2001: Stephon Marbury
The New Jersey Nets, despite their lowly status in the standings, got their first All-Star in three years when Stephon Marbury was named a reserve for the Eastern Conference in 2001.
Marbury, 23, was already in his fifth season in the NBA and 2001 marked his first All-Star selection.
The former prep legend at Brooklyn’s Lincoln High had come to the Nets in March 1999 as part of a three-team deal, with Marbury going to New Jersey from the Minnesota Timberwolves, while the Nets sent Sam Cassell to the Milwaukee Bucks as part of the swap.
In 47 games leading into the break, Marbury was averaging 24.0 points, 6.8 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 37.3 minutes per game, shooting 44.7 percent overall and 34.4 percent on 4.6 attempts per game from 3-point range.
The Nets, however, were just 17-34 at the break, mired in sixth place in the Atlantic Division and six games in back of the Boston Celtics for the eighth and final playoff spot.
Marbury played 18 minutes in Washington, scoring 12 points with four assists on 5-of-9 shooting, knocking down 2-of-3 from long range.
The East stormed back from 21 points down with nine minutes to play to pull out a 111-110 win. Both of Marbury’s 3-pointers came during the game-ending surge.
Allen Iverson of the Philadelphia 76ers was named MVP, scoring 15 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter while adding five assists, four steals and two rebounds.
The Nets flopped after the break, going 9-22 and finishing well out of the playoff hunt.
That marked the end of the line for Marbury, who was traded to the Phoenix Suns in July 2001 as part of a five-player deal that brought Jason Kidd to New Jersey.
Marbury would make one more All-Star appearance in 2003 while with the Suns before he was traded to the New York Knicks in January 2004. The Knicks bought out Marbury in February 2009 and he finished the season with the Celtics.
While he last played in the NBA in 2009, Marbury went on to play nine more seasons in China, winning three titles before finally retiring in February 2018, just shy of his 40th birthday.