by Stop Mike Lupica on September 21 at 11:01AM
Yesterday Shoals wrote a post at The Fanhouse about Marbury's latest interview. He was wondering if this behavior lately might be related to a change in religion:
"This got me thinking: Could Marbury just be a born-again Christian? Every athlete talks about God a lot, but something about the way he does it, and how recently transformed he seems, makes me wonder. Those people are kind of loopy, and happy all the time; maybe there's a perfectly plausible, and mundane, explanation for this recent spate of curious behavior. He did give a bunch of shoes away on the street, which sounds like something out of the Bible."
There is definitely a possibility. For starters Marbury is using "God" in his interviews lately multiple times - not just in his famous appearance on Mike'D Up, or here, but even in his short stint as a guest blogger for the NY Post. He's spoken about finding God, and giving himself up to God. Just look at the quotes from this latest video:
Time out. "My ghi is unlimited" is going on a t-shirt. Or better yet, the t-shirt will read "F*ck your swag, my ghi is unlimited!" That's my second favorite line, after the "I do that to stay closer to God" dance. All these years I thought the Lost Boys were dancing in their videos they were just trying to stay close to God:
Third favorite line: Euro Nightmare wrote me "Looks like the Knicks are going to win the championship on a last second three by Zach". My response: "College or NBA three? Because Zach apparently can hit both." Okay, time in.
So, yes, Marbury has found God. It's a recent development - he never talked so much about God before, not when he was getting criticized in the media for proclaiming himself the best point guard in the NBA.
But the larger point of Shoals' post is about the "kind of loopy", "happy all the time" behavior, which is also new to Marbury. I remember sulky, unhappy Marbury from the Brown years. Obviously he's very much happier now, and it originates with the new, charitable Marbury, the one giving sneakers away (and money - over $4 million dollars last year to cops, firefighters, teachers). Is it a religious awakening behind it?
Well, yes and no, in my opinion. The way he's acting - the way he's talking, the way he speaks to the interviewers here and to Bruce Beck in Mike'd Up - that's the way he's always talked, just not in front of a camera. If you know Brooklyn, you know that style - that's Brooklyn! That's me talking to my boys in the mailroom, or at the bar, or in the car while we rolling around listening to jams. That's how we talk. That's how Marbury talks to his boys... that's old Brooklyn (or old skool NYC). That's Jay-Z, Biggy, Big Daddy Kane. That's the Old Dirty Bastard. That's Jeru, the M.O.P., anyone from BK in the 80's.
So Marbury is just letting himself be himself, in public, in interviews. No caring what the PR people tell you - he's going to dress himself, talk like himself, be himself. He's Gilbert Arenas, but without the calculus. He's Kanye West at the Emmys - you don't get invited to the Emmys to be like another presenter - you get invited to be Kanye West presenting.
Is it a bad thing? Personally I say hell no. It's a good thing, especially since (despite what the big media writes about him) he's not embarrassing. He's giving money and sneakers away, making everyone proud. Yeah, he would make us all prouder if he won the Knicks a title - and you know what? He's talking like he at least is willing to do his part. All summer long he's talked about giving the ball up to Curry, and now to Randolph (hey, did you know Randolph is a southpaw?). He's content to buy into the system, to score only 10 points a game. We'll see for sure when the season starts, but it's the right attitude.
On the other hand, Shoals is right. Like Marbury said here, if you give yourself freedom, you are totally reborn. He's clearly been a new person, not the same one who sulked under Brown because he wasn't getting his numbers, not the same one who was concerned with putting up the numbers so that he could say he's the best. Now he's just a man on a mission, a mission of giving and making a difference. Instead of working on his game this past offseason, he went on a 75-city tour, giving away sneakers. Will his game suffer when he shows up to camp in October? We'll see - maybe it will, or maybe he'll shake the rust off quickly. Or maybe the Knicks will cut back on his minutes this season. Whatever the case, he's more concerned with the larger things in life.
Whatever his past mistakes, and there are plenty - pride, lust, greed - Starbury is born again. And not only is he more entertaining, but he's someone worth rooting for, too.
Leave a comment
"This got me thinking: Could Marbury just be a born-again Christian? Every athlete talks about God a lot, but something about the way he does it, and how recently transformed he seems, makes me wonder. Those people are kind of loopy, and happy all the time; maybe there's a perfectly plausible, and mundane, explanation for this recent spate of curious behavior. He did give a bunch of shoes away on the street, which sounds like something out of the Bible."
There is definitely a possibility. For starters Marbury is using "God" in his interviews lately multiple times - not just in his famous appearance on Mike'D Up, or here, but even in his short stint as a guest blogger for the NY Post. He's spoken about finding God, and giving himself up to God. Just look at the quotes from this latest video:
I'm gonna put it in God's hands...
