It took about nine years but I've finally had it with Stephon Marbury. For years I watched him play and believed that one day he'd reach the heights I always expected him to. Countless times I've defended him, mostly during his years with the Nets where it seemed like he could never catch a break with that team. I'm tired of defending him and I'm starting to realize maybe he's been the problem all this time. It probably is no coincidence that the Knicks are his fourth team and he's never won anything with any of them. As a matter of fact, his former teams have all done much better once they got rid of him which is why I now believe that if it's at all possible, the Knicks should do the same.

I've been following Marbury since his rookie year. Him being a local product on what looked like to be an up and coming Timberwolves team with the nice tandem of Stephon and Kevin Garnett caught my eye. I was really into the NBA back then and the T'Wolves looked poised to be a solid team of the future for the league. The league obviously felt the same way as they started showing more of their games on tv then they had in a long time, maybe ever. Minnesota made the playoffs for probably the first time in franchise history that year and from what I saw, Marbury had alot to do with it.

However that was then and what transpired soon thereafter was a sign of things to come. Marbury wanted more money, he wanted more attention, and he pouted his way out of Minnesota. He ended up in New Jersey where after a few years of disappointing seasons mixed in with not getting along with teammates and coaches he wound up traded again to the Suns. Granted Stephon put up pretty solid numbers with the Nets, which is what kept me on his side, but Jason Kidd came in and took what was roughly the same team to back to back Finals. Still I stuck by my guy even though I didn't watch him much in Phoenix as my overall interest in the NBA began to dwindle.

Then came the day Marbury was brought home to play for the Knicks. The only guy who could make me a Knicks fan other than Michael Jordan was now here. I thought it was a good move and I thought finally Steph would become the star I always thought he was destined to be. It seemed like the perfect situation for him. He could come in and bring prominence back to his hometown team while shedding all of the negativity that had followed him throughout his career. He could finally lay to rest all the comments about him not being a team player or not being a good leader and his inability as a point guard to make players around him better. As we all know that's not how it all worked out as the Knicks get worse every year and as I write this they sit at an abysmal 17-45. That's right, they won't even sniff .500 this year and although that isn't even close to being all Marbury's fault, he hasn't exactly helped things and now he's starting to make them worse.

All year Stephon has complained about Larry Brown's coaching methods and refused to get on the same page with his new coach. Many people complain about Brown's coaching ways, especially in the first year they play in his system but I can't let Marbury off easy on this one because not so long ago he was complaining about Don Chaney as the Knicks coach and he never got along with his coaches in Jersey or Phoenix either nor did he win for any of those coaches so I don't know who it is he's looking for to be his coach but I hope he finds him somewhere else.

In publicly bashing Brown and saying he's bringing back the "Starbury" attitude along with neglecting many of his teammates Stephon has finally shown me his true colors. He's not going to change, he's never going to be the player he should've been. Instead of taking this opportunity with the Knicks to finally prove people wrong, the only thing he's proven is that he really is a selfish cry baby that on the court, can't get along with anybody. He's gone through a myriad of teammates and coaches in his career, many of which can't say anything nice about him. I can't believe I wanted this guy on my team and I don't understand why I rooted for him for so long. I should've seen this much sooner.

I do have to thank Stephon for one thing. He did help me become a Knicks fan after I thought I'd never be able to say that. As happy as I was the day he arrived, I'll probably be twice as happy the day he leaves. Unfortunately the trade deadline has passed and with the huge contract he has, we might be stuck with Stephon much longer than we'd like. This team is already a mess with various problems other than Marbury but having to hear him complain every day is just making things worse and it's making our city's once proud franchise look like a joke. With Knicks wisecracks on pretty much every NBA show out there, we have officially become the laughing stock of the league.

I remember Marbury once said it was a dream to play for the Knicks. That dream has become a nightmare, not just for him, but for all Knicks fans as well. I'm pretty sure "Starbury" would rather have Larry Brown fired then himself traded but I no longer feel the same way. Marbury still has talent so if the contract thing can be worked out I'm sure some team will take a chance on him this summer. He may even be able to up his value if he'd just shut up and play. The only thing worse than watching this team is having to listen to Stephon moan and groan on what seems to be a daily basis now. He lost my respect, he lost a fan, hopefully sooner than later, we'll lose him. Three years ago I would've dreaded the thought, now I can't wait 'til the day we do the same thing the Wolves, Nets, and Suns did. Start rebuilding the team without Stephon Marbury. Good riddance!