Bleacher Report - Allen Iverson

NBA Random Thoughts: Week Ending Dec. 5, 2009

Jose Salviati — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 18:58:07 -0500

Who needs reality television when you have the NBA? A week in the NBA is generally filled with drama, accusations, yelling and injuries. Who needs Gossip Girl? This weeks slides looks at a convicted criminal, a snake-bitten franchise (surprise, not the Clippers), the return of a superstar, and more. When you consider the season isn't even half over it excites you (well, it excites me) about the possibilities ahead. For what its worth, here are my random thoughts about the latest NBA news. The good, the bad and the ugly.

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Welcome Back: Five of the NBA's Most Memorable Homecomings

Mike B. — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 13:37:29 -0500

With Allen Iverson rejoining the Philadelphia 76ers, I figured it would only be fitting to create a list of memorable homecomings that have occurred throughout NBA history. It's always special to see a player return to the a city that made his famous. Sometimes, he is cheered by the fans, while other times he is treated like an evil villain. Well, let's get started.

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How the NBA Climbed Mountains Through an Era of Outlandish Proportions

Nick Gelso — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 13:37:42 -0500

This article can be viewed in it's entirety at North Station Sports

Today's NBA is littered with some interesting nicknames. "The King," "Agent Zero," "The Answer ," "Superman," "Black Mamba," and "The Truth" .

In the 1970's, an era that concluded with the NBA in a media mess, the names given to NBA players sounded like lyrics from a Barry White songbook, "except for one". Back then, the league was headlined by, "Silk," "Clyde ," "Pistol-Pete," "The Pearl," "Iceman," "The Doctor," and then their was "CHOCOLATE THUNDER".

The Boston Celtics dominated the late 50's and 60's with 11 championships in 13 years. Frustrating as this decade of dominance may have been for the league's also-ran's (every non-Celtic), it was a period that mentored the development of the NBA through hard work, team chemistry, and pure refusal to lose.

It encouraged those players that could not compete on the basketball world's biggest stage; to go into the city schoolyard jungles of Philadelphia, New York and Chicago. A different form of mentoring began, one that is not often publicized in NBA books or documentaries but is displayed in the players that were born on those concrete deserts of the ghetto.

Players that combined the fundamentals of Red Auerbach's Celtics philosophy with the showmanship that would tease the NBA with a brief period of pop-mainstream success.

With the retirement of Bill Russell in 1969, NBA and ABA scouts would turn to the streets as much as college gyms to find the next NBA franchise player. As these players were woven into the rosters of the two leagues, a new breed of player was born.

The natural direction of players was simple—the scholars of the game, blue collar players such as Dave Cowens and Kareem Abdul-Jabar seemed to flock to the the more serious NBA while the showmen of the era were more likely to gravitate towards the NBA's little brother, the American Basketball Association.

The pursuit of the best paying contract encouraged many players to shift back and forth between league's. Eventually both Association's finally merged but not before the years of money-motivated league shifting created a player that was more attracted to the big payout then the ultimate prize.

The NBA did have a brief honeymoon period in 1976. The league merger saw the infusion of school yard play, dominated by silky smooth acrobatics in dribbling, ball handling, dunking and defense—the modern era basketball player was born.

The new NBA of the mid 70's was a league that was already brimming with the intelligence of Abdul-Jabar, John Havlichek and perpetual league flip-flopper, Rick Barry. The NBA had the hardworking blue collar grit of Dave Cowens, Wes Unseld and Willis Reed. Now the League had to adopt and adjust to their new stepbrother's that would join their families through the league mergers.

The ABA had always been considered the fragile globetrotting league of basketball. Never taken too seriously, many of their stars were predicted to fail before even joining their new ball clubs. The new league was jolted by the high flying exploits of the Doctor, the sultry spin of Earl "The Pearl" Monroe, and the animated post play of Artis Gilmore.

The NBA was finally abound with the cultural, now iconic, afro blazin' outburst that the collision of these players resulted in.

The league became a style center for the old school yard legends. The threading in of the showy stars of the now defunct ABA allowed formerly hampered NBA stars to show off their glitter and shine above of the gritty images displayed by Russell, Cowens, West, Robertson and Petit that previously took the front page of NBA books.

The league was now abound with guys that looked more like storybook characters the basketball players. The late Pete Maravich resembled a hippy in hot shorts. Walt Frazier looked more like a wizard caped and adorning a wildly outrageous brimmed hat. Wilt Chamberlain, by now retired, even re-emerged on the scene in leisure suits, gold chains and crazy shades.

The cultural influence was never more evident then when the Doctor would show up to play against the likes of the former NBA poster child's. The epic evolution of play was in full affect when the highlight reel play of Doctor J collided with the hard-work of Portland center Bill Walton.

Walton had faced several years of injuries before emerging in the post-merger NBA of 1977. When Walton was re-commissioned to play, he found a league that had a new poster-boy, one with athleticism that had never before been seen in an NBA uniform. Everything seemed to come easy to the Doctor as he would take the new NBA by storm.

The league-wide clash was typified by the 1977 NBA Finals when Julius' 76ers faced Walton's new look Trailblazers.

Walton was a Southern California hippy and was proud of it. Long hair, beard and headband made him resemble a lumberjack in gym shorts. The big red head (or red mop) would face off against the sleek and stylish Erving who's style of play resembled his soul-train appearance.

Early on, the style of Doctor J, the scholarly basketball intelligence of Doug Collins, the defensive grit of Bobby Jones and the powerful dominance of the paint by Daryl Dawkins, led the Sixers to a 2-0 series lead.

