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Marbury at ease in leadership role
Suns guard says consistency is goal
Bob Young
The Arizona Republic
Dec. 18, 2003 12:00 AM
Fairly or not, when Stephon Marbury arrived in Phoenix after that 2001 trade with New Jersey, he was perceived as a me-first player, not a leader. He had a reputation for being selfish and aloof.
But there was nothing aloof about Marbury at halftime of a game against the Clippers at Staples Center, when he let his teammates have an earful about their efforts.
The Suns lost anyway but may have turned a corner that night. Afterward, coach Mike D'Antoni talked about how important Marbury's leadership was that night.
The Suns followed it up with a strong effort - yet another loss - in Sacramento, then finally ended a six-game slide with an overtime victory Tuesday over Seattle.
Tonight, they visit the Portland Trail Blazers and Marbury said his outburst in LA wasn't anything he hasn't done before. He wants to win now, just as he did when his career was going sour in New Jersey.
"I've always been comfortable with it," he said of the leadership role. "I've always been a winner. When I went through what I went through, the years of losing, the only thing it did was help me build my character - despite what people were thinking, or how they felt about me, or how they previewed me before they knew me."
Marbury envisions leading the Suns to a point where they play consistently game to game.
"No matter what night we're playing, who the opponent is, home or away," he said. "I want us to play the same way we did in Sacramento every night."
Fans might be surprised at the lengths to which he'll go. Marbury even purchased his own video equipment to view scouting tapes of the team's games, their opponents and other players.
It's the same system used by the coaching staff, which stores the videos on DVDs, and Marbury has it loaded with the coaches' equipment for every trip so he can watch game tapes in his hotel room.
"Either that, or he got tired of paying room charges for movies and he's fooling everybody," D'Antoni cracked before turning serious.
"I appreciate what he does. He's trying to do the right thing. I think he did a great job last year, and he's doing it again this year.
"Your best players are going to be your leaders, like it or not. It's doubly important for him to do the right things and be on board with everything we're doing."
But D'Antoni said he's on board with Marbury, too.
"I think he's sometimes maligned because people want him to be something that he isn't," he said. "Everybody has their idea of what a playmaker is, and what you should be doing. Some people are what they are, and Steph's pretty good. He's an All-Star.
"You have to be careful about trying to make him into somebody else. Let him be Stephon Marbury and give everybody else a role around him to make it all work."
Marbury's leadership is showing up in other ways, such as how he has taken rookie Leandro Barbosa under his wing. Terry Porter, now Milwaukee's coach, did the same for Marbury when he was in Minnesota, as did former Timberwolves guard Micheal Williams.
"It's like that movie, Pay it Forward," Marbury said. "I had two guys who really mentored me, and I really appreciate those guys. They showed me the ropes of the NBA.
"Leandro is my teammate and he's also my friend. No matter where he is in his career, I'll be one of those dudes he can call for whatever he needs.
"I try to be consistent, but it's hard when you're losing. I know if they see me down, they're going to be down. But sometimes they need to see me mad.
"They know I was tired of losing. Like (Tuesday) night. That was, 'Enough is enough.' You get tired of walking the long way home to avoid the bully. You're like, 'This is getting ridiculous. I'm going home, and I'm not walking that extra half-hour to get there.' "
Marbury at ease in leadership role
Suns guard says consistency is goal
Bob Young
The Arizona Republic
Dec. 18, 2003 12:00 AM
Fairly or not, when Stephon Marbury arrived in Phoenix after that 2001 trade with New Jersey, he was perceived as a me-first player, not a leader. He had a reputation for being selfish and aloof.
But there was nothing aloof about Marbury at halftime of a game against the Clippers at Staples Center, when he let his teammates have an earful about their efforts.
The Suns lost anyway but may have turned a corner that night. Afterward, coach Mike D'Antoni talked about how important Marbury's leadership was that night.
The Suns followed it up with a strong effort - yet another loss - in Sacramento, then finally ended a six-game slide with an overtime victory Tuesday over Seattle.
Tonight, they visit the Portland Trail Blazers and Marbury said his outburst in LA wasn't anything he hasn't done before. He wants to win now, just as he did when his career was going sour in New Jersey.
"I've always been comfortable with it," he said of the leadership role. "I've always been a winner. When I went through what I went through, the years of losing, the only thing it did was help me build my character - despite what people were thinking, or how they felt about me, or how they previewed me before they knew me."
Marbury envisions leading the Suns to a point where they play consistently game to game.
"No matter what night we're playing, who the opponent is, home or away," he said. "I want us to play the same way we did in Sacramento every night."
Fans might be surprised at the lengths to which he'll go. Marbury even purchased his own video equipment to view scouting tapes of the team's games, their opponents and other players.
It's the same system used by the coaching staff, which stores the videos on DVDs, and Marbury has it loaded with the coaches' equipment for every trip so he can watch game tapes in his hotel room.
"Either that, or he got tired of paying room charges for movies and he's fooling everybody," D'Antoni cracked before turning serious.
"I appreciate what he does. He's trying to do the right thing. I think he did a great job last year, and he's doing it again this year.
"Your best players are going to be your leaders, like it or not. It's doubly important for him to do the right things and be on board with everything we're doing."
But D'Antoni said he's on board with Marbury, too.
"I think he's sometimes maligned because people want him to be something that he isn't," he said. "Everybody has their idea of what a playmaker is, and what you should be doing. Some people are what they are, and Steph's pretty good. He's an All-Star.
"You have to be careful about trying to make him into somebody else. Let him be Stephon Marbury and give everybody else a role around him to make it all work."
Marbury's leadership is showing up in other ways, such as how he has taken rookie Leandro Barbosa under his wing. Terry Porter, now Milwaukee's coach, did the same for Marbury when he was in Minnesota, as did former Timberwolves guard Micheal Williams.
"It's like that movie, Pay it Forward," Marbury said. "I had two guys who really mentored me, and I really appreciate those guys. They showed me the ropes of the NBA.
"Leandro is my teammate and he's also my friend. No matter where he is in his career, I'll be one of those dudes he can call for whatever he needs.
"I try to be consistent, but it's hard when you're losing. I know if they see me down, they're going to be down. But sometimes they need to see me mad.
"They know I was tired of losing. Like (Tuesday) night. That was, 'Enough is enough.' You get tired of walking the long way home to avoid the bully. You're like, 'This is getting ridiculous. I'm going home, and I'm not walking that extra half-hour to get there.' "
