Knicks will likely place Marbury on waivers and, once he clears,
begin negotiating a buyout. Marbury will then be free to sign with
another team; the Miami Heat have a desperate need at point guard.
Though removing the controversial Marbury from the locker room is
believed to have been a foregone conclusion for some time - the old
addition-by-subtraction theory - it is also well known within the
walls of 2 Penn Plaza that Walsh is having trouble getting comfortable
with the idea of handing someone nearly $20 million to go play for
another team. Especially when that player might be in the best shape
of his career and focused - yes, rarely a word attributed to Marbury -
to prove a great deal of critics wrong.
Make no mistake; all indications from those who have seen him are that
Marbury is physically more ready for this season than the previous
two. The left ankle is healed after surgery last January to remove
bone spurs. His weight is reportedly down to 200 pounds after he spent
the summer training in Southern California - "Running the Hollywood
Hills," as has been repeatedly said from those in his camp. He has
refreshingly been mostly under the radar throughout the summer, with
nary a bizarre interview to be seen on YouTube (OK, he did have his
"Starbury" logo tattooed on his skull).
Marbury, who created a huge divide between himself and teammates after
he went AWOL in Phoenix last November, stayed to himself with his
workouts at the MSG Training Center this offseason until yesterday,
when he joined the other Knicks veterans in pickup games. One observer
from yesterday's workout noted the uneasy atmosphere among the other
players. "You could just feel the hate," the person said.