Just thought I'll post this since Knicks is the next team Kings will face. 
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/story/277748p-237950c.html
Kurt, Knicks showing fight
By FRANK ISOLA
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
[size=-1]Kurt Thomas gets into skirmish in practice and reportedly has had fighting words for Stephon Marbury, too.
[/size] SACRAMENTO - Their spirited practice yesterday included its share of shoves, elbows and a few choice insults, all of which prove that the frustrated Knicks still have some fight left in them. The main culprit was Kurt Thomas, who within the last two weeks has said that he is "sick of losing" and last week engaged in a heated exchange with Stephon Marbury during and after a win over Cleveland. Thomas' mood, much like the Knicks' season, continues to deteriorate.
According to a few eyewitnesses, Thomas and reserve center Bruno Sundov were involved in a minor skirmish at the conclusion of practice at the California Highway Patrol Academy and in front of a handful of police officers. No blood, no charges.
Sundov bolted from the gym, removed his practice jersey and headed straight for the team bus. Meanwhile, Thomas took a seat on the sideline, where Mark Aguirre and later fellow assistant coach Michael Malone made sure the veteran power forward had calmed down.
When asked about what had transpired, all an ornery Thomas would reveal is that the Knicks had a "good practice, real good." The beneficiary could be Herb Williams, who again gave his players a stern lecture that centered on them fighting through adversity and sticking together.
"They're not supposed to look happy after practice, you're not supposed to look happy after losses," Williams said. "If you care about what you do and take pride in it you're not going to be happy after you lose. Nobody is going to be happy about losing."
The Knicks have lost 14 of 16 and will play Sacramento and Phoenix over the next two days. The Kings, however, could be missing their two best players, Chris Webber and Peja Stojakovic, tonight and there is a chance that Cuttino Mobley will miss a second straight game with back spasms.
But it's not only the Knicks' luck that may be changing. The players genuinely feel embarrassed by what has unfolded over the past six weeks and some of that frustration surfaced during practice. Williams probably likes that his players are on edge. When he was a Knick, Williams had teammates like Charles Oakley, Anthony Mason, John Starks, Derek Harper and Charlie Ward who were often on the verge of fighting in practice. Sometimes a good family feud can unify a team.
"They all take it personally," Williams said.
Of course, there is a fine line between showing a competitive side and showing utter contempt for a teammate. The latter may be true of Marbury and Thomas, who nearly came to blows in the locker room following last Friday's win over Cleveland, a source told the Daily News.
The problem started with a nasty exchange on the bench between the point guard and power forward that was caught on tape by MSG Network. According to SLAM magazine's Web site, Thomas expressed his displeasure with Marbury about a certain play. Marbury reportedly responded by shouting a profanity at his teammate. Thomas cursed back at Marbury before saying, "Everyone in this organization is afraid of you, but I'm not, and I will beat your (butt)."
When asked about SLAM's report, Thomas admitted to reading the Web site but refused to comment. Another Knick said that the transcript "was pretty accurate." The argument continued in the locker room, with Thomas challenging Marbury to a fight.
It is no secret that Marbury and Thomas are not the best of friends, but it has not stopped them from playing well together. And it is not uncommon for two teammates to argue in the heat of battle. As Marbury said yesterday about his teammates in general, "If we're not (frustrated) then something is wrong. We should be mad and disappointed with the way things are going."
However, Thomas' accusation about the organization being "afraid" of Marbury speaks to a larger problem. Is Thomas alone in his view of Marbury or do other teammates resent the fact that team president Isiah Thomas may or may not cater to the team's best player? Perhaps Kurt Thomas' discontent with Marbury is the reason that Thomas has been the subject of trade rumors for the past year and why there is a good chance that, as one of the few Knicks with value, he will be traded before next season.
The Knicks need something to change quickly. When asked yesterday if he has ever experienced anything like what the Knicks are going through, Kurt Thomas said, "This is probably the worst."
Originally published on February 4, 2005
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/story/277748p-237950c.html
Kurt, Knicks showing fight
By FRANK ISOLA
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
[/size] SACRAMENTO - Their spirited practice yesterday included its share of shoves, elbows and a few choice insults, all of which prove that the frustrated Knicks still have some fight left in them. The main culprit was Kurt Thomas, who within the last two weeks has said that he is "sick of losing" and last week engaged in a heated exchange with Stephon Marbury during and after a win over Cleveland. Thomas' mood, much like the Knicks' season, continues to deteriorate.
According to a few eyewitnesses, Thomas and reserve center Bruno Sundov were involved in a minor skirmish at the conclusion of practice at the California Highway Patrol Academy and in front of a handful of police officers. No blood, no charges.
Sundov bolted from the gym, removed his practice jersey and headed straight for the team bus. Meanwhile, Thomas took a seat on the sideline, where Mark Aguirre and later fellow assistant coach Michael Malone made sure the veteran power forward had calmed down.
When asked about what had transpired, all an ornery Thomas would reveal is that the Knicks had a "good practice, real good." The beneficiary could be Herb Williams, who again gave his players a stern lecture that centered on them fighting through adversity and sticking together.
"They're not supposed to look happy after practice, you're not supposed to look happy after losses," Williams said. "If you care about what you do and take pride in it you're not going to be happy after you lose. Nobody is going to be happy about losing."
The Knicks have lost 14 of 16 and will play Sacramento and Phoenix over the next two days. The Kings, however, could be missing their two best players, Chris Webber and Peja Stojakovic, tonight and there is a chance that Cuttino Mobley will miss a second straight game with back spasms.
But it's not only the Knicks' luck that may be changing. The players genuinely feel embarrassed by what has unfolded over the past six weeks and some of that frustration surfaced during practice. Williams probably likes that his players are on edge. When he was a Knick, Williams had teammates like Charles Oakley, Anthony Mason, John Starks, Derek Harper and Charlie Ward who were often on the verge of fighting in practice. Sometimes a good family feud can unify a team.
"They all take it personally," Williams said.
Of course, there is a fine line between showing a competitive side and showing utter contempt for a teammate. The latter may be true of Marbury and Thomas, who nearly came to blows in the locker room following last Friday's win over Cleveland, a source told the Daily News.
The problem started with a nasty exchange on the bench between the point guard and power forward that was caught on tape by MSG Network. According to SLAM magazine's Web site, Thomas expressed his displeasure with Marbury about a certain play. Marbury reportedly responded by shouting a profanity at his teammate. Thomas cursed back at Marbury before saying, "Everyone in this organization is afraid of you, but I'm not, and I will beat your (butt)."
When asked about SLAM's report, Thomas admitted to reading the Web site but refused to comment. Another Knick said that the transcript "was pretty accurate." The argument continued in the locker room, with Thomas challenging Marbury to a fight.
It is no secret that Marbury and Thomas are not the best of friends, but it has not stopped them from playing well together. And it is not uncommon for two teammates to argue in the heat of battle. As Marbury said yesterday about his teammates in general, "If we're not (frustrated) then something is wrong. We should be mad and disappointed with the way things are going."
However, Thomas' accusation about the organization being "afraid" of Marbury speaks to a larger problem. Is Thomas alone in his view of Marbury or do other teammates resent the fact that team president Isiah Thomas may or may not cater to the team's best player? Perhaps Kurt Thomas' discontent with Marbury is the reason that Thomas has been the subject of trade rumors for the past year and why there is a good chance that, as one of the few Knicks with value, he will be traded before next season.
The Knicks need something to change quickly. When asked yesterday if he has ever experienced anything like what the Knicks are going through, Kurt Thomas said, "This is probably the worst."
Originally published on February 4, 2005
