According to the New York Daily News, Knicks guard Stephon Marbury, self-proclaimed 'Starbury', asked not to get the ball in the decisive final minute of the Knicks' recent victory over the league leading Detroit Pistons.

"He told me he was stiff, he said go to Jamal (Crawford)," Knick coach Larry Brown said yesterday. "I've said the same thing for four days now."

Marbury has denied that he asked out of the game but acknowledged that he told Brown to let Crawford take the key shots, claiming he was cold from sitting so long in the fourth quarter.