Stephon Marbury buys a ticket to the Knicks-Lakers game

The fact that Stephon Marbury is an epic level “head case” and among the most character challenged athletes in the history of professional sports has been well known for some time now.  Granted, it took the New York Knicks longer to figure this out than just about everyone but even they eventually caught wise.  After twice refusing to play when the team was undermanned due to injuries and personnel movement, the team finally had enough and banished Marbury from the team.   No better evidence of just what a locker room cancer Marbury is can be found than the fact that the Knicks would rather pay his eight figure contract as long as he just stays away from the team.

Since he can no longer serve as an internal distraction to the team, Marbury did what any borderline psychotic would do when he just so happened to be in L.A. on “business” at the same time the Knicks were in town to play the L.A. Lakers—he bought a ticket to the game and sat courtside in hopes to make a scene.  While he clearly hoped that his presence would somehow cause his former teammates to come unglued, they clearly didn’t care less.  In fact, they played very well against the 21-3 Western Conference leaders before coming up short in a 116-114 loss.

Just watching Marbury’s sideline antics told everything that needs to be known about his profound immaturity, lack of character or leadership skills and utter classlessness as he spent most of the game yapping on his cellphone.  Perhaps Marbury thought that this was some kind of a “diss” or that he was acting like the thug that he so desperately wants to believe that he is, but basically none of the intended targets of his rancor really cared.  At halftime while Marbury held court with whatever media types he could attract to his one man train wreck, Knicks players were seen literally rolling their eyes in the locker room.  As one team official noted “This is exactly why we sent him away in the first place."

Marbury’s delusional rant to the media was more of the same drivel about how he just wants to play ball and how he’s a “victim”.  He still takes no responsibility whatsoever for his role in running one of the proudest franchises in the NBA to the ground, nor is he willing to accept that the team is better off without him and really could care less what he thinks at this point:

"I didn't create this, this is all their doing I'm still earning my check by doing nothing. I'm staying in shape. My mind-set is to enjoy my life."

Perhaps the saddest statement about Marbury’s complete lack of character is the fact that he considers “earning his check by doing nothing” as some sort of accomplishment.

Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni was nonplussed by the revelation that Marbury would be in the building:

"That's fine. About 19,000 people are going to be there tonight, so if he wants to see a good game, that's great."

Quinton Richardson, who became a locker room leader after becoming one of the first to criticize Marbury publically, gave the following quip:

"Am I surprised or puzzled? I don't really think much about it, man. My thing is, we were here playing the Lakers. I guess he was a face in the crowd. I didn't know he was there. I hope he enjoyed it. It was a good game."