Frank Isola tells heartwarming tale of young Stephon Marbury

Most Knicks fans have at best mixed emotions regarding Stephon Marbury's tenure at MSG. Roughly 97% of Knicks fans wouldn't shed a tear if Frank Isola got transferred from the New York Daily News to the Anchorage Daily News.

Still, it's important to remember that Marbury is generally a good guy, who overcame tremendous odds and made it out of a brutal Coney Island neighborhood, and that Isola is capable of legitimate human emotions.

The scribe and the athlete crossed paths very early in life, as Isola relayed during this behind-the-scenes clip from ESPN's Around the Horn. Get your Kleenex ready, 'cuz this one's a tear-jerker:

Per Deadspin, the Knicks played the Bulls on Feb. 14, 1991, so that part checks out. This story really has it all: poor kid sneaking into the locker room to be a ball boy, a stranger helping a kid in need, and that same kid eventually making it to the big time. Also, that "make sure you don't stop at any lights" part really brings home just how rough Coney Island (and many other sections of New York) were in those days.

So cheers to you, Frank. You did a good thing.