Steve Aschburner, Star Tribune
Last update: January 18, 2006 – 11:43 PM

BOSTON - Despite a rare flare-up or two over the past seven years, the relationship between Kevin Garnett and Stephon Marbury never reached the level of a feud.

As the pregame captains' huddle with the refs wrapped up prior to Monday's Timberwolves-Knicks game, Garnett and his former teammate chatted, smiled and hugged, with Garnett patting the back of Marbury's head. On Wednesday, at his team's morning shootaround before facing the Celtics, Garnett twice brought up Marbury's name, unsolicited, when talking about some fond memories.

First, he recalled how driven the two of them had been to be "the next Stockton and Malone with our own little flair and our identity." Then he reflected on his second NBA season and how it might have been his most enjoyable.

"My second year was probably my best," Garnett said, "because Steph was here, there was a youthfulness in the air, I saw him going through some of the same rookie transitions I went through, messing with him. But at the same time, having another young guy who I knew personally and enjoying the league at the same time, it was a great time."

The next question was obvious: Do you ever think about being teammates again?

"It'd be interesting," Garnett said. "I wouldn't oppose it. I have no beef with Steph. ... Yeah, I'd welcome Steph.

"I don't think Steph will come back to Minnesota, though. But I mean, New York's cold, New Jersey's cold. Who knows, man? We all mature and get older."

If not Marbury to Minnesota, how about Garnett to Manhattan?

"I'm not New York, man," he said, walking to the team bus. "I'm a Timberwolf at heart, man. But to have Steph back in 'Sota, that would be some crazy. That would be hot. That would revive the city."

The Knicks' 7-21 start and some early and public head-butting between the point guard and new coach Larry Brown led to Marbury trade speculation in December. That cooled during New York's six-game winning streak.

Memory lane

Sitting in the Celtics' arena, Garnett recalled his first trip to town for the vaunted Boston Shootout amateur tournament. As a teenager from Mauldin, S.C., Garnett played on traveling squads that took him to the West Coast, Virginia, Atlanta and Nevada, where he first competed with Celtics guard Paul Pierce.

Thinking about the bouncing around he did, Garnett said: "When I am a father, I'm going to be in my kid's life and know where my kids are at."

Then again, Garnett wouldn't change a thing. "I was a gym rat, man," he said. "I loved hoops, and when I'm done with this game, I'm gonna hoop. You're going to catch me at the Minnetonka YMCA busting some of those old guys' butts. You think I'm [kidding], but I can't wait to get back on the blacktop."