"A stereotyped but unconscious despair is concealed even under what are called the games and amusements of mankind." - Henry David Thoreau
We all know that whenever there's a major commotion, a good deal
of people stop to stare endlessly. Curiousity is the impteus but the driving
force is a sense of expectation. What is going to happen next? In the case
of Stephon Marbury, the answer might be the end of his NBA career.
There are so many elements to this story that border on the tragic
especially when you consider just how much was expected of Stephon
Marbury and what he believes himself to be. The phenom rose from the
courts at Coney Island with just the right mix of Brooklyn swagger and
a game to match. And he has proven to be a solid player over his career
but that always comes with the classic conversations. You've heard them,
more than likely initiated them and they've always included the words
'selfish' and 'overrated'. It's hard to overcome that when every team that
you depart from has garnered serious playoff success. It's hard to not
pay attention when you set an individual scoring record in the Olympics
and yet you're on a team that finished bronze. But this moment in time
may be a steep climb for Marbury who has proven to be a survivor.
Marbury is a troubled soul, despite his own protestations.
A clip from one of Marbury's recent Internet podcasts:
By now everyone has heard of or seen his online chats, one in which
he ate vaseline and another in which he broke down while listening
to a Kirk Franklin song. He managed to follow this up by admitting
openly that he smokes marijuana. This last tidbit flew under the radar
for most people but rest assured the league will not take it lightly.
Marbury is a free agent after a brief stint with the Boston Celtics.
His stateside basketball career is in jeopardy, but the biggest concern
should be his mental health. Let's keep it in perspective: he went
through a lot being with the New York Knicks, partly his own fault.
That stress plus the fact that he may not have fully recovered from
the heartbreak of his father suffering a fatal heart attack courtside
at Madison Square Garden while he played a couple of years ago
brings us to the here and now.
Marbury is a troubled soul, despite his own protestations. It's safe to say that
few people, if any want publicity for what he did. He's comfortable with it. And
he shouldn't be. Someone close to him, if they're not doing so already, needs
to snatch his laptop, keep him under wraps and training hard on the court. He's
a free agent that few, if any teams are considering. And while he can look to
Europe as an alternative, if teams there are gunning for players in their prime
what role does he expect to play? Starbury could become a completely fallen
star if he's not careful. And that could be devastating when the money stops
rolling in. Ask Latrell Sprewell.