Stephon Marbury on the Knicks’ NBA Cup Decision: Madison Square Garden Is Special

Why the Knicks decided not to hang the NBA Cup

The New York Knicks won this year’s NBA Cup, the newest midseason tournament in the league, but the team has chosen not to raise a championship banner for it at Madison Square Garden. That choice set off a lot of reaction online — some fans felt the club should celebrate any trophy — but the organization appears to be sticking to the view that only the most meaningful titles should be immortalized under the Garden’s rafters.

Given the franchise’s long championship drought, some expected the team to use the Cup as a moment of celebration. Still, former Knicks point guard Stephon Marbury publicly backed the club’s position, saying the team and its leadership are right to be selective about what they hang in the arena.

Madison Square Garden’s importance — Marbury’s perspective

Marbury argued that Madison Square Garden is more than a regular sports venue; it’s a place with a unique legacy, hosting landmark events across sports and entertainment. Because banners in the building tend to be permanent and visible to millions, he believes they should represent the highest achievements, not every short-lived competition.

He also noted that the owner’s choice to avoid cluttering the rafters with smaller trophies isn’t a slight to the players — the Cup will be recognized — but rather a reflection of how special long-standing honors are treated at the Garden. In Marbury’s view, keeping that standard respects both the history of the franchise and the significance of the arena itself.

Madison Square Garden has hosted some of the most memorable moments in sports and pop culture, and that weight factors into decisions about what gets a permanent place on its walls. For many, that’s precisely why the team has decided not to display the NBA Cup as a banner.