Stephon Marbury Wants to Play In Milan, Italy
Steph (photo. Chad Griffith)Do you remember last off-season when Stephon Marbury promised that he would end his career by playing in Milan, Italy? At the time, it was just another stop on the crazy train that had become Steph’s life – right up there with the infamous appearance on Bruce Beck’s NBC show where he mumbled something incestuous about his sister, among other things.
But now, with nine players defecting for Europe, it really doesn’t sound so crazy after all. That is, except for the fact that he’s talking about it now, 24 hours after Knicks GM Donnie Walsh talked about giving Steph a clean slate to play in New York next year.
Steph isn’t burning a bridge with the Knicks – he said that he wants to play in New York or with another NBA team this year. It’s just really not the best timing to get the media firestorm going about how he’s the next guy to go overseas.
“People just didn’t understand and didn’t know (last summer),” said Marbury, who will be in Coney Island Sunday when his summer kids basketball league holds its Finals at Surfside Gardens. “When I made comments about playing overseas people took it out of perspective, thought I was talking about leaving while still playing for the Knicks. It was turned into something negative about going to Italy. Now it seems it’s OK.
Why wouldn’t you want to play basketball, still make money and live in a place that’s beautiful,” Marbury added. “Milan is definitely where I want to play basketball at. That’s where I fell in love with Italy.”
While that justification makes a lot of sense, his reasoning for staying in New York this season isn’t quite as clear.
“I’m fine, I don’t look at it as an uneasy situation,” he added. “There’s no place but America where you can make 20 million dollars for free. I can’t get mad if they want to go in a different direction and want to pay me. All I can do is say is thank you and appreciate it and understand it’s a business and I’ll keep moving. It’s nothing personal. I love New York and that’s the team I want to play for, but there are other teams out there.”
Source: NY Post
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August 15th, 2008 at 9:04 am
justice says:
nooooooo keep him away from the press..dude donnie just gave u a chance shut the f up and let’s get ready for camp…
we don’t need this shytt this year fellas..im phucking somebody up if we dont win 30 games
August 15th, 2008 at 9:05 am
fiyaman says:
there he’s goes again
August 15th, 2008 at 9:07 am
GEE...I will break you. says:
LOL finally smart moves by Crunch.
Go overseas and re-create ya legend and you still making money. He is also smart to just chill in NY and collect them dollars to and not sweat what they doing. He knows they really don’t want to include him in the plans. Like he said though if they willin to pay why not collect.
Honestly these statements are about the smartest comments from dude I have read in a minute. But yea he need to hit the friendly skies and do his thing in Milan.
August 15th, 2008 at 9:18 am
Celts Fan says:
All you guys defending him yesterday jsut got smacked again. How many times does it need to happen before you just cut the cord? He doesn’t only hit you cuz he loves you.
“There’s no place but America where you can make 20 million dollars for free. I can’t get mad if they want to go in a different direction and want to pay me.”
Yup, they definitely WANT to pay him… that or they HAVE to. He should thank God he’s not in the NFL or he’d've never seen the last $60M of his contract. (for the record, I liked him at GT but his act’s gotten old. The one thing he’s done in the last few years are the shoes. That is really, really noble. It just didn’t help at all that they released that right around the time he lost his damn mind, but it was a GREAT thought that could’ve saved his rep had he just, you know, not been a nutjob. Nice face tat though. I know if I’m trying to save my rep and image, I’d follow the Mike Tyson route of getting noticed. Too bad he can’t fade into Bolivian yet…)
August 15th, 2008 at 9:19 am
dc says:
steph needs to just shut up. this dude is killin me. the knicks organization should see to it that he doesn’t make any more statements to the press until opening night or something.
August 15th, 2008 at 9:21 am
Big V says:
Justice is right. We need to keep my man the HELL away from any media outlets whatoever. I’m surprised they haven’t already assigned him a MSG PR person to slap the muzzle on him to avoid incidents like this. All things considered, I don’t think he means anything negative here, but it will obviously be construed as such.
August 15th, 2008 at 10:10 am
smity far away says:
I wonder if he was interviewed and said this before the donnie walsh/clean slate news came out. did the post decide to put his words out now to make more news or was this his reaction (or rather response) to what was said about the clean slate?
