<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">New York Daily News - The biggest charity basketball game in New York City used to draw mega-stars, including Kevin Garnett. Now, sadly, it can't even keep the top local players at home. When they played the 15th annual New York Basketball Classic at the Garden last night, Stephon Marbury, the main headliner and easily the biggest draw, was out on the West Coast doing a promotional tour for his new Starbury sneakers. After engaging in a season-long war with Larry Brown as the Knicks went through a nightmarish 23-win season, Marbury has spent this offseason carefully trying to remake his image. While organizers of last night's game said they understood the Knick playmaker's last-minute cancellation, it couldn't have helped his cause. One other big-name player, the Hornets' Chris Paul, just back from the World Championships, also canceled. "It's a disappointment that Steph couldn't be here, but he has done a lot for us over the years," said Hank Carter, the game's founder and chairman. "The only thing I feel bad about is that a lot of people came here to see Steph play. But I also can understand the business part of it. He's trying to help the younger kids with these sneakers. But God will take care of us." </div> Link
