“I don’t think those guys will want to go through it,” said Marbury, who is training in Los Angeles. “China is not for everybody — a whole ‘nother world. I don’t think they’re going to go there, not the big-time guys. Maybe they’d come for a little bit, but if the season is cancelled for the year, I don’t think they’d want to stay. They’ll want to go home.

“I don’t think Carmelo Anthony is going to run like they want to run in practice,” Marbury added. “They want to run you to death. The first time I got there, they ran in practice for two straight hours. I said, ‘Is that what we have to do every practice?’ “

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Guess who’s again making headlines?

Stephon Marbury, the troubled and controversial former NBA point guard, believes the New York Knicks` Carmelo Anthony wouldn’t be up to the rigors of pro’ ball in China.

Marbury, of course, is an expert on Chinese basketball. He’s also an expert on coming up short -just in the good old United States of America.

After bottoming out of the NBA for interesting behaviour off-court, he found a nice landing spot pushing his skill and sneaks in the world’s greatest economy.

However, Marbury can’t compare his situation to what Melo` or any NBA All-Star would face abroad.

Back then Marbury was desperate. He needed China to save his career on-court and to hawk his goods on billions of people.

Melo’ does not need China. Not now anyway. He has leverage, meaning he’d dictate terms on practice, travel, and anything else.

Marbury is clearly taking a shot at the Knicks’ newest star. After all, the Steph’ era was ushered out in favour of collecting cap space to sign/trade for big-ticket talents like Anthony.

Once again, Marbury is making headlines. Like always, it`s for the wrong reasons.

--Oly Sandor.

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Every team could use an enforcer and, in that category, there's no better free agent available than Thomas. As with every veteran free agent, Boston will use its championship potential as its best pitch.

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HoopsVibe`s Very Quick Call: They need a post. He needs a championship. So the Boston Celtics and Kurt Thomas seem a fit.

In February, the Celtics traded starting center Kendrick Perkins to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Jeff Green. The green-and-white clearly missed Perkins' toughness, defense, and rebounding.

Nenad Krstic, who was included in the Perkins-for-Green deal, recently signed a long-term deal in Europe, while Glen 'Big Baby' Davis, when not fishing for lobsters, seems determined to leave when the lockout ends.

The Celtics have a hole down low. Thomas, a cross between Perkins and Davis, might be the answer.

Like Perkins, Thomas has presence. His shoulders are wide. His elbows are razor sharp. And his screens are lethal.

Like Davis, Thomas has skill. As a senior, he led the NCAA in scoring and rebounding. And he has a jump-shot, especially off pick-and-pops.

Then there's Thomas' demeanour. He's always professional, but has no problem calling out a teammate in the wrong –like Stephon Marbury.

The only downside is age. Thomas is 39, so the veteran-laden Celtics wouldn't get younger or more athletic.

Everything else works. Perhaps the Celtics and Thomas join forces for one last run at a championship.

--Oly Sandor.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

Kobe Bryant may take his talents to China during the NBA's lockout. There are preliminary talks about a basketball tour to China this summer — and perhaps beyond — in which the Lakers superstar, who has called China a "home away from home" and has an enormous following there, would be the headliner with several other NBA stars forming two or three barnstorming teams.

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Stephon Marbury told The Post yesterday that he is done with the NBA. He will never get a second chance with the Knicks like Isiah Thomas, whose NBA life was resuscitated by James Dolan on Friday.

"Good luck, New York," Marbury said wryly in reacting to Thomas' return to the Knicks as a part-time consultant. "Good luck, New York."

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HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: Do I detect a note of sarcasm from the one they call The Starbury?

Stephon Marbury and Isiah Thomas were once allies with the New York Knicks. Thomas traded for Marbury, a former New York high school star. And for a while, the two were connected at the hip.

Once the losing started, once the negative press began, once Thomas' sexual harassment case made national headlines, they turned on each other.

Marbury refused to support Thomas and the organization during the sexual harassment case. The problems then spilled over to the basketball court, and the two had a confrontation on the team plane. For their shenanigans, both were run out the NBA.

There is a difference between these two: Thomas is getting a second chance, Marbury is not.

Perhaps, Marbury's sarcasm is really sour grapes.

--Oly Sandor.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.   

Celtics fans may get the chance to see how well Shaquille O'Neal's hyperbole or ego mix with a bench role. The Celtics, [a] source said, have told O'Neal that he has to come off the bench next season, and that O'Neal said he could accept a reserve role for the first time in his career.

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HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: Clarity is the key.

Credit the Boston Celtics for telling Shaquille O'Neal - one of the NBA's top 50 players of all time - that he would play a role for the green-and-white.

O'Neal also deserves credit -if he signs with the Celtics and comes off the bench. After all, how many aging superstars have killed their careers by making unrealistic demands?

Last I checked, Allen Iverson and Stephon Marbury are out the league because they had to start. Tracy McGrady's career is almost over, in part, because he doesn't want to become a reserve.

Signing with the Celtics will prolong O'Neal's career and give him a chance at a fifth NBA Title. All he had to do was swallow his ego.

--Oly Sandor.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

Stephon Marbury told the New York Post on Sunday that he didn't turn down a chance to play for the Heat. In fact, Marbury still hasn't given up hope on playing for Miami.

Marbury said a Chinese reporter mixed up the translation of his remarks and that it was falsely reported he had rejected an offer from the Heat. He told the Post that Miami contacted him in early July before LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh joined forces. The Heat told him they would get back to him after "they handled all the things they had to handle."

"It's total nonsense, why would I turn down a chance to play for the Miami Heat?" Marbury said. "The report was a fabrication."

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Stephon Marbury said Friday that he is looking for a place to play in China, but the Heat have showed interest in signing him.

"I'll wait and see what'll happen," Marbury said during an interview with the Chinese media.

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Meanwhile, the Raptors are not just sitting around. Rather, Colangelo is shopping Hedo Turkoglu, Jose Calderon, and Jarrett Jack with an eye toward making trades before July 1. The same source told me that a Turkoglu trade was already in the works and could happen by the draft.

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