August 15th, 2008 at 10:29 am
yoda says:
well, he acted like a real profesional. basketball IS a business and if they don’t want him to play for them, but they have to pay him his money, it’s ok business wise. he wants to stay in NYK, but if they dump him, it won’t be end of the world.
August 15th, 2008 at 10:30 am
dukesman2000 says:
Steph nobody believed you meant playing overseas while still playing for Knicks. What is this Jumper 2?
August 15th, 2008 at 10:41 am
Harvey Dent says:
What did he say that was so bad. I thought this was one of his better interviews.
Really? What did he say that was so bad?!?!? Lol
August 15th, 2008 at 10:50 am
OGN says:
Steph collecting dough, he didn’t create the system just taking advantage of it. I don’t see anything AT ALL wrong about his comments. Dime jumping on him possibly for unknown reasons or just because he is Steph. It’s a BUSINESS.
August 15th, 2008 at 11:15 am
Jim says:
This is the Post, I wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t give the context for his second answer. I looked at the article, and I bet he was answering a question like “What happens if they cut you/tell you to stay away?”
Also, this is Steph, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he volunteered it.
August 15th, 2008 at 11:29 am
Mad Max says:
The funny part is Starbury is trash on the court and people think he good…
August 15th, 2008 at 11:45 am
justice says:
@madmax
u serious? that’s the first time i have ever heard anyone call him trash..if he is trash then wtf is most the other pg in the league? rondo,fisher,delonte etc…
August 15th, 2008 at 11:48 am
Jim says:
20/8 Mad Max. He’s not a winner, but that’s a pretty high standard for trash.
August 15th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
Mad Max says:
He’s a fuckin turn over machine and a ball hog.
The reason he never won is cuz he trash.
It aint like he aint been on good teams in Minny and Phx.
He’s trash even if he put up numbers.
August 15th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
Mad Max says:
Rondo and fish both got rings so ask any coach whod they rather have.
Get a clue. Numbers don’t tell you everything look at Vince
August 15th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
David Brandon says:
i’ve never really been big on steph before…just somethin about his personality i never really dug. and the more this dude talks, the more i’m like now i know why. it pretty much got worse after i saw that interview where he’s on his phone hella times and talkin WAY wreckless. this dude is a wrap. the knicks should trade him for a full tank of gas, a new iphone, all the Friday dvd’s and the Jordan Space Jams. lol
wrap city for steph
August 15th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
Celts Fan says:
@David, NOBODY’S giving up the original Friday for Steph.
August 15th, 2008 at 1:48 pm
Luigi says:
very goood
August 15th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
doc says:
He just say anything to the media so he must dont care if they spin it any way they want, so fuck it.Steph getting his 20 a year. I think he just like chilling all year with money.Steph probaly just lost his love for the game.
August 15th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
David Brandon says:
@ Celts,
you know what…..youre right. they’ll have to take Friday after Next twice.
August 15th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
Celts Fan says:
but first you’d need to get someone to actually admit they own Friday After Next.
August 15th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
David Brandon says:
haha! Riles always watches it…maybe steph can go to miami!! LOL!
August 15th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
GEE...I will break you. says:
I think it was Bernie Mac (r.i.p.) that said Next Friday or Friday after Next went straight to video on Monday lol.
To the East my brotha to the Eeeeeaaast!
August 15th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
David Brandon says:
gee, crackin me up man…
August 15th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
daquest?on says:
i feel bad for him man, he does a lot of charity work and ive heard hes a real good guy
August 15th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
BxBaller says:
Steph is just saying what all his haters have been saying anyways, “Pay him to stay Away”. Hell I would take a stab at the Knicks too if they gave me all the blame for the last couple of seasons.
Plus it’s funny like I was saying before, when he said that he wanted to play overseas, people was calling him nuts, but now because Childress does it, and Kidd, BronBot & Kobe said that they would consider going overseas, it’s acceptable. Double f’n standard.
August 15th, 2008 at 4:19 pm
GEE...I will break you. says:
Charity work = Imma make the team I am on horrible allowing you other teams in the L to shine.
I have heard about his charity work too lol.