Stephon Marbury Is Out For The Season...Not That Anyone Will Notice

Stephon Marbury is out for the season because of a knee injury that was more severe than doctors originally had thought.

Honestly now, how often has the overpaid Stephon Marbury been on the court to begin with? Has anyone actually noticed a difference between when he did and did not play?

If anything, this should be a blessing for the New York Knicks. Now, Isiah Thomas has one less player and problem to worry about.

What happened to Stephon Marbury? I remember a time when he used to be a great player. I might as well asked what happened to the New York Knicks? Why did they spiral so badly? They achieved a record for having the worst record through 50 games in franchise history....and that's one record they shouldn't be proud of.

Shaquille O' Neal Travels To Los Angeles For Medical Treatment

Miami Heat center Shaquille O'Neal flew Monday to Los Angeles to seek medical treatment for a hip injury that has sidelined him the past five games.

You know, everyone likes to poke fun at the New York Knicks for what a disgrace they are (including myself), but do people realize that the Miami Heat are far worse than them?

O'Neal's departure two games into a five-game trip is the latest setback for an injury-plagued team that has the worst record in the Eastern Conference at 8-26 and has lost seven games in a row. O'Neal had said Sunday he had hoped to return to the lineup Tuesday at Minnesota.

He bruised his left hip Dec. 22 when he dived for a loose ball and slid into the scorer's table during a win over Utah. He aggravated the injury in a Dec. 26 loss at Philadelphia and hasn't played since.

The hip injury and a sore left knee have contributed to the least productive season of O'Neal's 16-year career. He is averaging 14 points and 7.8 rebounds in 29 games.

Injury layoffs have been common for O'Neal in recent years. He missed 39 games last season, when he underwent left knee surgery. He sat out 21 games during the Heat's 2005-06 championship season because of a sprained ankle and sprained thumb.

The Heat lost O'Neal's backup, Alonzo Mourning, for the season when he tore two knee ligaments in a Dec. 19 loss at Atlanta. Dwyane Wade, Jason Williams and Dorell Wright have all battled injuries recently.

History Was Made In Madison Square Garden....But It Wasn't The Knicks

Kobe Bryant enjoyed every minute of his return to Madison Square Garden and making history made his trip that much better. Bryant scored 39 points, becoming the youngest player in NBA history to reach 20,000, and the Los Angeles Lakers held off the New York Knicks 95-90 Sunday. Bryant became the 31st player with 20,000 points.

Player	Years-Days
Kobe Bryant	29-122
Wilt Chamberlain	29-134
Michael Jordan	29-326
Oscar Robertson	30-97
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar	30-342
30 players are in the 20,000-Point Club: 18 are in the Basketball Hall of Fame; 10 are not yet eligible. Only eligible players not in Hall: Tom Chambers, Adrian Dantley.

Bryant added 11 rebounds and eight assists in his first game at the Garden in nearly two years. His 3-pointer in the opening minute of the third quarter allowed him to reach the milestone at 29 years, 122 days.

Kobe Bryant said: "I always like playing here, period," Bryant said. "Last year I didn't have an opportunity to play and I was upset about it. This is my favorite arena to play in so I'm just happy and relieved that I was able to play tonight."

Here that Isiah Thomas? Maybe you should look into acquiring Kobe to revitalize the Knicks and keep the fans happy. A move like that would make the fans happy and you would be likable again in the Garden. Though Bryant told reporters Saturday that the Knicks were one of the four teams he would have accepted a trade to, both coaches downplayed New York's chances. Jackson said there were no serious talks before the season, and Thomas added, "I never sincerely thought that the Lakers would trade him." Well, Isiah, you thought wrong. You didn't even make an effort.

Bryant's last basket came in the final minute after the Knicks had trimmed a 25-point deficit to one. The victory capped a 3-1 road trip for the Lakers, who headed home to host Phoenix on Tuesday. Kobe is also happy his team is finally connecting and playing well together. When Kobe is pleased, thats a good sign.

The Knicks, however, are still a disgrace. After the Knicks fell too far behind to make a comeback likely for the second time in three days, coach Isiah Thomas said there would be lineup changes when the Knicks play their next game, against Orlando on Wednesday."We probably have the wrong guys starting and we'll look to change our lineup and try to get some more energy and defensive guys in the lineup," Thomas said. Hey, with the way things are going for the Knicks, who can really argue with Isiah?

Isiah Thomas and MSG Settle Lawsuit; Now Someone Save Isiah

According to ESPN:

Madison Square Garden and New York Knicks coach Isiah Thomas reached an $11.5 million settlement of the sexual harassment case brought by a former team executive.

The deal came Monday as Anucha Browne Sanders was preparing to return to U.S. District Court in Manhattan, where her description of her ordeal with the Knicks exposed the club's tawdry side, from its dysfunctional clubhouse to the sexual exploits of star Stephon Marbury with an intern.

AP Photo/Seth Wenig

Isiah Thomas maintains his innocence, but his employer decided to settle.

A jury awarded her $11.6 million in punitive damages. This deal replaces that.

"I am extremely pleased that we have reached a settlement," Browne Sanders said in a statement. "The jury's verdict in this case sent a powerful and enduring message that harassment and retaliation at Madison Square Garden will not be tolerated. ... It has been a long journey, but I believe that justice has been done."

The case was supposed to resume this week before U.S. District Judge Gerard E. Lynch, who was set to decide how much Browne Sanders was owed in compensatory damages, a payout that usually involves lost wages and future loss of income. The Knicks also faced the possibility they might be ordered to pay what was likely to be millions of dollars in legal fees.

