Man… I finally did it.
I got Stephon Marbury into the Hall of Fame.
That was the goal from Day 1 of this series. And not only did I accomplish it — I sent him out on the highest possible note:
An NBA Championship.
This recap is a little different because it’s not just about one season — it’s about his final three. And even in the twilight of his career, he was still producing. One of those years even earned him another All-Star bid.
But after 20 years in the Association… Marbury decided to hang it up.
And what a career it was.
The Final Run Begins (2013–2014)
Heading into his final stretch, I started making bigger roster shakeups. I did it intentionally. I knew I was eventually restarting for the Lonzo/Ja/Zion tandem (more on that later), so I wasn’t afraid to experiment.
In 2013–2014, we had THREE All-Stars:
- Melo
- Donte Greene
- Marbury
I was honestly surprised Marbury got the nod, but he deserved it. He averaged 18.7 and 9 on 49/42/87 splits. Completely worthy.
It was also the first time in this entire series we had three All-Stars in one season. That was dope.
We didn’t win the title that year, but it was still a strong season.
Year 18 Still Cooking (2014–2015)
By Year 18, the accolades slowed down — which was expected.
But the production? Still solid.
Marbury averaged 16 and 8.5. For an 18-year vet, that speaks volumes. We were still a top-four team in the conference. Melo and Greene made All-Star teams again. Melo, as usual, added another All-NBA selection.
JR Smith won Sixth Man of the Year — which was actually part of my plan after moving him to the bench and sliding Wiggins into the starting lineup.
We lost in the conference semis. Not much playoff noise.
And I knew it was time.
The All-In Move
I had a stockpile of picks like I always do.
So what did I do?
I went all in.
I traded basically everything to bring LeBron James to New York.
My thinking was simple:
If this is Marbury’s last ride… we’re doing it big.
The new starting lineup:
Marbury / Wiggins / LeBron / Melo / Greene
I still had JR. Still had Jimmer. Added Cauley-Stein in the draft. Percy Jones and James Young got spot minutes.
On paper? Championship contender.
In reality?
We went 72–10.
LeBron won MVP and DPOY.
Melo and LeBron were First Team All-NBA (finished 1st and 2nd in MVP voting).
Greene made his FOURTH All-Star team — which I’m lowkey most proud of because I built him into that.
We were rolling.
The Final Championship
We went seven games in the conference semis against the Pacers. They’ve been a problem all series long with CP3 leading them.
But we survived.
In the Finals? We beat the Thunder in seven — redemption after they smacked us 4–1 two years prior.
LeBron averaged a triple-double and won Finals MVP. He’s now 3-for-3 in Finals trips with 3 FMVPs.
Melo got his fifth ring.
And Marbury?
He walked away a champion.
Again.
The Résumé
Marbury retires with:
- 7× Champion
- 3× Finals MVP
- 2× MVP
- 9× All-Star
- 2× First-Team All-NBA
- 2× Second-Team All-NBA
- 2× Third-Team All-NBA
- All-Rookie First Team
That is absolutely a Hall of Fame career.
His jersey is hanging in the rafters at MSG.
No one will ever wear No. 3 again.
The Knicks GOAT has officially clocked out.
What’s Next?
Now… why start over in the Curry era?
Because after seven rings, I want a new challenge.
Starting in 2016, the Knicks haven’t done much besides a couple playoff appearances. That era with Rose, Melo, KP, Noah — not exactly a perfectly built roster.
So now?
We rebuild.
Or maybe retool.
The plan is to eventually pair Lonzo, Ja, and Zion. But how I get there? That’s the fun part.
Can I turn the Knicks into a dynasty again?
We’re about to find out.
Stay tuned — and let me know what you want to see in this next challenge.
– Jett Garden
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