Exiled Stephon Marbury’s dream of going back to high school has been squashed.
In another bizarre development, the 31-year-old Marbury said earlier yesterday he would like to practice with his alma-mater, Lincoln High, on his own time to stay in game shape – a plan Knicks brass opposed. He had hoped to receive permission from Knicks president Donnie Walsh to practice with the Coney Island superpower.
“I’ve got nothing to say about it,” Walsh said through a spokesman.
According to a source, Knicks brass felt Marbury, who has decided to cease participating in team scrimmages during practices, would be in violation of his contract and place himself in danger because he could lose his money if he gets injured.
Last night when contacted at the team’s Washington hotel, Marbury, after learning about the Knicks opposition to the plan, told The Post he’s not going to try to persuade team officials to change their minds.
“I’m not going to do it, if it’s going to be a problem,” Marbury said. “I didn’t think it would be.”
Marbury may have needed “written consent” from Walsh. According to a standard player’s contract, paragraph 12 states, in part, “The player agrees that he will not, without the written consent of the team, participate in any game or exhibition of basketball.” The Player’s Association last night was reviewing whether that includes participating in a high school practice during a season.
Before the plan fell through, Marbury, a 1995 graduate who won a state title for Lincoln, already had gotten the OK from the school’s coach Dwayne Morton, a close friend.
“I called coach already and told them I was going to come,” Marbury said yesterday after practice before flying with the team to Washington, where the Knicks face the Wizards tonight. “I’ll be able to run up and down with them and at the same time teach the younger guys the NBA game.”
In his first move to distance himself from his employer, Marbury has kept himself out of scrimmages, content to just do drills with the team. D’Antoni and Marbury said yesterday that is Marbury’s choice, not the coach’s. D’Antoni did not say whether he was bothered by Marbury’s decision not to scrimmage.
Marbury hasn’t played in the Knicks’ four games and has been inactive in the past three. He said he doesn’t want to take away time from the other guards who are activated.
“For me it’s important for the other guys to play, Mardy (Collins), (Anthony) Roberson, being that I’m not playing,” Marbury said. “I don’t want to take that away from them. Those guys need to be ready. I just pretty much concentrate on the drills. When they start to play up and down I’ll let them guys play. I know I’m not playing. Why would I take the time from them when they need to be on the basketball court playing?”
Yesterday, Marbury pedaled a bicycle and did stretching exercises on the sidelines as the Knicks scrimmaged.
Marbury will travel with the club Monday for its San Antonio-Memphis road trip.