By settling, the Knicks avoided paying her legal fees, while Brown Sanders gets her money faster and avoids the possibility of having her award reduced on appeal.

Although Browne Sanders had demanded the right to resume working for the Knicks, one of her lawyers, Kevin Mintzer, said she will continue working at the University of Buffalo as an associate athletic director and senior woman administrator.

"As I have said before, I am completely innocent," Thomas said. "This decision doesn't change that. However, this is the best course for Madison Square Garden, and I fully support it."

By the way, the Knicks got slammed by Dallas tonight as New Yorkers in Madison Square Garden repeatedly chanted to fire Isiah. He is really not going over well in New York. Also, Oliver Perez, one of many pitchers who helped blow the Mets' enormous lead during the final stretch of the previous baseball season, was booed when his picture appeared on the scoreboard.....New York fans are tough to please.

The Most Valuable Franchises In The NBA According To Forbes

Despite the struggles and antics of the New York Knicks on and off the court, they still remain the NBA's most valuable franchise for the third straight year, according to a list compiled by Forbes. The Knicks were valued at $604 million, up 3 percent from the previous year despite a spate of losing, an embarrassing defeat in a sexual harassment lawsuit, poor team chemistry, and continuing questions about the future of coach Isiah Thomas.

The NBA's marquee franchise also had a league-high $196 million in revenues for the 2006-07 season while topping the list with negative $42.2 million in operating income after going 33-49 and missing the playoffs.

A lot of the Knicks' success, money-wise, has to do with where they play. New York is the medulla oblongata of American culture and I am willing to bet that if the Knicks played anywhere else, people wouldn't waste their time and money watching this team. I would rank the circus as a slightly better tourist attraction, though the Knicks aren't far from that. The Knicks may have the most valuable franchise, but not the most valuable team

The Los Angeles Lakers decreased in value 2 percent, down to $560 from $568 million, but remained second on the list. I would suspect this is due to their recent lack of success and the other number of California teams available to watch. It can't be because of Kobe; he's probably the only reason why the Lakers draw in the money they do.

The Chicago Bulls were third with a value of $500 million and a league-best $59.3 million in operating income. Let's see how long this lasts with that amazing team of theirs who inexplainably can't win.

The Detroit Pistons and Houston Rockets rounded out the top five.

The Cleveland Cavailers showed the biggest jump in value among the top 10 teams, increasing 20 percent to $455 million. They jumped from 10th to seventh. I believe two words are responsible for that: Lebron James.

The New York Knicks Have Become A Joke For Basketball

That is putting it lightly. The New York Knicks have been plagued by off-court issues, player disloyalty, and very poor performances. In the Knicks' lost to the Pistons, marking their 8th straight loss, Pistons' guard Flip Murray said, "They looked like they didn't want to compete. They were just out there. All you had to do was look at their body language. I don't know what's going on over there, but they've got a lot of issues."

New York has lost eight straight and speculation is growing that Isiah Thomas might not be coaching much longer.The awful start has only compounded problems for him and Madison Square Garden after being defeated in a sexual harassment trial. Knicks fans have been chanting for Thomas to be fired, but the Hall of Fame point guard was welcomed with mostly cheers when he was introduced in an arena where he led the Bad Boys to back-to-back titles.

But is it really all Thomas' fault? Thomas and the Knicks started the game with energy, keeping the game close for several minutes. But despite hearing Thomas scream "Rotate!" or "Stay in front of him!" the Knicks were often out of position, leaving Detroit alone to take and make shots from all over the court. Thomas is well aware of the position he is in when he said, "It's not about the players right now. This is where coaching comes in. I have to make sure I give my team enough confidence and courage to go out and compete and execute a game plan. When you're in a hole like this, it's not about the players. It really is about the coach. If I'm depending on a player, then I'm placing responsibility in the wrong place. This is about me doing a better job."

Isiah Thomas, I'm still waiting to see when your "better job" will take place.

Stephon Marbury Has Issues With The Knicks

I'm not exactly sure what Stephon Marbury's problem(s) are, but his actions have made it clear that he has a problem being honest with the Knicks organization. Instead of being the team player he once was back in his glory days, he is only causing unnecessary drama for the Knicks. This is unfortunate for the Knicks because they are looking better this season than they have in previous years. Apparently, Marbury left the Knicks on Tuesday, skipping his practice. He sent two text messages to the New York Post (that's pretty cool, I didn't know the New York Post had a number you can text) saying that he had permission from coach Isiah Thomas to go home and miss a few days with the team, including a game against the Clippers on Wedsenday. However, Isiah Thomas did not confirm whether he allowed Marbury to just get up and leave. In fact, when he was interviewed, he managed to avoid the topic all together.

Several of Marbury's teammates said his departure took them by surprise, but they expressed no hard feelings. However, before I go off on Marbury for his inappropriate actions and lying to the media, perhaps first I should find out the real reason why Marbury went back home. Maybe a family emergency? That would be an appropriate reason to excuse him. Unfortunatly, my guess is that he is unhappy with the Knicks because speculation from Knicks sources and analysts discerened that his future with the team is in doubt. I don't know if this is true or not, but if it is, then the Knicks should trade him before he disrupts the team chemistry. I believe any player should be traded if they don't have a desire too play for that team. Why have a player who won't give you 100% or, in Marbury's case, just literally walk out. That's not professional nor does it give me a reason to believe he deserves the amount they are paying him, which is $42 million over the next two seasons.