Why Stephon Marbury is My Favorite Player

The Knicks may not win the championship this season. They might not even win too many games. So what.

And you can call Stephon Marbury whatever you want. He shoots too much for a point guard, he's overrated, he's a loser, blah blah blah. I'm still his number one fan. Because thanks to Starbury, my sneakers cost less than my lunch.

The Knicks point guard launched the Starbury Collection in August to provide low-income children and families with access to professional-quality sneakers and apparel at affordable prices. The Starbury sneakers, which are exclusively available at Steve & Barry's University Sportswear, come in a variety of colors and styles, some of which are hideous, but all of which are on par with Nike and Reebok. The pair that I got for myself and my daughter are white on white and very clsoely resemble the classic Nike Uptowns. But at $9.98 a pop, they cost a fraction of the price.

Marbury didn't skimp on the production costs, either. Rocketfish, the same company that does design work for Nike, Reebok and Converse, worked closely with Marbury to create the Starbury One (pictured), which Steph will be wearing during the upcoming season. The collection also features sports apparel such as jackets, hoodies, t-shirts, athletic tops and shorts that are also amazingly priced at ten bucks each.

Steph has received his knocks from many a basketball fan, myself included. I was among those who cheered his arrival in New York and ended up deriding him during last year's abysmal season. There are plenty of justifiable knocks on his game: he shoots too much for a point guard, every team he's ever left has improved, he doesn't make the players around him better, etc. And what fan can ever forget his "I'm the best point guard in the NBA" comment. But ever since he entered the league as a 19-year-old kid from Coney Island, he has been a leader in the area where it counts most: in his community.

Steph is the crown prince of a royal basketball family. His brothers, who preceeded him as hoops stars at Lincoln High School, never made it. But by becoming an NBA all-star and using his wealth and influence to improve the neighborhood where he grew up, Steph has fulfilled every bit of his promise. Take a walk on Surf Avenue and look at the impeccable blacktop courts that he refurbished on his own dime, which plays host to the Marbury Classic, the most elite summer league in the mecca of basketball. Steph donated at least $500,000 of his own money to the Hurricane Katrina relief effort, shamelessly bawling at the podium during an emotional press conference. And he didn't even have any people down there. With this Starbury line, he says he wants to "change the world," and he is, by shedding light on out how ridiculously marked-up these sports products really are. If Steph can sell shoes for $10 dollars and come out in the black, then what's profit margin on a pair of Jordans?

So say whatever you want about him as a basketball player. As far as I'm concerned Stephon Marbury has more heart than Jordan, Tiger Woods and Barry Bonds combined. And until someone else proves themselves more worthy, I'll take him over Dwayne Wade, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony or any of these new-jack superstars who are cashing in on the merchandising craze. Nike is taking money from people who don't have it to pay LeBron's $90 million endorsement contract. D-Wade has a Cadillac Escalade commercial where he gives away some basketballs and a car. That's nice, but the bottom line is he's peddling overpriced gas guzzlers to poor people.

So you can have all those superior ballers. I'm sticking with Steph. I don't care if the Knicks lose all 82 games this season; I'll be rooting for them because of Starbury. He's living the dream of every young black man in America, playing for his hometown team, making millions, and giving back to his community. My family and I will be rocking gear from the Starbury Collection and cheering every ten dollar step he takes.