Stephon Marbury and Decomposing Online

The NBA handles its image and its public relations very carefully. Commissioner David Stern know that the business of basketball is managing perceptions. What Stephon Marbury is doing online must be mortifying for the NBA executive officials.

Stephon Marbury is decomposing online.

Stephon Marbury still is listed on the Boston Celtics roster. He is listed as a guard, with thirteen years of experience. Playing a few games for the Boston Celtics and being on the roster of the New York Knicks last season, Stephon Marbury was paid millions of dollars. It is estimated that the figure was over twenty million dollars.

Now, Stephon Marbury is doing a video stream over the internet. The video posts quickly find their way onto YouTube. It is difficult to describe the online videos. It is not entertainment. It is more like a ’stream of consciousness’ - a video presentation of someone decomposing and wrestling with his reality.

On these videos, Stephon Marbury listens to music; he cries; he eats Vaseline; he says whatever comes to mind… It may be possible that there has never been anything quite like it from a professional sports athlete. Many viewers and sports writers speculate whether Stephon Marbury is having a psychological break-down. Whatever may be behind the behaviour, the videos will live on online. Some compare it to a train-wreck. It will be miraculous if some public relations firm can salvage anything from this debacle. It is truly sad. And it is a certainty that the NBA officials have never handle anything like this. Welcome to the internet, Commissioner Stern.

Catherine Forsythe