Walton's Blazers would come back from an early series deficit through hard work and a refusal to be defeated that echoed the philosophy of the, Auerbach led, Celtics of the 60's. Walton would take the title and Finals MVP back to Portland.

The last iconic image of the decade would be Walton in full hippy regalia holding the trophy up, surrounded by Blazers fans, in the parade that marched through the city streets of Portland.

The Lost Years of the 1970s

In 1978, when the honeymoon period of the merging year's wore off, the bottom had seemingly fallen out. The money grubbing mentality that had set in during the players' contract pursuits of the early 1970's had left a lasting impression.

The league had fallen into an era of cocaine abuse, poor imaging and non-televised games. Even the NBA Finals of 1978 and 1979 were on tape delay.

Looking back from the perspective of a fan that was only two years old when the decade came to a close, I can say that the negatives that emerged from the "lost years" of the late 70's were only a blip on the radar. Maybe they had to occur. If those horrid years are the direct result of the league's merging of personalities, I can live with that.

After-all, without the school yard pioneers of that era, today's game would not have evolved into the global tornado that the Bird and Magic era of the 80's ushered in.

I can tolerate two years of poor publicity and "me first" mentality if that is the price that needs to be payed for today's television coverage of every game and the exciting play that would not have been possible if it wasn't for the Barry White type nicknamed superstars of the 70's.

Read more Allen Iverson news on BleacherReport.com

Frankenstein's Monster Returns: Allen Iverson a Philadelphia 76er Again

Greg Eno — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 10:00:36 -0500

Allen Iverson is back in the NBA. Don’t say that you weren’t warned.

Coming to a pro basketball city near you: Petulance! Narcissism! High Maintenance!

Iverson is back—in Philadelphia, which is like the monster knocking on Frankenstein’s door. Philly created him, so now they can have him.

Iverson, the bratty little kid who thrilled us with his moves on the court and repulsed us with his moves off of it. Iverson, who claims it’s not all about him when his actions and words dictate otherwise. Iverson, who has always doth protest too much.

His original NBA team, the 76ers, are so bad off and so desperate that they signed Iverson to a one-year contract. He wept at the press conference announcing this marriage of convenience. Tears of relief, I’m sure. Iverson was thisclose to being frozen out of the league.

Iverson, when last a 76er, refused to go back into a game and had himself edited right out of the team’s highlight film. This was three years ago. A trade to Denver ensued. After a year-and-a-half trying to coexist with Carmelo Anthony, Iverson was moved again, this time to Detroit.

Another press conference. In it, Iverson repeated his desire to do “whatever it takes” to win a championship, his supposed white whale. The brat was now portraying himself as Captain Ahab.

We didn’t hear the fine print. Didn’t get the disclaimer. Maybe it was in his words, but backward-masked, like some cryptic Beatles clue telling us that Paul McCartney was dead.

The disclaimer was, Allen Iverson would do whatever it takes to win a championship, as long as it was best for Allen Iverson.

Translated: no benchy benchy.

Pistons President Joe Dumars traded one of the true good guys in the NBA, Chauncey Billups—more like Elmer’s in the Pistons locker room than we ever imagined, turns out—straight up for Iverson, and served him up for a rookie head coach’s consumption. But it was vice-versa. Iverson had Michael Curry for breakfast, lunch, and dinner—and snacked on him between meals.

Curry dared to consider a plan: bring Iverson off the bench to spell Rip Hamilton. Curry was in over his head to begin with, but when he put “Iverson” in the same sentence as “bench,” he was engulfed completely by the undertow.

But that’s OK because Dumars was using Allen Iverson, plain and simple. Iverson wasn’t a basketball player, he was an expiring contract. Dumars looked at the little brat, saw millions and millions that would come off his books in July 2009, and drooled.

Dumars couldn’t have cared less if Iverson’s stay in Detroit was as stormy as the Gulf Coast during hurricane season. Whatever was best for the Pistons—the rookie coach and the prima donna player be damned.

Dumars sacrificed his coach’s respect among the players and watched the ugliness of Iverson’s time as a Piston unfold with barely a whisper of protest. All Joe D. cared about was the money that Iverson’s expired deal would net him just in time for free agent season to open on July 1.

It was “sports is a business” to the nth degree.

So yeah, Iverson was used, no question. If Dumars says otherwise, he’s practicing revisionist history.

But Iverson didn’t play nice, and thus almost blackballed himself right out of the league.

There was a mysterious—to put it nicely—back injury that sidelined him just as Curry was about to implement his “bring A.I. off the bench” plan. Backs are funny things, don’t you know. Never can tell when they might go out on you.

Yeah, you can roll your eyes here.

Meanwhile, Billups thrived in Denver, leading the Nuggets all the way to the Western Conference Finals. But Dumars had his money.

At age 34, Iverson was virtually unwanted in the NBA. His act had worn as thin as onion skin. The summer came and went. A player with over 24,000 points couldn’t get a contract offer. The league was wising up, finally.

But then the Memphis Grizzlies came calling. P.T. Barnum was right.

The Grizzlies, whose lack of NBA success should have prompted them to change their name to the Grislies, took a flyer on Iverson.

But the pairing of the Hall of Famer Iverson and the stumbling, bumbling Grizzlies gave you that Julia Roberts-Lyle Lovett feeling.

Barely out of training camp, Iverson was at it again. He said something about not having really talked to the coach yet and sounded thinly-veiled warnings about how he would react if he wasn’t made a starter.

The Grizzlies scrambled to find Iverson a big enough bonnet and rattle. Meanwhile, they went out and signed guard Jamaal Tinsley, another head case who wasn’t even in the NBA last season. It was like buying a pistol but keeping some cyanide capsules on you just to be safe.

