"They get first dibs,'' Marbury said of the Celtics. "They did something for me, showed the NBA they won a championship and still brought someone in who was supposed to destructive to the locker room.''

After his Knick buyout negotiations that dragged nearly four months, Marbury joined Boston in late February and never once got on the court together with his former mate, Kevin Garnett, who missed the playoffs. The Celtics were eliminated in seven games by Orlando in the second round.

"With Kevin coming back, the chances are the same,'' Marbury said. "If Kevin would've been there, the outcome would've been different. Not taking anything away from the Lakers. They're a great team as well.''

The Celtics coaches loved Marbury's work on defense but never played free on offense. Marbury said his rust was too much to overcome physically and he never could find his swagger.

"Mentally, what I had to deal with, the process with D'Antoni, the president (Donnie Walsh), it was mindboggling,'' Marbury said. "Two people can't make a decision and they have to go above them to Mr. Dolan. Mentally I was damaged and didn't even realize it.

"Going back next year, I'll be free. When you're weathering the storm, you're not thinking how bad the storm is. You're just holding on, trying to get through the finish.''

News » Marbury to free agents: Don't go to Knicks
Marbury to free agents: Don't go to Knicks
Stephon Marbury, who becomes a free agent again today, believes star players should be cautious about signing with the Knicks because of Mike D'Antoni's offensive scheme and the way the organization treats people. "I wouldn't want to play in that system,'' Marbury told The Post. "That system can't win championships. You can't win championships if you don't talk about defense. In Boston, the coaches even play defense.'' Marbury said he believes being exiled for four months "mentally damaged'' him and effected his Boston performance. "I knew it wasn't about money,'' Marbury said of his exile. "They spent 3 million on a 29th pick. They could've given $3 million to Anucha (Browne-Sanders). I knew it was personal. It's about ego and power. I've never been so happy to be out of someplace. The way I was treated, lied to, grown men doing this that have stature.'' "When Larry Brown saw me in Charlotte when we played them, he said, 'It looks like you died and went to heaven,''' Marbury added. "I told him, now I know what you went through.'' Marbury, who still doesn't have an agent, hopes to re-sign with Boston, though he's talked to his former coach, Washington's Flip Saunders. Marbury also did not rule out Europe. More from the New York Post Vaccaro: Manuel finally sends message Kernan: Let Phil be new Joba Brooks: Gomez was a disaster More from The New York Post