Stephon Marbury

Starbury is center stage again. Is he up to the part?

IN THE CROSSHAIRS

BORN Feb. 20, 1977, Brooklyn, N.Y.
COLLEGE Georgia Tech
SIZE 6'2", 205 pounds

THE MARBURY FILE
In the final minute of a recent home game against Seattle, Stephon Marbury hit a free throw that gave his team its first lead since the opening quarter. But in the final second, he missed one that would have sent the game into OT. That's the leader of the New York Knicks in a New York minute. Marbury has always been the guy who can get you close but can't take you all the way—and that was back when he w as an All-Star. Now, NYC's sputtering orange-and-blue cruiser is fighting for a playoff spot in a conference in which a six or seven seed has a real chance, and he's the one who has to drive it to the finish. Making a tough ride tougher, Jamal Crawford, the team's No. 2 scorer, is out with a broken ankle. Sure, Steph's scoring is on an uptick—he's averged 30 ppg since Crawford's injury—and he says he feels no pressure: "What I've been asked to do is not new to me." But the Knicks continue to idle when they most need to surge. Should the maligned point push them into the postseason, he could shake the rep of being about stats and not wins. If not? Well, he'll have more time to hone his new talk show.

1. THE BIG 3-0!
After 25 games this season, the Knicks were 9—16 and Marbury, whose career average on opening night was 20.2 ppg, was contributing just 10.7. The stark drop-off sparked whispers that maybe the 11-year vet had lost a step, and jokes that the best PG on the team was wearing a suit and sitting on the bench. But since turning 30 on Feb. 20, Marbury has shown the quickness that made him a two-time All-Star, s coring 24.5 ppg in 10 games. The Knicks are 6—4 in those contests. "At the beginning of the season I was trying to get the young guys involved," he explains. "Now I'm scoring more because that's what is needed." Coach agrees. "All season long he's been able to take the game plan and implement it, " Isiah Thomas says. "It's not just his scoring, it's his defense and leadership that've helped us improve."

2. CAB
Few topics perk up Steph like his new weekly cable TV talk show, Stars on Stars. "It's revolutionary in that it's an athlete talking to people living the same life while the season is on," he explains. The March 9 debut had the host and guest Kobe talking mostly about their kids. Future guests include Vijay Singh, Spike Lee and Kareem. With the Knicks fighting for their lives, though, some call SOS. Marbury defends his moonlighting by pointing out it's taped on off-days. "I don't know why people want to kill the joy out of things," he says. Hey, New York's a tough town. But he knew that already.

3. DOWN THE ROAD
Marbury's FT against Seattle didn't just ruin an otherwise amazing performance (he scored 40), it also prevented the Knicks from grabbing a game they were expected to win. But all is not lost. At 29—34, they're only five games away from the top spot in the division. (Gotta love the Atlantic!) The Knicks still play against division foes, including five against the Raptors and Nets. (They're 0-3 vs. the pair, but by a combined 13 points.) There's a lot of ball left.

4. TWIN ENGINES
Acquiring Marbury in 2004 was Thomas' first big move as Knicks prez. Three years later, Steph's next postseason series win will be his first. Still, Thomas has remained an unrepentant supporter of his star. It's no wonder he tapped Marbury as soon as Crawford went down. Problem is, the Knicks miss more than Crawford's 17.9 ppg. He was the one guy who could get the ball inside to budding dominator Eddy Curry. Post-Jamal, Curry's scoring has fallen by 3.4 ppg, in part because he and Marbury haven't clicked. They need to figure something out. Plus, Crawford's fill-in, Steve Francis, is much more of an on-the-ball guy who might fight Steph for the rock. "It's fitting that it all comes down to Marbury, " says one scout. "If Isiah gets fired, it's over for both of them, and they'll only have each other to blame."

5. BIG BROTHER
Marbury's mouth may wander—like the time he called himself the best point guard in the league—but his heart always seems to be in the right place. Even critics remember the tearful press conference in which Steph pledged up to $1 million to the Katrina relief fund. And his Starbury clothing line, which features $15 sneakers and other moderately priced gear, is targeted at the less fortunate. And who's less fortunate than the Knicks? Though he may not always look it, Marbury cares deeply about his team, too. "He and Malik Rose are the leaders in the locker room," says Nate Robinson. Adds Channing Frye, "He helps the young players through our mistakes."

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