Iverson suited up for a couple of games with the Grizzlies, threw another hissy fit, and was allowed to take a leave of absence for “personal reasons.” Then, he said he would retire.

The league barely noticed—except for the New York Knicks, who are another column entirely. But even the Knicks, after a couple of frightful days of actually considering it, decided that it would be unwise to bring Iverson into a situation where younger players are trying to be bestowed playing time.

So Iverson stayed “retired,” but really what he was saying was that he was going to hold his breath until he turned blue.

Enter the 76ers and their 5-14 record. P.T. Barnum was right again.

Iverson wept Thursday at the presser, telling everyone that he “didn’t feel right” wearing any uniform other than a Sixer one. He spoke of being not terribly proud of some of the things he’s said and done during his career. He—get this—also said that he doesn’t need the spotlight. He said he doesn’t need any special treatment.

We’ll see.

I’m not saying that Iverson’s were crocodile tears, but I do think that he came face-to-face with the death of his NBA career and it scared the bejeebers out of him. I think his tears were tears of relief and maybe, just maybe, a touch of contriteness.

But the 76ers were 5-14 when they signed Iverson. They are nowhere near pursuing Iverson’s supposed white whale. They were dreadful without him and now have only been elevated to awful with him.

So what is Allen Iverson playing for, now?

Himself—as usual.

Read more Allen Iverson news on BleacherReport.com

Meditations On an Icon: Allen Iverson

Kevin Allan — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 06:24:48 -0500

When you just start to watch sports, you tend to gravitate towards the winners. We're all born little bandwagoners. Our parents or friends have to teach us to root for the local team(s), because when you're young and without influence, you just root for the best.

The best team or the best player or maybe sometimes both, like Jordan's Bulls. I'd bet you money that Larry Johnson's kids play as Adrian Peterson when they turn on Madden. I'm not sure if he has any kids, but if he does and they play Madden, you can pay up.

Why am I talking about this?

Allen BubbaChuck Iverson. That's why.

I still love my adolescent favorites. They stay with you forever; in my case those halcyon days of Montana picking apart a team's defense, or of Griffey and that swing. But as you grow, you start to look for more from your athletic icons. It isn't enough just to be very good, because excellence in and of itself isn't necessarily wortwhile. At least for me.

Go watch that Michael Jordan Hall Of Fame press conference again, and come back and try to tell me that's an admirable man. He's a maladjusted maniac, fuming over tiny slights that happened decades ago and competitive to the point of insanity. MJ is probably the greatest of all time in basketball, but what's that worth when you're such a shitty person?

So I started to notice how Barry Sanders tossed the ball quietly to the ref every time he scored. I noticed how no one ever had anything bad to say about Cal Ripken.

The man is more important than the accomplishment.

And then, as this shift became manifest, Allen Iverson came along.

He was, from the beginning, dogged with legal trouble. Legal trouble that boiled down to racism. A new documentary from ESPN's 30 at 30 series will detail in depth the prejudices that a young Allen fought through, but a quick recap: Allen and three of his friends were bowling in an alley in his hometown of Newport News, VA.

Newport is a poor ass city; Allen didn't have a phone in his house growing up, the local nickname is "Bad News", etc. So Allen is at this point 17 years old and the biggest name in the county; he's an all-world football player who had just led his team to the state championship. (If you haven't heard - AI could've gone pro in football, too. He's called the Answer for a reason!)

While there, a shouting match broke out between two factions of people, and then a fight. Out of the two dozen or so people at the bowling alley, only Iverson and his three friends were arrested. They were also the only black people there.

Allen was tried under an archane law that existed to prosecute lynchers —seriously—and served a few months in a correctional facility. There was no evidence behind any of the charges. Granted clemency, he met John Thompson and under his care attended Georgetown as a Hoya, the rest is fairly well known.

While he is on trial, Allen wears a suit for the first time in his life. Disgusted with the trial, the racist police and townspeople, the complicit media who never challenged the case, Allen throws his suit away after the case is decided. He never puts one on again.

So then of course years later, when they start having conversations about the dress code for the NBA Stern instituted to get his players to dress more professionally, Allen Iverson is trotted out as an example of what's wrong with the NBA. No one ever bothers to mention the reason Iverson won't wear a suit.

Throughout his youth, facing obstacles and situations most can't imagine, Iverson remained a loyal, caring friend, a dedicated student, a good son and a decent man.

In college he was taunted so maliciously that John Thompson had to ask other colleges to reign in their students, who were prone to racist chants and offensive signs.

As a NBA player he was the first to act authentically, and I mean that completely sincerely. Jordan spent his life as a blank slate so white people would buy Hanes underwear from him, AI tatted up his whole arms and put his hair in cornrows. He became a lightning rod, getting the absolute worst from everyone who didn't take the time to understand him a little better. Some fans, offended at his very existence , continued the racist taunts during his road games.

Think about that for a second. Imagine being incredibly good at basketball. Now imagine playing in an arena where 20,000 people are angrily taunting you because you grew up in a poor town and dress and act differently than they do. Imagine Salt Lake City Jazz fans yelling "GO BACK HOME, MONKEY!" at you while you played basketball. How would you react?

Allen Iverson reacted as best as anyone could. He played harder. He smiled at those college kids after he hit free throws. He thanks God almost every press conference, talks about being blessed. He wishes his enemies well. He's made mistakes. He's messed up, but in the grand scheme of things, they've been tiny little nothings.

He's blamed for the 2004 Olympic Bronze, but he was the only player who gave an interview after every game, who talked about what an honor it was to be on the team, how it was a dream come true. He played his guts out.

