Shoals Unlimited: No Longer Marbury Country

↵Before Josh Childress spurned the Hawks, before marquee names like Kobe and LeBron were being seriously asked if they'd consider leaving the NBA, one man had a dream. His name was Stephon Marbury, and a little over a year ago, he announced his plans to one day play in Italy: "I'm not just thinking of doing it, I'm going to do it. My wife loved it there. It's like a [David] Beckham thing." ↵
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↵Back then, Marbury sounded crazy, or maybe just defeatist. For all his flaws and foolishness, Steph still could play at a very high level. It appeared that he'd either completely lost it, or given up and decided it was time for him to follow a time-honored path for aging rejects and black sheep. Then again, this was going to be "a David Beckham thing." Clearly, the man thought this was a good way to maximize what star power he had left: Go to Europe with a little bit of prime left in him and really teach the Continent a thing or two.↵
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↵After the debacle that was the 2007-08 Knicks, Marbury's desire to head overseas made more sense than ever. It would've given him a chance to regain some dignity, and end his career on a respectable—or maybe even a storybook—note. You'd think that, with Europe on the tip of every player's tongue, now Marbury's master plan would be even closer to coming true—especially if the team decides to waive him (although now the team says he'll be at training camp next week). Instead, though, it's less likely than ever that he'll get that chance.↵
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↵What exactly did Childress do? On both sides of the equation, it turned the American signing abroad into more than a novelty. Childress was brought to Olympiacos not to generate publicity or draw attendance (that "David Beckham thing") but because he'd be a productive member of a team that already had a strong identity. At the same time, the young forward isn't thinking of his new home as an exile, or simply the triumph of the highest bidder. For Childress, this is real basketball, not that much different from switching NBA teams as a free agent. He got a huge contract by European standards, and yet his new employers believe he'll be worth every penny on the court.↵
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↵Stephen Marbury is, for all intents and purposes, the polar opposite of the unselfish, self-effacing, multi-skilled and heady Childress. In Marbury's original plan, a team would jump at the chance for a little taste of NBA magic. And pay a premium to do it. Now, when you hear this scenario batted around, it has to involve the likes of LeBron or Kobe. That's what it would take for these teams to sell their souls. Yes, the NBA's willing to take international ball more seriously, but it's also because those teams have gained confidence in exactly where they stand in relation to America's pros.↵
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↵Furthermore, it's probably not in the best interest for Marbury to get in the way of progress. David Stern would prefer LeBron not take a sabbatical in Russia. But Childress, Earl Boykins, and the numerous European players who voluntarily left the Association are helping move us toward a New Basketball World Order, where the game is truly worldwide, with Stern most likely lording over it all. These aren't blows to the NBA's credibility, they're the first stages of a more substantial relationship between all the leagues in the world. Signs of mutual respect that bode well for all basketball fans, everywhere.↵
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↵Does anything about that rosy future scream "Starbury time!" to you? If the goal is to bring everyone up to the NBA's level, the last thing you want is one of the era's great cancers running wild as some kind of deranged ambassador. To have any future in this grand scheme, you either need to be a consummate professional or a basketball demigod. Marbury's never been the former exactly because he imagines himself to be latter. Which is why he'll have to sit and watch others live out his dream, while he hangs out at home waiting for the phone to ring.↵

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