Larry Brown v Stephon Marbury

                 

Didn't someone [read: everyone] predict that Larry Brown and Stephon Marbury would have a problem coexisting???  When Brown left the Pistons to take the Knicks job, many people pointed to these two men's lack of understanding each other during the 2004 Olympic Games as a possible roadblock of any Knick success this year.

And...oh, boy....has it come to a head. 

For the last several days, both Marbury and Brown have used the New York media to publicize their disdain for each other.  Nice, guys.  That's "doing it the right way", eh?    This is the team with the highest payroll in the NBA...yet owns the 2nd worst record [only the 2nd year Charlotte Bobcats, with a fraction of the cap to work with and a rash of injuries is worse].

STEPHON MARBURY

"I think it's personal now.  I don't think it's about basketball anymore. If it was about basketball, we'd be talking about basketball."

"I'm no longer going to allow him to say things about me and I'm not going to say anything back.  That's just not going to happen. I allowed him to drag me the first three, four months in the paper and I didn't say one word. I just sat back and took it. I'm not taking it no more.  If something's going to be said, I'm going to defend myself. My mother taught me that. If somebody hits you, you hit them back."

"If coach is comparing his career to my career, he's got like a 20-year edge on me. To me that sounds like a lot of insecurity is going on. … He's speaking on things he's done, and I think people in New York want to know what he's going to do, you know, as far as us winning. What happened in the past is the past. I think New Yorkers can relate [to] what's going to happen now. We live more in the present."

"He always crosses the line. That's not nothing new. Certain coaches deal with certain things certain ways, and he handles his things through the media as opposed to sitting down and talking with people. And still, if you sit down and you talk with coach, it's liable to get back to everybody, so you're really not safe there either."

"I want to play basketball in New York. I love New York, and I believe New York loves me. … I'm at the point where I just want to win, and Iwant to play in New York more than anything in this world. But if that's not happening next year, I can't cry about it. I've been in this situation before and I understand, I know it's a business."

About if Isiah Thomas should intervene:  "We don't have to have another grown man come and mediate two grown men. What's that about? He's the boss, but if there's a problem, come to me like a man. I don't have no problem. I'm comfortable with myself. I know who I am as a person."

"I can coexist. I can't speak for another person. I'm cool. I'm fine. I can deal with it. But I'm no longer going to allow him to say things about me and I'm not going to say anything back. I mean that's just not going to happen. That's not going to happen. I allowed him to drag me the first three or four months in the paper, and I didn't say one word. I just sat back and just took it. But I'm not taking it no more. If something's going to be said, I'm going to defend myself. My mother taught me that: Somebody hits you, you hit them back."

"If I was a chemistry teacher, I'd probably have an answer, but I don't. … I don't need no new start. My start is right here in New York unless they say otherwise."

                           

LARRY BROWN

"Look, I've been coaching how many years?  I never left a team in worse shape than I got it. Not one. Now think about that. Think about me and think about the guy who's talking.  I never left a team in worse shape. Never asked anything of my players any different than I'm doing right now. Think about that. Think about that."

"Again, I'm the coach of a basketball team, and the only thing that matters to me is that we play the right way, share the ball, try to guard and care about our teammates. I'm going to focus on that. I'm not going to focus on things that have nothing to do with being a good teammate. I've been coaching the same way my whole life. Things that really matter, I've said over and over and over again. It's amazing to me. I've never had a problem getting people to understand that before, and it's mind boggling to me after we win two games that it becomes an issue. So I want to focus on guys that are trying to do the right things to help our team win, and that's what I'm going to do."

"No coach, no coach, would enjoy this situation. Because every coach that coaches this sport, it's about team. And when you hear players talk about team, you get real excited. When you don't hear players talk about team, it's not a lot of fun."

About possibly dealing Marbury during the summer:  "I'm not even thinking about that. I'm just trying to coach our team and make guys better. I want guys that care about the team that want to win games that understand what our problems are and try to correct them.  Well, we'll see. We're 17-45, and I'll take full responsibility for us winning 17 games and losing 45. So, you're the best guard in the league and the team is 17-45, yeah, it's the coach's fault.  I don't know why you play a team sport and not be concerned about making your teammates better and helping your team win games. That's the only thing that really matters, and if you're the best player, surely you're going to have some effect on the game's outcome. And I've said this from day one, I've never given anybody in my career more free rein. In my career. And I went to the conference finals with Haywoode Workman as the point guard. Eric Snow was the fourth-string point guard in Seattle, and we went to the NBA Finals [with Snow in Philadelphia]. 

"I've been around guys, and every good team, it's all about team, and that's what we're going to try and get. You want to come and join that? That's fine. That's the only message that needs to be sent. You want to be part of the team and make your teammates better, you want to care about the right things and playing the right way, this is a pretty good place to be. You don't have that on your agenda, then this is probably a bad place to be."