As Usual, 1 Step Forward, 2 Back for Marbury

I don't think I'm the only NBA fan who, at some point during the last few seasons, wished Stephon Marbury would just disappear. He was the ultimate distraction, gave the sport a bad name, and was frankly kind of boring by the end. I almost want to say he was acting out, and everyone knows you're not supposed to reward that kind of behavior. And yet I had two separate conversations during Bulls/Celtics about how relieved we were -- if not for the man, then for ourselves -- to see Marbury free of all drama. To be relegated to an afterthought.

I'd long felt that Marbury was too outrageous to be a tragic figure, as well as too much a victim of his own silliness. But these discussions made it seem like, on some level, we all felt that the former Knick got a raw deal -- even if it was mostly his own fault. You feel bad for a drunk in a ditch, even if he put himself there, but only after you've walked past him. Anyway, according to the New York Daily News, there is indeed a legit reason to feel bad for Steph. Well, more according to Steph:

"I had posttraumatic stress from different things going on," Marbury told ESPN. "[My psychiatrist] told me, 'You're a mess, basically' ... To end up [on the Celtics], it's like you go from hell to being in heaven," he said.

Marbury discussed at length the despair he suffered after his father died during a Dec. 2, 2007, game between the Knicks and the Phoenix Suns: "I basically lost my mind when my father died," he said. "I was in shock. Going to a psychiatrist was the best thing I ever did."

If you think I'm making light of PTSD, or any mental illness, know that I cut the News's reference to this as a "sob story." Nor am I trying to pile on Marbury any further. I'm wondering, though, if this latest revelation makes the guy more sympathetic, or only adds to the circus-like atmosphere surrounding that last few years of his career. It's almost like writing a tell-all just when everyone's started to let you put your past behind you. Everyone could see that Steph wasn't right in the head; making very public claims that indirectly compare his situation to servicemen in war zones, well, it's like opening up a whole new can of worms.

That's not to say that this announcement couldn't help raise awareness of the illness, or bring about some other form of public good. But it also marks a return to Marbury's spotlight-grabbing form, which I think is what prevented most people from viewing him as anything other than a bad joke. Down the line, this might make the rise and fall (and fall, and fall, and fall) of Starbury all the more profound. For now -- however insensitive this may sound -- it only succeeds in making us cynical about him all over again.

This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.