"REASON NO. 2,357 why the world of professional sports has absolutely nothing in common with the one in which the rest of us live and operate.In our world, where a sagging economy has most of us looking over our shoulders hoping just to get through to the next day, you don't get paid more than $19 million for doing nothing and then get an extra reward of being able to play for a team favored to win the NBA title.That's what former New York Knicks point guard Stephon Marbury is about to pull off.While most of us would settle for just a slice of cake, Marbury is about to have his cake, eat it, and come back for seconds, thirds and fourths.On Tuesday, Marbury ended his seasonlong feud with the Knicks by agreeing to a give back a reported $1.5 million of the $20.8 million he was being paid, so that he could become an unrestricted free agent.Marbury also agreed tothe grievance he had filed against the Knicks for fining him $400,000 in lost wages after he allegedly refused to play in a game against the Detroit Pistons.In the next few days, Marbury is expected to sign with the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics to help in their push to win back-to-back titles."Obviously, the buyout was significant enough for us to stop our worries about the risk of the competitiveness side of it," Knicks general manager Donnie Walsh told reporters. "So we're willing to say, 'OK, we'll do it and you can find your team.' "Here is how ridiculous this is: The Knicks were willing to pay Marbury $19.3 million to go away, because they ultimately will save about $4 million in a luxury-tax penalty had they made him honor his contract.Only in America - well, only in professional sports in America.So more than a week after the NBA trading deadline, the Celtics, among all contenders, are about to acquire possibly the league's most significant late-season addition.And all it will cost them is the prorated veteran's minimum salary of $1.3 million - about $400,000.For all his faults, and he has plenty of them, the talented Marbury still can strengthen the one position at which Boston is most vunerable - a backup point guard, who can direct the second unit and provide scoring off the bench.Marbury last played on Oct. 20, in a preseason game against the New Jersey Nets, but he has still averaged 19.7 points and 7.8 assists during his checkered 12-year career.Currently, the Celtics get only 1.1 assists and 8.2 points out of Eddie House, who backs up starting point guard Rajon Rondo.Boston is willing to gamble that Marbury, even if he is rusty, can fill that role better than House."The talent of Marbury is undeniable," Celtics star Paul Pierce told reporters the other day. "He's been one of the best point guards in the league."