Back in December I wrote a post titled Saving Private Marbury about the Knicks convincing Stephon Marbury that he couldn’t play the game he’s played his entire life. Today this crazy mans theory is in some very good company, because NBA legend Bill Russell believes the Knicks have messed with Marbury’s mind too. Â Since we are now clearly BFF, Mr. Russell you can come on over for one of my summer BBQ parties to talk some round ball anytime!
Bill Russell believes Stephon Marbury can continue to help theCeltics in the playoffs — if he’s able to get over what theKnicks did to him. “If it’s up to the team, he’ll have a positive effect,” the 75-year-old NBA legend told The Post yesterday at the NBA Store in midtown. “But you don’t know how much he’s been damaged psychologically playing here.” “Here” of course, is with the Knicks, where his rocky tenure came to a disastrous end when it became clear that coach Mike D’Antoni had no intention of playing him and team president Donnie Walsh long refused to buy him out of his $21 million contract. When asked if he thought the point guard indeed had been “damaged psychologically” by the Knicks, Russell said: “He may have been. No matter how strong you are, that kind of stuff that went on this season was so ridiculous.” After suiting up in the preseason, Marbury was banished to the bench and later told to stay away from the team before finally being bought out and signing with the Celtics on Feb. 27. “I think what the Knicks did to him, having the whole thing play out in the papers [was wrong],” said Russell.
Go ahead with your smart self Mr. Russell! Just watching Marbury play last night, you can tell that he’s not as sure of himself as he use to be. All the shots he passed up he could have hit and the shots he took seemed forced. Despite what the New York media would have you believe, Stephon Marbury is still Top 10 in the league amongst all point guards. That’s right, I said it.
Hopefully, this summer Marbury puts in work on the playgrounds of NYC to get his swagger proper and comes back with a vengeance because the street game is the best rehabilitation therapy for any baller.Â
Via New York Post