Bron and Wade only said they were happy to be on the Olympic team after they won a Gold Medal 4 years later. He's a person who asks forgiveness and grants it when asked. Do unto others.

Iverson is someone I admire, someone I look up to, and someone who shows me that obstacles are there to be overcome. That inner strength is stronger than anything else. I hope I can become a man like him one day. Sincerely.

I haven't even started talking about AI the player. I know he's been put down a lot throughout his career as someone who shoots too much, who dominates the ball too much on offense to ever be part of a Championship team. I've heard it all.

It's wrong. It's completely wrong. Iverson is a spectacular, otherworldy athlete, and he does things on the basketball floor that boggle the mind.

In person it's even more impressive, but on TV you can see it: Blindingly fast, quick beyond all comprehension, he drives from and into angles that are basically invisible, finishing impossibly at the rim while clobbered by men twice his size, playing the most minutes in the league basically the first ten years of his career.

Watching AI play is a sight to behold. Watching the Sixers waste his prime years as a player was heartbreaking.

To the charge that AI doesn't pass enough—yeah he does. Go watch an All-Star game, where AI throws passes fellow All-Stars can't believe got to them, where he's won two MVP awards.

You can even go look at his career stats: An average of 6.3 assists per game. You know the amazing thing about that? The scrubs he was throwing the ball to. After the 2005-2006 season the Sixers had enough of AI and shopped him around, they wanted to focus on their young players.... young players like Iguodala, or Korver, or Zendon Hamilton, or Willie Green, or Deng Gai.

Do you know any of these players? Probably not, (except for maybe Korver, famous for looking like a terrible actor) because none of them are All-Stars.

Except Iguodala, most of them are pretty terrible. Iverson has been on, almost without exception, terrible teams his whole life. The 2001 team he brought to the Finals against the Lakers probably wouldn't have been starters on the Lakers.

Allen made them great, put them on his back and carried them up the mountain. You can't win it all by yourself in pro basketball, it's true. Yeah, but holy shit, no one's tried as valiantly as he has to do it anyway.

After a short stint in Denver, he's traded for Chauncey, who immediately gels with the team and propels them to better play. The story becomes Iverson the Selfish Player, the shoot-first point guard. It's never really discussed that Iverson plays best on a defense-focused, fast team and the Nuggets, with Karl at the helm, are a half court team with no defensive strategy.

Last year, Nash struggled with a different offense and a slower team. The consensus among sports heads was that he just needed to play his style of basketball and this year he's flourishing with his rhythm and his system.

Where was this conversation with AI? Instead, he's called names, maladjusted, someone who should accept a bench role, past his prime, on and on. Iverson is a genetic freak, he's almost as fast now in his mid thirties as he was when he was young, and he's only gotten smarter as a player.

Was there a single article or segment you watched in the last few years about how Iverson needs to play his game or that he should get a coach with the right system for him?

I'll go ahead and say not once.

It's not surprising. The League never had anyone who could work Iverson into their offense or build one around him. Larry Brown came close, but Larry Brown is too much of a dick to stick around and make anything last. The same League that airbrushed off his tattoos for an official magazine cover a few years back, by the way. Shocking, I know, that a group of older white people who never understood Iverson the man or Iverson the player all passed on him recently before the Sixers picked him back up.

You'd hear quotes about how they wanted to develop their young talent or that'd he'd be a disruption. You know who said that? The same guys who passed on Jennings, the guys in Atlanta who needed a point guard and didn't draft Chris Paul. You know what team has a lot of young talent developing? The 1-18, historically bad Jersey Nets. You know how the Grizzlies or Pistons are doing? They're 8-12 and 7-12, respectively. I'm taking their opinions with a fairly large grain of salt.

So what does this all mean? It means AI will perform at an All-Star level the rest of this season. Believe it. It means the 76ers, attracting new fans and finding their games televised, will resign him for a few more years, where he'll continue to play at an elite level. It means AI will retire in Philly, surrounded by adoring fans.

It means that while there are (very few) players better than Iverson, or players that have had more success in basketball, there's no one more important as a man.

Proof? Easy: Find an old picture of Jordan while he was playing. Now take a look at Melo and Wade and Bron. Look at the sleeves they wear, the arms full of tattos, the headbands and the black socks.

Now you tell me, who are they really emulating? The bald man with the shorts above the knees who won it all? Or the man who stayed true to himself?

That's why Iverson's my favorite player, in any sport. That's why I say the man is more than the accomplishment. Iverson may not get his chip, that doesn't matter. A Championship Ring only validates those who need validation.

Starting next week, Allen Iverson gets to start his fairy tale ending. And that's worth celebrating.

Read more Allen Iverson news on BleacherReport.com

The Heart of Allen Iverson Back in Philadelphia

Alex Buda — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 03:38:48 -0500

Listen up kids, I got a story to tell you.

This story is a story you may or may not have heard.

You see, once upon a time, a young warrior, lost and without a path, finds a home in Philadelphia. In this city, he developed an identity. An identity so clear that he developed an objective.

The objective was to find his city's ring, but the path to get there was cruel.

For years he fought his enemies for the ring but he could not conquer them. One time he got close, but he was defeated by the men of large lakes.

After years of frustration he left on a new journey for the ring. His identity remained the same but the man who was once known as the answer became a question in himself.

A question of struggle.

A question of dominance.

A question of perseverance.

And somewhere along this path, he lost his identity and then he lost his way home.

So how do you like it so far?

I know, it's sad.

This warrior had an objective his whole life. He poured his heart into making this objective into a reality.

