Hooped Up

When Jamal Crawford informed Stephon Marbury on Tuesday morning Crawford was out for the season, the Knicks point guard thought the combo guard was joking. When Marbury realized Crawford was serious, Marbury broke down and cried for more than a minute, according to a team source.

Marbury said of his initial reaction to Crawford’s season-ending stress fracture: “I was shocked. I thought he was playing at first.

“It hit me hard because of everything that’s going on, as far as making the playoffs and just for him, because of how much he’s grown since he’s been here,” Marbury added. “It’s been an uphill battle for him and finally he got to this point and has an understanding of what he can do on the basketball court. It’s tough to see a young player go through that.”

New York Post