Knicks F Richardson blasts Marbury

Nov 27, 2008 - 4:56 PM AUBURN HILLS, Michigan (Ticker) -- New York Knicks forward Quentin Richardson has publicly blasted teammate Stephon Marbury, claiming that the mercurial point guard is "not trying to be a part of the team."

Richardson voiced his stinging criticism of Marbury following Wednesday night's 110-96 loss to the Detroit Pistons, a game in which the injury-plagued Knicks used just eight players.

Although New York had just two healthy guards available, Marbury told Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni that he would not play hours before the game.

That evidently did not sit well with Richardson, who played most of the second half despite suffering a left forearm injury earlier in the contest.

"The way the situation is, I don't consider (Marbury) my teammate," Richardson told reporters. "He hasn't played with us all year. He doesn't want to play with us. I don't look at him as a teammate."

Marbury, in the final year of a contract that will pay him nearly $22 million this season, has been engaged in a messy feud with D'Antoni and Knicks management concerning his future with the franchise.

D'Antoni kept Marbury off the active roster over the first few weeks of the season, citing the Knicks' desire to use players who have a long-term future with the team.

But New York's roster has been thinned by trades and injuries over the last week. Nate Robinson, Cuttino Mobley and rookie Danilo Gallinari all are nursing various injuries and were unavailable for Wednesday night's contest.

The Knicks' roster was shortened to seven players in the second half, when Wilson Chandler was ejected. But Marbury remained on the bench in street clothes.

"Teammates don't do that, regardless what's going on with the coach," Richardson said. "You don't do that to teammates. We were basically left out there.

"At the end of the day, we're getting left out there and we're shorthanded. People are hurt and people are still playing. Once again, I don't pay attention to (Marbury) because I don't look at him as a teammate anyway."

It marked the second time in less than a week that Marbury refused to play for the shorthanded Knicks.

The two-time All-Star also declined to play at Milwaukee last Friday, when New York had just seven active players after executing a pair of multi-player trades earlier in the day.

"Right now, he's the furthest thing from my mind," Richardson said. "He's not trying to be part of this team and he's voiced that. So why would I waste my time thinking about it?"