Starbury Signs with the Celts

I am one of the few Knicks fans on earth who considers himself a Stephon Marbury apologist. Let's get that out of the way. I've never thought he posed as great a threat to a successful Knicks team as was generally accepted. The presence of outspoken vets like Quentin Richardson (lose some weight before you run your mouth and question someone's dedication), Malik Rose (struggling to be relevant long after he was a useful player), and David Lee (all bark, some bite; soon to be grossly overpaid), enhanced Marbury's reputation as a polarizing locker room figure. The comically disheveled state of the Knicks organization prior to Donnie Walsh's arrival only exacerbated the effect of the constant sniping from Marbury's teammates.

Enter Walsh, and it was pretty clear to anyone familiar with the workings of an NBA team that with Marbury in the last year of his gargantuan contract, he wasn't part of the Knicks future. Most are familiar with the way things unfolded at the outset of the 2008-09 season. Marbury was famously benched in the first handful of games, the Knicks swung a couple of trades opening up spots in the rotation, and Marbury either refused Coach D'Antoni's order to play major minutes, or politely declined, depending on whose side of the story you believe.

Marbury's contract was recently bought out by the Knicks, prior to the March 1 deadline for waived players to be eligible for the playoff roster of other potential employers. And so ended the ill-fated marriage between Marbury and his hometown team. It is a saga that could not have concluded more tragically.

As fate would have it, Marbury has been granted a second life with none other than the world champion Boston Celtics. It is a chance to shed the "career loser" label that has been bestowed upon him, justly or otherwise. Nothing would anger the New York fan base more than for Marbury to contribute in a meaninful way towards a successful Celtic title defense. He's been absolutely lambasted by fans calling the sports talk radio stations this week, having been wished every ill fate short of death. It is the culmination of a relationship gone sour. But now, Marbury has a chance to wash that taste from his mouth, possibly with champagne.

Ironically, Marbury will wear number 8, the same number of former Celtic prodigal son and fan pushpin doll, Antoine Walker.