By Dave Hollander

If they held an NBA Yearbook vote for “Most Likely to Host His Own Talk Show,” Stephon Marbury might not be your first choice. Well, the Knicks point guard is indeed the host of “Stars On Stars,” a 30-minute interview program, which airs Fridays at 4:30 p.m. on local Fox Sports New York. In a recent one-on-one with NY Press, the often taciturn Marbury held forth on a range of issues including living with an alter-ego, identifying the NBA’s best point guard and lecturing hoop reporters who have never played the game.

NY Press: Who is “Starbury?”
Stephon Marbury: (heh, heh) Starbury, that’s myself—Stephon Marbury. I got that name when I was in high school from being in the newspaper and on TV so much, and being one of the top basketball players in the country. 

Is he the same person as Stephon Marbury?
Sometimes. They’ve got some similarities.

I see. So, on your show, will Marbury interview Starbury?
Oh yeah. We got some parodies that are going to make people laugh.

Is your interview style more Jay Leno or Oriana Fallaci?
It’s a mixture of Chris Rock, Leno, [Johnny] Carson—God bless the dead—and Oprah. It’s not based on one specific style. It is lifestyle/professional/family oriented. Things that happen in your life, changes, ups and downs.

“Stars On Stars” is a pretty hot title; like it might be found in the 18-and-over section in the back of the video store. How many focus groups did you use to come up with that name?
I made the name up—right off the top of my head. I thought that being a star interviewing other stars puts things right in perspective.

Why do athletes get better interviews from other athletes?
You feel more comfortable knowing that the other person goes through the things you go through. You understand the lifestyle, the grind and the preparation in your profession. And you also understand how it is to be in that spotlight that’s so different from the normal life.

Members of the common media find it frustrating to get the tired, old athlete clichés such as: “I just want to give 110 percent,” “I just want to contribute,” “It’s all about the team.” How do you handle typical sports cliché answers in your interviews?
I don’t get that, because we set it up in a way for them not to speak in clichés. We do the work and preparation in order to know who the people are. We ask the questions that will make them say on screen “You did your homework. You did some checking on who I am as a person and an athlete.” 

That’s what gets their respect, right?
Exactly. They know you’re doing the homework on them to understand who they are before they even sit down. For example, I had Michael Rapaport. And he was like “Wow! That’s a great question.” And for like ten seconds he had to think. That is what we are doing on our show.

Kobe Bryant will be your first guest. Other guests include filmmaker Spike Lee, Chargers defensive star Shawn Merriman and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. How did you choose your subjects?
It’s a process. A group of us handles that. We did Vijay Singh when I was in L.A. He’s just not what everyone makes him out to be. He’s a really good interview. We wanted to get people who wanted to tell their story or their side of the story.

Starbury sneakers sell for $14.98—finally a sane and affordable basketball sneaker. When will other athletes follow suit?
I don’t think it’s about the athlete. I think it’s about the company. Starbury is my company. My approach was to make something affordable for everyone and make something everyone could prosper from and …

(Jamaal Crawford interrupts. He bear hugs Stephon and addresses me.)
Jamaal Crawford: Sorry, I don’t know what you’re writing about. Just give him some love!

That’s all I give. (Jamaal scampers away.) Now, how many pairs of Starbury’s will each “Stars On Stars” guest receive? 
Oh, we’re going to send them boxes of stuff. We want to give them something that will have presence in their home.

Like a ceiling fan?
(laughs) That’s a good one. We really haven’t decided as far as that, but we’ll definitely come up with something.

Knicks owner, James Dolan, gave your coach, Isiah Thomas, an ultimatum of “significant progress.” Has anyone defined “significant progress?”
Nah, not that I know of. I think that everything is going to play out after the season.

How do you define “significant progress?” 
I don’t look at things like that. I look at success and I look at failure. That’s it.

Your coach is also your next-door neighbor. How often does he come over to borrow stuff like DVDs or a lawnmower?
He doesn’t come over to borrow anything. Those days of living in the projects are over with.

Your coach was a point guard, which probably helps you guys see eye to eye. How many point guards will you interview on your new show?
Probably one: Isiah. 

You’ve been asked this question before but who, in your opinion, is the best point guard in the NBA?
Right now, I think Steve Nash is playing like the best point guard in the NBA. Then Chris Paul and T.J. Ford are playing extremely well.

On the boardwalk at Coney Island, your hometown, there’s a game called “Shoot the Freak,” where a guy dressed in football pads and a catcher’s mask tries to dodge paint ball bullets. Do you sometimes feel like it’s that way with athletes and the media?
I would say that media doesn’t take enough time to understand people before they speak about them. They allow the way we play basketball to define who we are as people. So when you hear someone say that you’re “selfish” from the way they think you play on a basketball court, they’re basically calling you selfish as a person. I think people should take a step back and try to understand what they’re saying before they say it. I don’t think [the media] takes enough time to really understand people. That’s why I always say “You don’t even know me.” You’re not around me. You’re not around my family. You’re not around my brothers and sisters. You don’t know anything about me. All you know is what you see. And all what you see is me running up and down the court because we have no other relationship. I think that reporters are human just like we’re human so everyone makes mistakes. I’ve learned to understand that and to basically laugh at it.

I know what you mean. People will watch a game and casually remark, “Oh, this guy is selfish” or “That guy is sulking,” but what are they not seeing?
A lot! They don’t see anything. [The media] come in here (the Knicks’ practice facility), they speak to us for two minutes, if that, and then they leave. After a game, they speak to us for two minutes, three minutes then they leave. I mean, I like to wear a towel over my head. They say I wear a towel over my head because whatever reason. I like to wear a towel over head and legs because it keeps me warm. But they don’t know that. This is the first time I think I’ve told anybody that. I’m not putting a towel over my head to hide from anybody. Who am I hiding from? I’m at a basketball game and I’m into the game—playing. I’m not thinking about who’s watching me, and who thinks I should smile or shouldn’t smile. I’m not here to smile. I’m here to play a basketball game. 

A basketball game is 48 minutes—maybe two hours on the floor. Yet how much do the little things that go on between teammates in the locker room, or off the court or on a flight back home mean, and how much do reporters miss of that?
Reporters will never ever be able to get that part of the game. I think they should just write what happens. Instead of trying to give their input on what they’re seeing happening. Because one, they never played before. So since you never played basketball, how can you tell when something isn’t right or wrong? You should just state the facts. You know how some people are like, “Aw, you should’ve done this.” There no such thing as “you should’ve done that.” Either you’re going to do it or you don’t.

Bunch of frustrated high school jocks, is that it?
It is what it is.

Britney Spears shaved her head. You’ve gone with the shaved dome most of your professional career. Is it a good move for Britney?
I don’t look at what she did as something bad. They’re making it out to be bigger than what it is. I heard one little girl say, “I don’t like her anymore because she shaved her head.” I think it’s just a different look. No one knows what she’s going through in her life. She probably needed a change. Changing her hair may represent how she really feels inside.

Are some heads better meant for the shave than others?
I think for a man, probably better. But for a woman, it’s their choice. Demi Moore shaved her head, and she looked sexy when she did it. I’m almost positive once Britney gets herself back together, which she will, she’ll make it look really sassy.

You’re not just the host of “Stars On Stars,” but the executive producer. Does this mean that the kid from Coney Island is going Hollywood?
Yes it does! We’re working on a documentary and definitely a movie. But the focus is on the TV show now. We’re going to have 82 million viewers starting March 9. You can’t beat that.