nydailynews:Isiah Thomas was responsible for bringing Stephon Marbury and Larry Brown together, a merger that blew up famously. And even as Marbury and Brown feuded through the media all season, Thomas never tried to play peacemaker, a decision he says he doesn't regret.
"That was a personal relationship with the coach and the player that as president of the organization I didn't feel that I needed to intercede in the development of that relationship," Thomas said yesterday.
When asked why he didn't try to dissolve the feud, Thomas replied: "The coach that I hire, I can't demand of them the type of relationships that they choose to have with their players."
Without ever mentioning Brown's name, Thomas said his style of coaching is to create a more family-like atmosphere. Thomas' relationship with Marbury has been well-documented and yet Thomas told reporters at the Wynn Hotel yesterday that his relationship with all the players is "pretty strong." He even said the player he is closest to is Jalen Rose.
"I think players need to have one-on-one relationships with the coach," Thomas said. "I think they respond better when they have that type of relationship, whether it was Trevor Ariza, who I spent a lot of time with, or Stephon Marbury. I spend time with all our players. I know about their personal life. I know their mothers, their dads. I think you have to have that type of relationship with our players so you know who is walking through the door that day.
"I way that I was taught is that your coach is not some standoff guy. Your coach is the guy that is the closet thing to you outside of your parents. That's a huge responsibility for a coach. You're a mentor. Not only are you teaching them the game of basketball, you're teaching them the game of life."
It wasn't a coincidence that Thomas brought up Ariza, who was traded last February to Orlando. Brown publicly criticized Ariza last season, calling him "delusional" after Ariza complained about playing time. Garden chairman James Dolan, who fired Brown last month, was upset over Brown's penchant for making critical comments about players.
Every player on the Knicks was acquired by Thomas, but no player is more closely associated with the team's president/coach than Marbury. And it is no secret that Marbury, like many of his teammates, was happy to see Thomas replace Brown. And now they have to perform for a coach who was given a win-or-else edict from Dolan.
"You can't say that it's the point guard's responsibility to make us win and make us lose," said Thomas, who throughout his interview tried to avoid making Marbury the focus. "A lot of guys are playing too. It's not all on him.
"We're the New York Knicks. It's not about Isiah, it's not about Stephon, it's not about Jim Dolan, it's about the Knicks. We're a unit and we've got to get our players to think, feel and act that way. I don't coach looking for a savior to win the game all the time. I coach to teach them."
