Their destinies are now forever fused. Fortified by a bond in which the proceeds and profits may far exceed those in the normal relationship between legends and protégés, coaches and players, mentors and pupils. What's at stake is the nothing less than the resurrection of the New York Knicks and the legacies of two of the most talented men to ever step on a basketball court.

Isiah Thomas and Stephon Marbury, head coach and star point guard, both accept that the fate of each now largely lies in the hands of the other. Their task: Rescue a New York Knicks franchise that seems unable to pull out of a multi-year tailspin. One -- Marbury -- needs the other -- Thomas -- to be the shrewd, slick Hall of Fame strategist he proved so adept at being in a past life. Meanwhile, Thomas needs Marbury to morph into the dignified, spirited leader the point guard aspires to be.

Ever the prophet, Isiah is convinced he understands Starbury, and is convinced further that in that understanding lies the solution to the riddle that has longed cursed the Knicks, turning one of the league’s proudest and most tested franchises into a favorite target of derision and ridicule.

“He’s won big-time in life already,” Thomas said recently. “I tell him don’t accept the tag of being a loser because in the real game of life you’ve won big-time, considering where you started from in Coney Island.”

Though geographically thousands of miles from the rough and tumble of the Chicago West Side abode where he grew up, Isiah understands that he and his new disciple essentially come from the same place.

“I was always an outsider, too,” he adds. “It’s lonely at the top, Steph loves everyone but he’s been kicked around. Most superstars want to be in the group; who wants to be alone?”

But want and need are two distinct things: The whole Knicks season hinges on Thomas's ability to convince Starbury of the value of a less-is-more way of thinking.

If the Knicks are to have any chance of improving upon their dreadful 23-win showing of a year ago, Marbury must become the leader many have concluded he can never be. That all starts with a willingness to sacrifice his own merits, his very game, to help the team.

Thomas seems convinced that Marbury is ready and willing to do it. And he’s only willing to bank his Hall of Fame credentials upon it.