Yuma
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"New York Daily News - http://www.nydailynews.com
Dolan dreams
of adding Kobe
By FRANK ISOLA
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Tuesday, April 27th, 2004
The name of one Kobe Bryant rolled off James Dolan's lips yesterday when a question was posed to the Madison Square Garden chairman about the most attractive free agent on the market this summer.
Dolan did not intend to blatantly violate the NBA's tampering rules, he was merely trying to articulate to reporters that with Isiah Thomas in charge, anything - even Bryant - can happen.
"It's possible," he said. "I don't know what (Thomas) is going to do in the offseason. I don't know if he knows. But he can count on our support. Sure are some interesting things you guys are bringing up, Phil Jackson, Kobe Bryant. Maybe we can get Kobe, Tracy (McGrady) . . . that would be some charisma, wouldn't it."
All it would take is Thomas' charisma, Dolan's millions and the Los Angeles Lakers agreeing to accept Stephon Marbury in a sign-and-trade in order to bring the best shooting guard on the planet to the Garden. Don't hold your breath.
The Knicks are prepared to move forward with Marbury, the talented point guard, as their star player and main gate attraction. Dolan even issued a strong endorsement on Marbury's behalf, admitting he had been concerned that adding Marbury in January could potentially disrupt the harmony in the locker room.
"There was some trepidation because Steph had a reputation coming here," Dolan said. "But I could tell you that reputation is unfounded. I still don't know where that came from."
Marbury's playoff record is 4-14 and he has yet to advance past the first round. This season, he had little to work with in the playoffs, but in fairness, his reputation for alienating teammates did occasionally surface over the past few weeks. He and Shandon Anderson got into a heated exchange during Game 3 following a turnover. In Game 4, Marbury and Kurt Thomas glared at one other.
"I'm not here to please anyone as far as trying to make you write something different," Marbury said. "My goal is to win a championship and to do whatever it takes to win."
During Game 4, a video montage of Marbury was shown on the large scoreboard. In Game 3, a similar tribute was paid to Isiah Thomas, who of course spent his entire career in Detroit. The players feel as if there is an obvious pecking order in the organization: Thomas, then Marbury, then everyone else.
When Kurt Thomas was asked yesterday if there is one move the Knicks could make to improve themselves, he said: "I think a misconception a lot of people have is that you can rely on one person or one decision to make a lot of change. Really it's the whole team." Although Thomas didn't mention names, it was clear that he, like several players, resented the brass' preferential treatment of Marbury.
"I really like Steph but I don't want to marry him," Dolan said when asked if the franchise is wed to Marbury from a marketing standpoint. "He's a great player but in the end every decision is going to be Isiah's. We don't really ask Isiah to take into account the marketing end of things."
Dolan gave his end-of-the-season address one day after the Knicks were swept by the Nets. He graded the Knicks a "B" for the season and believes that if Allan Houston and Tim Thomas both were healthy, the results would have been different.
"We might have made it through this round," Dolan said at the Knick training facility in Greenburgh. "But I think we have a lot to build on. We have new management in place, new coaching in place and at least half a new team in place. I think we're headed in the right direction."
Dolan's harshest criticism was reserved for Nets forward Kenyon Martin, who was photographed in yesterday's Daily News holding up a T-shirt with the Daily News' back page headline "Whiny Tim." "There is going to be another season," Dolan said. "We're going to be a better team and I hope that somebody here keeps that picture."
Isiah Thomas met individually with his players yesterday but the team president did not speak with reporters. He is expected to make several major changes during the offseason, and his No. 1 priority is adding a proven big man to pair with Marbury."
Dolan dreams
of adding Kobe
By FRANK ISOLA
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Tuesday, April 27th, 2004
The name of one Kobe Bryant rolled off James Dolan's lips yesterday when a question was posed to the Madison Square Garden chairman about the most attractive free agent on the market this summer.
Dolan did not intend to blatantly violate the NBA's tampering rules, he was merely trying to articulate to reporters that with Isiah Thomas in charge, anything - even Bryant - can happen.
"It's possible," he said. "I don't know what (Thomas) is going to do in the offseason. I don't know if he knows. But he can count on our support. Sure are some interesting things you guys are bringing up, Phil Jackson, Kobe Bryant. Maybe we can get Kobe, Tracy (McGrady) . . . that would be some charisma, wouldn't it."
All it would take is Thomas' charisma, Dolan's millions and the Los Angeles Lakers agreeing to accept Stephon Marbury in a sign-and-trade in order to bring the best shooting guard on the planet to the Garden. Don't hold your breath.
The Knicks are prepared to move forward with Marbury, the talented point guard, as their star player and main gate attraction. Dolan even issued a strong endorsement on Marbury's behalf, admitting he had been concerned that adding Marbury in January could potentially disrupt the harmony in the locker room.
"There was some trepidation because Steph had a reputation coming here," Dolan said. "But I could tell you that reputation is unfounded. I still don't know where that came from."
Marbury's playoff record is 4-14 and he has yet to advance past the first round. This season, he had little to work with in the playoffs, but in fairness, his reputation for alienating teammates did occasionally surface over the past few weeks. He and Shandon Anderson got into a heated exchange during Game 3 following a turnover. In Game 4, Marbury and Kurt Thomas glared at one other.
"I'm not here to please anyone as far as trying to make you write something different," Marbury said. "My goal is to win a championship and to do whatever it takes to win."
During Game 4, a video montage of Marbury was shown on the large scoreboard. In Game 3, a similar tribute was paid to Isiah Thomas, who of course spent his entire career in Detroit. The players feel as if there is an obvious pecking order in the organization: Thomas, then Marbury, then everyone else.
When Kurt Thomas was asked yesterday if there is one move the Knicks could make to improve themselves, he said: "I think a misconception a lot of people have is that you can rely on one person or one decision to make a lot of change. Really it's the whole team." Although Thomas didn't mention names, it was clear that he, like several players, resented the brass' preferential treatment of Marbury.
"I really like Steph but I don't want to marry him," Dolan said when asked if the franchise is wed to Marbury from a marketing standpoint. "He's a great player but in the end every decision is going to be Isiah's. We don't really ask Isiah to take into account the marketing end of things."
Dolan gave his end-of-the-season address one day after the Knicks were swept by the Nets. He graded the Knicks a "B" for the season and believes that if Allan Houston and Tim Thomas both were healthy, the results would have been different.
"We might have made it through this round," Dolan said at the Knick training facility in Greenburgh. "But I think we have a lot to build on. We have new management in place, new coaching in place and at least half a new team in place. I think we're headed in the right direction."
Dolan's harshest criticism was reserved for Nets forward Kenyon Martin, who was photographed in yesterday's Daily News holding up a T-shirt with the Daily News' back page headline "Whiny Tim." "There is going to be another season," Dolan said. "We're going to be a better team and I hope that somebody here keeps that picture."
Isiah Thomas met individually with his players yesterday but the team president did not speak with reporters. He is expected to make several major changes during the offseason, and his No. 1 priority is adding a proven big man to pair with Marbury."
