Nearly one year since Stephon Marbury last played in a regular-season game, signals are getting stronger that the New York Knicks' outcast will eventually make his comeback with the Boston Celtics.
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That still depends largely on Marbury's ability to negotiate his release from the Knicks after weeks of fruitless and oft-contentious buyout talks, but sources with knowledge of the situation told ESPN.com this week that Boston is Marbury's preferred destination if he manages to become a free agent and that the Celtics are indeed hopeful of signing him.
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When asked specifically about the likelihood of Marbury joining the Celtics this season, the source predicted that "it will happen."
also.. really i do think hes got the right attitude about it all
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People who know me know I'm in the best shape of my life," Marbury wrote. ". . . Bottom line, I came to camp with the right attitude, in shape and ready to play. I didn't come to be a distraction.
"I didn't want to be a distraction for the team first and me second. I honestly came to help the team win. Real talk. I was willing to put in the work necessary to earn my starting spot and humble enough to accept coming off of the bench.
1. Can/will Marbury understand and accept that he is the backup to Rondo, he is not the superstar?
2. Do we have a strong enough organization like the Patriots that Marbury will be spoken to and understand what it means to be a Celtic and how he must act.
3. Would be great to move Eddie House to the 2 where he is much better then the 1. The poor guy see's pressure and he panics.
4. At 31 Marbury still has the game in him and if he is willing to be a Cory Dillon type for the C's it could work out.
Eddie House is NOT a PG. Marbury would be an obvious upgrade, and I have a hard time imagining him ever possibly putting a dent in the Celtic's focus or winning ways if he does implode. Though, I doubt that would happen as long as he gets his minutes.
Hoopsworld is denying the rumor, however its a writer notorious for bashing the celtics and really... danny wouldnt be allowed to publicly express interest or it would be considered tampering
The banished Marbury said he would be "honored" to play for the Celtics, admitted they are on his short list, but denied an ESPN.com report he has made a decision to join Boston if he gets released by the New York Knicks, according the New York Post.
There have been conflicting reports as to whether Stephon Marbury would prefer to join the Celtics if he is bought out by the Knicks.
Regardless, Marbury said on Friday night that he wouldn't mind reuniting with former Timberwolves teammate Kevin Garnett.
"Definitely," Marbury said when asked if he's interested in joining Garnett in Boston.
"When I left here [in 1999], it wasn't about basketball," Marbury added. "When I was younger, I had a different disposition as far as how I wanted to live life. Reuniting with Kevin is something that I would love. Going to Boston would be great for basketball and for fans to see Kevin and I reunited, like when we were younger. There is some hope, if I can get out of my contract and they're interested in me. How can you deny the chance?"
"I'm not opposed to Steph. I feel Steph still has a lot of basketball in him, I know his IQ is very, very high. He is one of the best point guards out there to play with. I wouldn't be opposed to that," Garnett said Sunday in his first public comments on the possibility of Marbury joining the Celtics.
Asked if he'd take his non-opposition a step further and outright endorse the possible acquisition of Marbury, Garnett put the brakes on.
"I know where this is going, ya'll. Y'all relax, OK?" Garnett told a small crowd of reporters who waited over an hour for him to speak following the Celtics' shocking 100-88 loss to the Knicks. "If Steph came to this team and made it better, I'm all for that. If anybody came to his team and made it better, I would be for that."
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So, the bottom line here is that KG sees no reason not to welcome Marbury aboard, and the Celtics might now feel a little more strongly that they need a better offensive option on nights like this one when Rajon Rondo (who was benched by coach Doc Rivers for the first nine minutes of the fourth quarter) is not up to the task of knocking down the open looks teams are going to keep giving him.
Rondo has also now publicly said he thinks its a good idea... and that would have been on of the main things holding this up, whether it would affect Rajon
Source: "Marbury To Boston WILL Happen"
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