Fat Joe and Stephon Marybury are tight.

Both New York born and bred. Marbury played for Fat Joe’s summer league squad in the Entertainer’s Basketball Classic at Rucker Park for years.

So it’s no surprise the hip-hop artist was in Marbury’s ‘A Kid From Coney Island’    documentary now available on Netflix that recounts Marbury’s life and basketball career through his family, friends, fellow hip-hop artist Cam’ron and former NBA players Ray Allen, Chauncey Billups and God Shammgod.

One of Marbury’s stops was in Phoenix where he was an all-star 2003 and played two full seasons before being traded to New York in the 2003-04 season. Marbury made the playoffs in the 2002-03 season, but was also charged with a DUI in February 2002.   

During this section of the documentary, Fat Joe paints a critical picture of how Phoenix treated Marbury when talking about the trade.

“It was for the good, but do you know how Arizona, how Phoenix did Steph?” Fat Joe said. “He woke up and they were like, ‘Yo, get your stuff.’ He was the leader of Phoenix. They told him, ‘Get your stuff. You’re going to the Knicks.’ The way they walked him out was like crackhead (expletive). ‘Yo, take your family. Get out of here. Where? The Knicks. Ohhh.’”  

Marbury’s sister, Stephanie, pointed out how Marbury was named “one of the 25 most hated athletes because of his teammates” in a media publication.

As she continued to elaborate on the subject, the documentary shows a headline “Marbury No Favourite Sun” from the New York Post.

“Who are the players that’s saying he’s the worst teammate,” she said. “The ones that say he may be in their face during the lockerroom when you only giving 50% of your potential.”

ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith and Billups came to the defense of Marbury, who was being called selfish by his critics.

I personally know he’s not.

Back when I was in Erie, Pennsylvania, Marbury came to town to sign autographs at Steve & Barry’s, which ceased operations in 2009. The sporting goods store sold the Starbury shoes for a very inexpensive $14.98.

I remember LeBron James saying he would never put out a discount line when asked about Starbury shoes before facing the Knicks in March of 2007.

“Me being with Nike, we hold our standards high,” James said. “And we do a great job of putting out great merchandise, great shoes. It does come with a price that is pretty high, but at the same time you’re getting great quality for it.”

Marbury’s reaction?

“I laughed,” Marbury told The Post at the time about those comments. “I’d rather own than be owned. When he retires, he’s not going to own anything.”

Now James has evolved into a force in the business world, started ‘I Promise School’ in his hometown of Akron for at-risk youth, and a become outspoken for racial equality and social justice to go along with being one of the greatest basketball players ever.

James has matured, but I say all that to set up what Marbury did that night in Erie.

I went over to do a story on him and the autograph event. I had a kid from church with me to meet Marbury.

So Marbury tells me to sit down with him and we talked for a bit before the interview.

Later on during the interview, Marbury says, “Is that your son?”

I was like, “Naugh, he’s a kid from church.”

Marbury then goes, “Hey little man, get whatever you want. I got you.”

Now Marbury doesn’t know this kid at all, but he tells him and four other kids to grab shopping carts and get whatever they wanted from the store.

So I tell the kid, ‘Hey, don’t go crazy now. Get you a couple pair of shoes, a shirt and that’s it.”

He nods his head and proceeds to get exactly what I asked him to get.

If only everyone else listened to me like that. Good kid.

So one of Marbury’s friends sees the kid’s nearly empty cart and goes, “That’s all you getting? Get some more stuff. Go crazy.”

 Why did he say that?

The kid starts grabbing coats, shoes, jeans, hats, filling the cart up to the top.

I’m like, “What are you doing?”

The kid’s reaction?

“THEY TOLD ME TO GO CRAZY! I’M GOING CRAZY!”

Marbury laughed so out loud.

I even had to chuckle for a second.

Those kids collectively picked up at least $1,000 dollars of gear that Marbury handled. Now I know he’s a millionaire, but the gesture and thinking of the kids is what counts.

So Marbury had issues with teammates. He was outspoken, traded far too many times for someone with his talent and ability – and from what was revealed in the documentary went through personal loss and emotional trauma before a rebirth in China.

However, Marbury is an inspiration to many. He also has a good heart and spirit.

I saw the latter firsthand that night in Erie.

Have opinion about current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at [email protected] or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on Twitter at @DuaneRankin.

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