The Matrix and AK47

Ahhh… trade request, there’s nothing better to break a dull September than a millionaire professional crying for a trade. Andrei Kirilenko and Shawn Marion have gone public with their desires to change teams before the start of this upcoming season

You all know my stand of this type of request, but I can understand until certain point that a player wants out of a loosing team or a poor management situation. I can understand Jermaine O’neal, I can understand Kobe Bryant. But guys like Kirilenko and Marion whose teams have become contenders and the last three Western Conference finals have featured either of those teams. These are great teams, great organizations filled with a lot of leadership, players would kill small children and kittens to have a chance to play for teams like these.

Why are the looking to get out you may ask? Let's start with Kirilenko

Big money is obviously good, but I am prepared to make less. The size of my salary doesn't mean that much for me. The main thing is to play with a spark.

This ESPN article also reads:

He said he doesn't want to be a "robot" in Sloan's system. He longs to play in Europe, where he can be the man. Except he isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Unfortunately for him, neither is Sloan.

Look, Andrei, I know that the basketball level at Europe it’s great and everything. But if you want to be a MVP or a cornerstone from some franchise in the NBA, you better start working on you offensive game and develop some leadership qualities. And you need to play at that level for some 100 games, not just an short tournament but an entire NBA season with a deep playoff run included. Now go, become that player and then you can enjoy that spark with some other team.

What about Shawn “The Matrix” Marion? Dude you are playing with the best point guard in the business and a top three center. You are in the verge of a championship. You are earning like $16 million this year. You are a four time All Star. And yet, stuff like this crosses you mind:

His delicate psyche is never far from the coaching staff's collective mind. On the one hand, Marion is outwardly confident, cocky even, buying into that wonderful nickname, Matrix, given to him by TNT commentator Kenny Smith early in Marion's rookie year. The special-effects-driven movie was hot then, and "Matrix" was perfect for a player with an uncanny ability to suddenly materialize in the middle of a play (Marion seems to come from nowhere when he makes a steal, grabs a rebound or makes a quick cut to the basket) and leap from a standing start as if he's on a trampoline.

Sometimes Marion refers to himself as the Matrix, as if he has bought into the idea that he is a superhero who defies normal physical laws. His teammates call him "Trix."

On the other hand, Marion lives in a perpetual state of fear that he is being overlooked, underrespected, ignored, dissed, persecuted, singled out, patronized, whatever."

Number one, go see a shrink. Pronto. Number two, learn to dribble the ball. Number three, think Shawn, just think. The Suns championship is bound to happen, maybe this year maybe next but it will happen, unless Nash gets kidnapped or Gregg Popovich steals Mike Miller, Gerald Wallace and Dwight Howard. Just take the money for this two years, let Steve do his thing and give all of you that ring and then, ride to the sunset and go play for some other team. Trust me.