It's something that was in my heart...
It's been brewing inside my body and mind...
When you free your mind... everything shuts off... and then you get to start a new life and build a new memory. My ghi is unlimited.
It's something that was in my heart...
It's been brewing inside my body and mind...
When you free your mind... everything shuts off... and then you get to start a new life and build a new memory. My ghi is unlimited.
Time out. "My ghi is unlimited" is going on a t-shirt. Or better yet, the t-shirt will read "F*ck your swag, my ghi is unlimited!" That's my second favorite line, after the "I do that to stay closer to God" dance. All these years I thought the Lost Boys were dancing in their videos they were just trying to stay close to God:
Third favorite line: Euro Nightmare wrote me "Looks like the Knicks are going to win the championship on a last second three by Zach". My response: "College or NBA three? Because Zach apparently can hit both." Okay, time in.
So, yes, Marbury has found God. It's a recent development - he never talked so much about God before, not when he was getting criticized in the media for proclaiming himself the best point guard in the NBA.
But the larger point of Shoals' post is about the "kind of loopy", "happy all the time" behavior, which is also new to Marbury. I remember sulky, unhappy Marbury from the Brown years. Obviously he's very much happier now, and it originates with the new, charitable Marbury, the one giving sneakers away (and money - over $4 million dollars last year to cops, firefighters, teachers). Is it a religious awakening behind it?
Well, yes and no, in my opinion. The way he's acting - the way he's talking, the way he speaks to the interviewers here and to Bruce Beck in Mike'd Up - that's the way he's always talked, just not in front of a camera. If you know Brooklyn, you know that style - that's Brooklyn! That's me talking to my boys in the mailroom, or at the bar, or in the car while we rolling around listening to jams. That's how we talk. That's how Marbury talks to his boys... that's old Brooklyn (or old skool NYC). That's Jay-Z, Biggy, Big Daddy Kane. That's the Old Dirty Bastard. That's Jeru, the M.O.P., anyone from BK in the 80's.
So Marbury is just letting himself be himself, in public, in interviews. No caring what the PR people tell you - he's going to dress himself, talk like himself, be himself. He's Gilbert Arenas, but without the calculus. He's Kanye West at the Emmys - you don't get invited to the Emmys to be like another presenter - you get invited to be Kanye West presenting.
Is it a bad thing? Personally I say hell no. It's a good thing, especially since (despite what the big media writes about him) he's not embarrassing. He's giving money and sneakers away, making everyone proud. Yeah, he would make us all prouder if he won the Knicks a title - and you know what? He's talking like he at least is willing to do his part. All summer long he's talked about giving the ball up to Curry, and now to Randolph (hey, did you know Randolph is a southpaw?). He's content to buy into the system, to score only 10 points a game. We'll see for sure when the season starts, but it's the right attitude.
On the other hand, Shoals is right. Like Marbury said here, if you give yourself freedom, you are totally reborn. He's clearly been a new person, not the same one who sulked under Brown because he wasn't getting his numbers, not the same one who was concerned with putting up the numbers so that he could say he's the best. Now he's just a man on a mission, a mission of giving and making a difference. Instead of working on his game this past offseason, he went on a 75-city tour, giving away sneakers. Will his game suffer when he shows up to camp in October? We'll see - maybe it will, or maybe he'll shake the rust off quickly. Or maybe the Knicks will cut back on his minutes this season. Whatever the case, he's more concerned with the larger things in life.
Whatever his past mistakes, and there are plenty - pride, lust, greed - Starbury is born again. And not only is he more entertaining, but he's someone worth rooting for, too.
Leave a comment
|
3 Comments
Comments
stopmikelupica
said
You know, you make me think of something else, GM: Most people are born again (or find God) only after suffering a great loss of some kind, having something bad, happen to them (Vick) or going broke (Hammer). Marbury seems to not have suffered any loss of any kind, at least not that I'm aware of.
It's just interesting to note, that's all.
These sentiments are similar to some I expressed over at TSF a while back - I'm always defending the NY ballers there, and elsewhere!
Anyway, Marbury's sins, whatever they were or are, have always been overplayed. His talk has always been misinterpreted - even by NY beat writers who friggin know better! But his gregariousness, and now his altruism, have always been and are currently being downplayed.
Shid, I'd say to Marbury what I'd say to anyone in the public eye: shake those muhfuckin haters OFF, home skillet, and DO YOU.
One question does linger, howsever (and, yes, I meant to say "howsever"): did money find God before, or after, he banged the intern in the back of the vehicle?
I've always had a liking for Marbury. Even before the battle with Iverson in college at MSG, I was a fan. Maybe it just took longer for him to realize life is more important than necklaces and cars.