So he really did have some dirt on Isiah.

A wisely played blackmail card. I'm assuming that he will be reimbursed for the $200K fine behind the scenes.

Apparently the rest of the Knicks didn't take too kindly to Starbury going AWOL on them:

Seriously. What info does he have? This is embarrassing for Zeke.

Is this the real reason Marbury left?

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/15/nyregion/15mrlou.html

Wolves: Telfair, Marbury share a loss

Maybe the Marbury-Thomas argument was about Marbury leaving. The person that died was not a relative of Marbury's and Thomas needs every win he can get so he may not have wanted Marbury to leave. That would also explain why he was fined, for leaving against management's wishes.

Agreed. Marbury probably insisted on leaving, contrary to Isiah's wishes. And now Thomas is covering for Marbury by keeping quiet.

Also, it should be noted that the Knicks have not officially filed the paperwork necessary to fine Marbury, with the players union. So the fine could just be a rumor.

If he left b/c of a death, then why didn't the other players welcome him back?

How do we really know how the other Knicks feel? I haven't read one real quote from any Knicks, other than Jarred Jeffries and Mardy Collins. And both Jeffries and Collins supported Marbury:


"You always support your teammates," forward Jared Jeffries said. "A lot of people on the outside don't understand what guys go through with their family, their friends, with this team, with anything. Whenever somebody goes through a tough time you support your teammate."
Mardy Collins got the start in Marbury's place, but said he would love to have him back.

"Yeah, definitely. He's been nothing but good to me ever since I've been here. There's not a bad thing I can say about Steph," Collins said.

"Whatever happens, happens. I'm just here and whenever my number is called I go out there and compete."


http://stats.nypost.com/nba/story.as...43424630000301


I'm beginning to think that the national press is pulling a "McCosky" and making all this stuff up.

I thought they voted.

That would be a pretty bold thing to make up if it weren't true.

From today's NY Post:

"A league source said the Knicks still were discussing whether to go through officially with the fine and file the paperwork with the Players' Association. If they don't fine him, then Marbury's claim to The Post that he was given permission by Thomas to go home carries more weight. If that's the case, it begs the question on why Thomas would give Marbury permission to leave at the start of a huge four-game West Coast trip."


So in other words, all of the national media's reports that the Knicks have fined Marbury are false. In reality, no fine has yet been made.