'I Almost Died': Marbury Details How Minnesota Winters Drove Him Out

The short-lived Kevin Garnett-Stephon Marbury duo remains one of the biggest what-ifs in Timberwolves history. What could have been for the Wolves if Marbury never demanded a trade? And why did Marbury want out of playing alongside KG on a potential contender?

Rumors and speculation about Marbury's reasoning have persisted for over 20 years. Was it jealousy over Garnett's contract and Marbury wanting to be the biggest star on the team? Other speculation has insisted that Marbury just wanted to go to a bigger market. Well, in a recent interview, Marbury talked about what he said was his reasoning at the time for wanting away from Minnesota.

"I left Flip — I'll never forget — he was like, 'The grass ain't always green in other places Stephon, and I know how you feel and blah, blah, blah,'" Marbury recounted on a recent episode of the Young Man and the Three podcast. "And I was like, you know, this is not really about basketball. It was really about my mental. It was more about like, I almost died there several times on black ice driving."

According to Marbury, his decision to ask out of Minnesota had more to do with the winters than anything Garnett- or market-size-related. Marbury said he feels like he got "tricked" a little when first arriving in Minnesota after the draft, noting the vast difference between Minnesota summer and Minnesota winter.

"It's scary how much of a change it is," Marbury said of the difference. "If you brought somebody there in the summertime at the beginning of the summertime and no one told them it gets cold, they'll be looking at all of the 10,000 lakes like, 'Wow, did you see that lake? It's so beautiful. I feel like I can see my face from here while I'm driving."

Marbury was asked about the black ice incident, which he said wasn't just a one-time thing but happened multiple times, eventually leading to his decision to want out.

"I was going over a bridge one day and I'm going slow. I'm not going fast," said Marbury. "I'm not driving fast. I got both of my hands on the wheel. They tell you this when you're out there and you're driving, you can't just be driving like regular because in the winter time, no, no, no, no. I'm driving over a bridge and I get to the middle of the bridge, and then the back tires gave out. Like, it gave out like it couldn't get over the bridge, that middle part, then the back part of the car gave out and started spinning. The whole time, all I was saying, 'If I could live through this, I'm not staying here.' I said, 'I don't care what they say, what they offer. They can offer anything and everything. I'm not not staying here.' That didn't just happen one time. It happened more than one time."

In retelling the incidents, Marbury credited the "amazing" Timberwolves fans and said that he still loves Minnesota. According to Marbury, he just wanted a safer environment and to be closer to family.

Then came the time to tell the Wolves organization that he wanted out and getting painted as "the worst person on the planet."

"I went to Glen Taylor, and we were in a private room in the Target Center, we're sitting down and I'm talking, and I go, 'Mr. Taylor, you know, I really love Minnesota. The team is amazing. Everybody. Flip. Playing here. But what I want is for you guys to receive another point guard because I am not going to re-sign here,'" recounted Marbury. "I said, 'I do not want to do what Tom Gugliotta did.' He told them that he was going to stay there and he bounced. ... I went to them straight up and down and I was like, (Glen) can attest to this, I went to him straight up and down, and I was like, 'I want to go back home. I got an opportunity to go back home. If there's a chance, I want to do that.'"

After that, Marbury noted the strange reactions he got and how he eventually began being painted as the villain.

"And he, Mr. Taylor, he said, 'Stephon, thank you. I appreciate you telling me this and coming to me like this,'" said Marbury. "I'll never forget, a guy named Sid Hartman, he did radio there. He bust into the room, 'Marbury, don't leave. Don't leave. I promise you I'll make sure you have everything here.'"

Marbury recalled the Hartman run-in as a traumatic experience and the turning point in his status in Minnesota.

"And in one hour, I was the worst player," said Marbury. "I was selfish. I was this. I was that. You just offered me the max. What happened? I came to you 100. Oh, you're not used to people coming to you real. Ah, I got it. It was understandable."

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