Try telling the other warriors practicing in their backyards—even as you read these words—that their dream is no more than a fantasy.

You see, when you pour your heart into something, it makes things fuzzy and it can make you think unclear.

He needed to move forward and took a big step in that by announcing his retirement from his journey of finding the ring.

But then something happened, an opportunity arisen.

He was given the chance to come back to the city he started in, the city he poured his heart into.

This was unexpected and surprising but he was given a choice. No matter what choice he made at this point, he knew that he could not go back.

The time lost between then and now was spent for growth and maturity.

He could of turned his back, but the only problem with that is, he retired without an identity.

This isn't about the ring anymore.

This isn't about the glory.

This is about redemption.

He was given his identity back but now his objective has changed. His objective is not to find the ring anymore. He left that behind. Now he is looking to restore his image.

Well, that's the story. Hope you...

...what's that?

What happens next you ask?

Well, it looks like we're just going to have to wait and see.

It seems as if destiny has taken its course, as he will start out by facing the city of Denver and Detroit.

Coincidence?

I think not!

Read more Allen Iverson news on BleacherReport.com

The Question Is Will Allen Iverson Be the Answer for the Philadelphia 76ers?

Scott Duncanson — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 03:12:46 -0500

Every so often, I love to see superstar athletes who seem to think they are bigger than the sport get humbled. There is no single athlete that is bigger than their team and league. Even the best of the best, from Jordan to Gretzky paid homage to past players and constantly proclaimed their love of the sport they play.

To begin with, I always admired Allen Iverson's passion for the game. He plays hard, and never plays scared. There wasn't a single game I watched Iverson play where I thought he was going half-ass, or wasn't playing at one hundred percent. However, I wouldn't want him on my team.

To begin with, the guy dribbles sixty times before shooting. Half of his assists come when he gets stuck passing the ball after running 10-15 seconds on the shot clock. Plus his desire to be a prolific scorer, at all costs, hurts the team's chemistry. Besides his one Finals run in 2001, the Sixers were an above-average team at best. He never really had a player to demand the ball.

Nowadays at age 34, there are players 10 years younger who could match his speed, and his scoring prowess, without the bad shot selection. No team will ever win with Iverson shooting 25 times a game and dribbling fifteen seconds off before deciding what to do.

Look at players like Rasheed Wallace and Michael Finley, who accepted significantly lesser roles in order to win a ring. Iverson is not that type of player. Even in Detroit, where he tried to conform and fit in, he still had the same problems.

By no means am I blaming Iverson for the Detroit debacle. That was a bad fit from the beginning, and the Pistons bought him in knowing the type of player he was. But at 34, he has to realize that there are new stars in the league, and he is no longer the franchise.

His best years was when he had Larry Brown, who not only is an excellent teacher, but wouldn't back down to any star. You play his way or you don't play. That made Iverson step up not only as a player, but as a man. Once Larry Brown left, and a few inexperienced coaches, particularly Randy Ayers, and even Mo Cheeks, eventually caused Iverson to stray off and become a distraction.

When he was traded to Denver, and played for a strong and established coach in George Karl, he had probably his best season as a pro, STATISTICALLY. However, the team wasn't growing around him. Players were out for themselves. I remember a game in particular, where A.I. was absolutely on fire. He finished the game with 51 points that night.

Around the third quarter when he couldn't miss, I watched Carmelo Anthony have the mentality of going "shot for shot" with him. When a guy is THAT hot, you've got to "give him the damn ball", as Keyshawn Johnson would say. That's the kind of selfishness that A.I. brings to the table on the offensive end.

Memphis was another case where he was pretty much used. With the young players they have, all they need is an aging former superstar trying to squeeze extra minutes onto his fifteen minutes of fame. While I certainly would choose the likes of Rudy Gay, OJ Mayo, and Marc Gasol over Iverson, he could've definitely started over Mike Conley, and certainly deserved to play more than 18 minutes.

Again, Memphis knew exactly who they were getting, and knew there is no excuse for playing a 10 time all star with a 27 PPG career scoring average 18 minutes. Especially on a team that won 24 games last season. None. However, AI shouldn't have been bitching about it one game into his season.

After that, not too many takers. The Knicks, who employ Mike Antoni ( that's not a typo, there's no D), couldh've used Iverson's offense and defensive EFFORT.

Then, the Knicks, who have more excuses than a man on the way to jail stated signing him would mess up team chemistry. Please. Chemistry...with players like Larry Hughes and Al Harrington. On a team who only have two players signed after this season. (Gallinari and Chandler). Delusional Knick fans think LeBron is coming. I have a better chance of Oprah buying me a car.

When he mentioned retirement, then people started to realize that the game would be losing one of the faces of the league for years. Larry Brown stepped up, and when Philly thought about it, what could they lose. They lost Lou Williams to a broken jaw, and Philly has underachieved the last couple of years, partly due to lack of veteran leadership.

Plus, it wouldn't cost much. Not to mention that Iverson played his heart out for them and the fans love him. Rightfully so.

Watching Iverson's press conference with him crying really made me see the level of love and passion he has for the game of basketball. All he wanted to do was play. Think that last year, he made around $20 million. He signed with the Sixers for $650,000, approximately. That shows how much he loves the game. And being unwanted made him realize what a privilege it is to play a game that you love for money.

I think the Sixers MIGHT, and I repeat might make the playoffs. I believe in karma, and after snaking his way away from the Clippers, Elton Brand, thus far has been a colossal bust. Iguodala is good, but he's not an all-star caliber type player. I don't know why either, since he definitely has the talent. Then again, in this league, talent isn't enough.

