Even with all the attention it’s gotten… I don’t think it’s enough. I don’t think people truly appreciate what’s going on here. I can’t think of anyone who has ever been so proud of being so wrong. Imagine some idiot wide receiver getting traded to the Patriots and saying, “Well, you know, New England’s a great place, but the coach here really doesn’t know shit. I think my way of doing things is better. I know more than Bill Belichick and I need more freedom.” And the more people told him he was wrong, the louder he would get.

I think Marbury is worse than Terrell Owens. Owens shoved his quarterback into a woodchipper. Marbury’s trying to do it to his coach. I say that’s worse. And, not to condone it in any way, but what Owens said about McNabb might have even been true… he might have had a point. The things Stephon Marbury continues to say are the rantings of a frustrated child that can’t even begin to grasp what’s going on around him. Here’s the latest.

Starbury:

“I think it’s personal now. I don’t think it’s about basketball anymore. Now it’s to the point where he’s putting his 30-year career against my 10-year career. You know, coach is a great coach is what everyone says. We’re supposed to be better than what we are. Did it happen now? No.”

“If coach is comparing his career to my career, he’s got like a 20-year edge on me. To me that sounds like a lot of insecurity is going on. … He’s speaking on things he’s done, and I think people in New York want to know what he’s going to do, you know, as far as us winning. What happened in the past is the past. I think New Yorkers can relate [to] what’s going to happen now. We live more in the present.”

“He always crosses the line. That’s not nothing new. Certain coaches deal with certain things certain ways, and he handles his things through the media as opposed to sitting down and talking with people. And still, if you sit down and you talk with coach, it’s liable to get back to everybody, so you’re really not safe there either.”

“We don’t have to have another grown man come and mediate two grown men. What’s that about? He’s the boss, but if there’s a problem, come to me like a man. I don’t have no problem. I’m comfortable with myself. I know who I am as a person.”

Larry Brown, in response:

“That’s great, that’s great. Again, I’m the coach of a basketball team, and the only thing that matters to me is that we play the right way, share the ball, try to guard and care about our teammates. I’m going to focus on that. I’m not going to focus on things that have nothing to do with being a good teammate. I’ve been coaching the same way my whole life. Things that really matter, I’ve said over and over and over again. It’s amazing to me. I’ve never had a problem getting people to understand that before, and it’s mind boggling to me after we win two games that it becomes an issue. So I want to focus on guys that are trying to do the right things to help our team win, and that’s what I’m going to do.”

“Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. No coach, no coach, would enjoy this situation. Because every coach that coaches this sport, it’s about team. And when you hear players talk about team, you get real excited. When you don’t hear players talk about team, it’s not a lot of fun.”

“Well, we’ll see. We’re 17-45, and I’ll take full responsibility for us winning 17 games and losing 45. So, you’re the best guard in the league and the team is 17-45, yeah, it’s the coach’s fault.

“I don’t know why you play a team sport and not be concerned about making your teammates better and helping your team win games. That’s the only thing that really matters, and if you’re the best player, surely you’re going to have some effect on the game’s outcome. And I’ve said this from day one, I’ve never given anybody in my career more free rein. In my career. And I went to the conference finals with Haywoode Workman as the point guard. Eric Snow was the fourth-string point guard in Seattle, and we went to the NBA Finals [with Snow in Philadelphia].

“I’ve been around guys, and every good team, it’s all about team, and that’s what we’re going to try and get. You want to come and join that? That’s fine. That’s the only message that needs to be sent. You want to be part of the team and make your teammates better, you want to care about the right things and playing the right way, this is a pretty good place to be. You don’t have that on your agenda, then this is probably a bad place to be.”

Here’s how I break down the blame in this situation:

Stephon Marbury: 99.5%
Larry Brown: 0.5%

The only thing I blame Larry Brown for is allowing this thing to perpetuate itself in the media, but I’m not even sure Larry would see that as a bad thing. But when it comes to actual matters of basketball, and of assessing his own players… Larry Brown is just brutally honest with the media. Whatever he’s thinking is going to come out. He won’t say anything bad about players on another team, but his own team, he’ll blast. Even with the Pistons, he pissed of Chauncey Billups and Ben Wallace at various points.

And I could go through all of the quotes and talk about where and why and how Marbury is wrong. But there’s really no point… on all matters of basketball, Marbury is 100% wrong and Larry Brown is 100% right. I love the part where Brown points out that he went to the NBA Finals with Haywoode “Jablowme” Workman as his point guard. That’s probably my favorite line of their entire ongoing dialogue.

A while ago, I ranked all the NBA’s point guards in order of who I’d like to have on my team. I had Starbury 19th, and people called me crazy. Now (along with a few other changes I’d like to make), I’d move him down to 30th. I’d rather have Shawn Bradley as my point guard. I’d rather play with four guys.

And “Starbury” remains under review by UrbanDictionary.com.