<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">March 17, 2006 -- GUESS it's safe to say Stephon Marbury no longer is interested in earning any Brownie points. Guess it's safe to say they don't come with any less self-esteem than Larry Brown. Coaches have to die before receiving the kind of acclaim this Hall of Famer has, yet he's compelled to defend himself against Marbury's blither and blather. Guess it's safe to say we know exactly who's answerable for uniting these two postulating posteriors and not having the commanding presence to demand their silence when their public bickering began months ago. This is what happens when the devil sells his soul to two divergent creatures of egocentricity. In a state that has no-fault insurance and no-fault divorce, but never no-fault sports, it's safe to say there's no and every reason to spread the blame; presenting Isiah Thomas. If an expensive restaurant's food is no good, it's the top chef's fault or the guy who preps. The chef plans the menu and buys the ingredients. He's in charge of the kitchen and responsible for how it's received by the customers. Marbury was a professional pest for 71/2 seasons when Isiah Thomas secured his maximum contract and minimal curiosity for anything other than individual stats. Nevertheless, it's carelessly incorrect for people to write Stephon "wore out his welcome" in Minnesota, New Jersey and Phoenix. Only the Nets were desperate to deport him; Marbury forced the Timberwolves to trade him, whereas the sputtering Suns saw an opportunity to create cap space and seized the opportunity when Thomas agreed to take Marbury and Penny Hardaway's hardcore salary as well. You would think Thomas knew exactly what kind of player and person he was getting when he acquired Marbury: Talented. Tough. Terrible teaammate. Rude. Sullen. And uncoachable if required to do something he detested. But, if Thomas didn't know Marbury's qualities, quirks and ignoble obsessions when he got him, surely they became transparent in the 11/2 seasons prior to Brown's arrival. Of course, Marbury became Marbury. Why would he change with Thomas indulging him every which way? Who do you think warped Marbury's already swollen opinion of himself by telling him he'd be the best point guard in the league if he applied himself on defense? Marbury instantly forgot the last part of Thomas' statement and buried himself with the first part. You would think Thomas also knew exactly what he was getting when he pursued Brown. He's been the same coach and the same person forever. No wonder I don't take issue with most of Marbury's observations! Brown does cross the line when criticizing players, turning personnel problems personal in a heartbeat. He doesn't have to resort to authoring a hardcover to reveal confidential conversations, locker-room secrets and upper-management riffs. In fact, in an exceptionally, unstable, paranoid profession, Brown is easily its most insecure member. Suspend Marbury for what, telling the truth? How could Thomas take that course of action without also suspending Brown, who has belittled and betrayed Marbury from day one? Then again, how could Thomas suspend both of them without including himself for hiring a coach who loathed his lead player when they were in Athens for the '04 Olympics? The same columnists who flogged Brown for the way he mishandled LeBron James, Carmello Anthony, Amare Stoudemire and others, the same journalists who called him out repeatedly for pointing fingers at his players, composed sonnets praising Thomas' hiring of Brown. </div> Source