These experiences, I think will change A.I. as a player. He almost had to give up the game he loved due to his reputation and the way he was perceived as a teammate. He's going on the court with a chip on his shoulders, with something to prove. It's do or die time. If he messes up now, he'll probably be done. Unless he accepts a demotion to a role player.

Either way, his number will be the next to be retired in the Wachovia Center. He epitomizes the phrase "go hard or go home." Good luck AI. We're rooting for you. At least until the Knicks get good again.

Read more Allen Iverson news on BleacherReport.com

Iverson Has the "It" To Turn Philly Around

Euno Lee — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 18:04:22 -0500

Before I start making a case, forgive me for gloating just a moment.

Did I not call it? Seriously. Read the date and read the last sentence.

Allen Iverson has probably gone through the most trying week of his NBA career. I am, by no stretch, an apologist for Allen Iverson. I am merely someone who has read more about him, watched more of his game footage and his interviews in the past few days than anyone should ever do their entire life. And I feel for him.

Iverson is a soldier, first and foremost. He has a competitive drive on the court comparable to that of Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan, but he has more than just a will to win—he has a passion for the game, unlike anything the game has seen before.

It is this passion that lead Eddie Jordan to compare Iverson to Brett Favre, saying they have similar situations, and saying that it is entirely possible that Iverson have an "MVP year."

He is as honest a man as they come, and perhaps his outspokenness has turned off the sports media. They call him, the man with a higher APG average than Kobe or LeBron in his last complete season, a ball-hog.

He said he doesn't need a ring to complete his legacy, because A.I. understands more about the game than his compatriots. An NBA ring is for those blessed with the talent, the coaching, and a little bit of luck that goes with winning a championship.

In a country where at least acting like you're a team player is valued more than self-motivation and is enough to get you good press, he is everything we want to hate about ourselves but can't, because we can't identify "it." He is the NBA's first genuine-article badass, and he has the ability to knock some of these doubting pundits on their behind.

Allen Iverson, at age 34, has more basketball in him than 95 percent of the basketball world will ever have. It's because Iverson, (who admitted in an interview with Stephen A. Smith that football was his first sport) loves the game, first and foremost. He loves it to death, and thinks it's so obvious that everyone should know it already, and that discussing it is pointless.

So Allen Iverson sees the game of basketball as a war, and he wants to go to war with soldiers. If they are not going to be soldiers, if they refuse to dive for loose balls and do what it takes to win, he will make them soldiers. He is a general, and Philadelphia, for all intents and purposes, is his capital city.

Philadelphia is sorely missing one thing from its game: leadership.

Andre Iguodala may be one of the more competent all-around players in the league, but his team looks like they're playing on old legs. Elton Brand's athleticism looks half-assed, Samuel Dalembert is talented but looks lost during games.

This is a very capable squad under-performing to disastrous results. Iverson has the passion to bring back glory to his city, to make Dalembert and Brand grab boards, to make Iguodala stop turning the ball over, and to shoulder some of the scoring load while making plays.

Philadelphia feels his passion already. Ticket sales have gone up. Philly, up there with Boston on the list of "craziest sports cities in the world," was sagging in attendance this year. Something to the tune of less than 12,000 seats being filled per game. With seats starting to sell out quickly, many Philly fans must remember how exciting Iverson was to watch just four years ago.

And so, in Philadelphia at least, Iverson's return is being heralded like Napoleon's Hundred Days. One can only hope the public relations and media hasn't gotten to him, and he is able to walk away from the game on his own terms without meeting his Waterloo.

Read more Allen Iverson news on BleacherReport.com

Fantasy Hoops Roundtable: A.I. vs. T-Mac

Ryan Lester — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 11:32:42 -0500

Time for another fantasy basketball roundtable.

Brian of www.emptythebench.com was responsible for this week's Fantasy Hoops Roundtable debate topic.

Click here to see the full article .

This Week’s Topic

Who will make a more positive overall fantasy impact upon their return: Allen Iverson or Tracy McGrady?

My Response

To be honest, neither option attracts me as they both come with so much baggage. Allen Iverson is having a hell of a time accepting that his best days have passed him by. He can still score, but he’s a shell of his former self. His assists and steals have also went down the past few years.

Tracy McGrady can still produce if his knee will allow him to. With Yao Ming out for the year, McGrady will take it upon himself to carry the load. Unfortunately that may not be the best thing for the Rockets now. Aaron Brooks, Luis Scola, Trevor Ariza, and Carl Landry have established themselves as good young stars. If McGrady comes in shooting 15-plus shots per game, he would disrupt their flow.

I reluctantly take McGrady in this debate. He should score at a similar clip as Iverson, but will likely have more assists and rebounds. He does shoot poorly from the floor, so you’ll have to be able to be able to absorb that.

Panelists

Brian of EmptyTheBench.com
Ryan Lester of LestersLegends.com
Alex of BleacherCreatureRotoTalk.com
Erik of PointsInThePaint.com
Nels of GiveMeTheRock.com
Tommy of HoopsWorld.com

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Prodigal Iverson: The Answer To Philadelphia's Prayers?

Andrew Sexton — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 20:06:46 -0500

With Allen Iverson back in Philly, all the “experts” are wondering if this makes the Sixers a playoff team.

Forget the playoffs. Shoot for the moon, because even if you miss you’ll land with home-court advantage in the first round. That’s right, it looks like the Sixers might suddenly be the team to beat in the Eastern Conference.

Iverson is as hungry as he’s ever been, and he fits this Sixers team like a glove.

Philadelphia has less chemistry than Tiger Woods’ marriage. They have fewer shooters than the French resistance. Until this morning, the city cared more about Penn basketball (0-4) than Sixers basketball.

Iverson is the perfect guy to step in and take this team to heights it hasn’t seen since 2001. He can lead, he’s healthy, and he’s the volume shooter that Philly desperately needs.

If that isn’t enough, take a look at the rest of the East. This might be the weakest Eastern Conference in the last 10 years.

You can summarize the conference with four very vulnerable teams: the Celtics, Cavs, Magic, and Hawks.

Nobody in Boston wants to admit it, but they rolled the dice one too many times when they signed Rashweed. These days, all Sheed can really do is jack threes and get technicals.

The Celtics have Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Eddie House, heck even Brian Scalabrine. All of them more than competent outside shooters. The last thing Boston needed was a hot-headed big man who never met a 3 he didn’t like.

This team is downright elderly, and the chemistry went from adequate to abominable when they added Wallace. Expect these old dogs to flame out when spring rolls around, they’ll be lucky to get out of the first round.

The 2009-2010 Cavs are no better than the 2008-2009 Cavs, and that’s not a compliment. The Shaq experiment, promising though it was, is not panning out by any stretch of his imagination. Delonte West, a key cog from last season, just hasn’t been himself since shotgun in guitar case-gate.

Something tells me that the season will end once again with LeBron heading to the locker room early. Don’t worry Cleveland, at least you will always be remembered as the one city where King James didn’t get a ring.

Is there a team in any of the four major sports with less heart than the Magic? This team blows leads like Dick Cheney blows covers. Their cornerstone big man, Dwight Howard, practices farting when he should be practicing low post moves. Last year, the hook shot was George Mikan rolling-over-in-his-grave bad. This year, it’s merely gawd-awful.

If Superman works hard, he might upgrade the hook to cover-your-eyes ugly by the spring of 2013. As a side note, this gutless team needed to bring in leadership over the summer if it wanted any chance of getting to the next level. When you think leadership, apparently Orlando thinks Vince Carter.

The Hawks are a pretty simple team to figure out. They are young, relatively experienced, and generally have nowhere to go but up. They’re good enough to be a team the Sixers should be concerned about, but bad enough to be a team that the Sixers shouldn’t be worried about. Also, Joe Johnson says they’re soft. Ummm, this is awkward.

And there you have it, a conference clearly ripe for the picking. Most of the teams don’t matter, and the ones who do matter have fatal flaws. The Sixers’ work is cut out for them.

Here’s a little secret. Philly didn’t bring Allen back to sell tickets. They didn’t bring him back out of good will. They brought him back for one last glorious title run, before The Answer retires for good.

Funny how things change. Last week the Sixers were thinking about the lottery, now fans can ponder a best-of-seven with the Lakers.

Read more Allen Iverson news on BleacherReport.com

Allen Iverson To Philly: Happy Homecoming or Epic Mistake?

Taylor Smith — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:36:18 -0500

So, Allen Iverson is headed back to Philadelphia.

I've written in the past about how he needs to accept the fact that he's in decline and nobody cares to have a whining, selfish, aging player as a franchise centerpiece.

However, I feel as though Iverson's move back to the 76ers is a perfect match for both sides.

Lou Williams, Philly's second-leading scorer, just went down for eight weeks with a broken jaw. Before the injury, Williams was enjoying a breakout season, averaging 17 points and five assists per game while assuming point guard duties for the Sixers.

Williams is a lightning-quick 6'1" guard with a knack for finding the rim and scoring.

Sound familiar?

What better replacement than a 34-year-old carbon copy of him?

The Sixers are 21st in the league in scoring average per game, and Iverson was born to put the ball in the basket.

Iverson, who has averaged 27 points per game for his career, will come in and start right away for Philly at point guard ahead of rookie Jrue Holiday.

Is Iverson a point guard?

No.

However, he's not coming in and playing off-guard ahead of Andre Iguodala, and we all know how he feels about coming off the bench.

What do the Sixers have to lose?

They're 5-13 and mired in a seven-game losing streak.

Their current starting point guard, the 19-year-old Holiday, has looked overwhelmed at times and doesn't look quite ready to be playing extensive minutes in the NBA.

They're already far outside the playoff picture, and have absolutely no spark right now.

Iverson is (or was) a one-man offensive wrecking machine, capable of scoring by himself whenever he wants to.

If Eddie Jordan lets him roll freely, Iverson could resurrect his career here and may be able to help jump-start the 76ers back into contention.

If AI is stuck in a system that doesn't complement his skills (like last season in Detroit), he'll struggle and eventually flounder.

There's no doubting the talent on Philadelphia's roster.

They've missed second-year forward Marreese Speights in a major way, as he's missed the last eight games with an MCL injury. Before going down, Speights averaged 13 points and six rebounds per game.

Thaddeus Young, still just 21 years old, averages 15 points per game and has tons of room still to grow as a player.

However, the biggest key of all is Elton Brand.

Brand still hasn't gotten going after signing with the Sixers last summer and has struggled to stay on the floor. In 15 games this year, he's averaging 12 points and seven rebounds per game.

If he can start looking like the player he was for the Bulls and Clippers, Philly will have a reliable threat on the low block that can get them easy baskets.

Iverson, Iguodala, and Willie Green give the Sixers a nice little tandem of scoring guards.

So, were Ed Stefanski and Eddie Jordan motivated to bring Iverson in for basketball reasons and basketball reasons only?

Of course not.

"The Answer" is going to sell tickets.

Philadelphia may be the one place that Iverson could have gone and immediately fit right in and feel comfortable.

Based on years past, the fans still love him, and he will always be remembered as a Sixer.

Philadelphia sports fans are notorious for being tough and rough around the edges, and Iverson's style has matched that throughout his career.

Based on how they've been reeling, fan interest in the Sixers can't be too high.

The Phillies are coming off back-to-back World Series appearances, the Eagles are 7-4, and even the Flyers are better than the 76ers right now.

So why should they care about their 5-13 basketball team?

Bringing Iverson back immediately gets people in Philadelphia talking about the team again, and, if they're able to put something together with him, Iverson will own the town once again.

Does the addition of Iverson guarantee the Sixers will make a run?

Of course not.

It's completely possible that Allen Iverson as we've known him for years no longer exists as a basketball superstar.

These Sixers may just not have it and are bound for a top-five lottery choice next summer.

Who knows?

In any case, bringing Iverson back to Philadelphia will certainly generate interest.

Whether or not they end up making the playoffs, the Iverson signing is a smart move for the 76ers.

Read more Allen Iverson news on BleacherReport.com

Iverson Signs: The Sixers Have the Answer

Sachin Arora — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 09:22:18 -0500

The 76ers have announced that Allen Iverson has accepted their one year contract offer.

What does this mean? It means that Iverson will hopefully finish his career where it started, where he became the great player he is. He will start and get his minutes and will be happy, at least until Lou Williams returns.

Though Iverson will have to share the ball with Andre Iguodala and Thaddeus Young, he will flourish with Philly again. Do the Sixers have the answer now that they have AI?

Read more Allen Iverson news on BleacherReport.com

Allen Iverson, Horrible Ex-Girlfriend, is Needed by Philadelphia

Eric Marmon — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:39:36 -0500

Break-ups are a funny thing.

It starts off positive. Sure, some bad things are said initially. But you’re left with a fresh start, an empty slate, a feeling of bottomless potential. You feel free, like anything is possible, and you wonder why you wasted so much time with your horrible Ex in the first place.

You go out on a few dates. Try to find somebody new. Maybe you do, and this new relationship is beautiful and fulfilling and strong, and you never have to think of your horrible Ex again.

But often you don’t. Not immediately, anyway. And as your seemingly futile search for love drags on, thoughts of that horrible Ex begin to re-emerge.

You know it’s wrong. If a relationship was bad, if it wasn’t working and had proven over a substantial amount of time that it wasn’t going to work, then it simply is never going to work. That is not a healthy relationship. It is not a productive relationship. And it will never get you the results you desire.

Despite all the reasons not to do it… the Philadelphia 76ers need to bring back their Ex.

They need to bring back Allen Iverson.

It may not be the best “long-term” decision, but it needs to be done. It feels comforting, it feels safe, and it gives you a warm feeling just to be reminded that you can in fact be loved.

Sixers fans need to feel love again.

Despite a plethora of young players that management swears are bubbling with potential, the fact remains that the Sixers have been awful since Iverson’s departure. They have the fourth worst record in the NBA. Only Minnesota, New York, and the record-setting winless Nets are below them. With two of their key players out for a substantial amount of time, things seem destined to get worse before they get better.

Since trading Iverson, the Sixers are on their third head coach, second general manager, and have plummeted to the bottom of the NBA attendance rankings. They are far-and-away the least popular team in the city of Philadelphia. They have fewer wins on the season than Temple Football. They seem over-paid, uninspired, and provide little confidence that they will ever beat a semi-decent team.

Allen Iverson can change all that.

Sure, it’s not the smart move. Just like rekindling with a former fling, signing Iverson would provide little in the future. The long-term success of the Sixers will depend on the development of the young nucleus we’ve heard so much about. Players like Thaddeus Young and Jrue Holiday will need playing time to evolve into the kinds of players that can make this team a contender.

Despite this, there comes a time when things are so low, so ghastly, so seemingly hopeless that one has no choice but to abandon all reason and give that Ex a call. A quick fix? Sure. Unproductive? Certainly. But in that small period of time there will be that tiny moment that’ll remind you of all the wonderful times you once had.

Sixers fans want that moment. They need that moment. After three seasons of apathetic, helpless, unlovable basketball, they deserve this moment.

Allen Iverson is The Answer.

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Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers: A Match Made in Heaven?

Brandon Ribak — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:31:31 -0500

Check out NBAPrimetime.com for the full article!

A reunion between Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers is more likely to happen before next Monday than not.

While A.I and the Sixers organization parted ways back in 2006 on “bad terms,” it seems as if the two have placed their past (and feelings) aside and are ready to begin a new long, loving, and lasting relationship.

After kicking the season off with a disappointing 5-13 record, this is clearly the best possible news for the Sixers organization and fans worldwide.

Why is this a match made in heaven?

For starters, obtaining a highly-publicized player of Iverson’s caliber will immediately sky-rocket ticket sales, increasing revenue (something that the Sixers are lacking this season as they rank second-lowest in the NBA in fan attendance).

Aside from the money, after starting point guard Lou Williams went down with a broken jaw on Nov. 14, the Sixers have become in desperate need of a starting point guard.

Since retiring on Nov. 16, Iverson has been in search of a new home, somewhere he can play the starting point-guard role and maintain starter's minutes throughout the season.

Ironically, the only team willingly able to fulfill Iverson's needs are the Sixers.

With the Sixers in serious desperation to fill seats and improve on their lousy record and Iverson seeking to prove to the NBA world that at age 34 he can still play ball with the best of them, is this a match made in heaven?

You betcha.

**Fantasy Tip**- Pick up Allen Iverson in all fantasy leagues as if all goes well, he will begin to play starters minutes and produce at a top-tier level for all owners!

Check out NBAPrimetime.com for the full article!

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