Allen Iverson's Tale Is One We Have Heard Before

It's easy to rationalize Allen Iverson's decision to sit the rest of the season out when it comes to his daughter Messiah, but the latest news concerning Iverson makes you wonder if this was his eventual path anyway.

Stephen A. Smith of ESPN recently said Iverson was spiraling out of control and his finances and post-basketball life was in serious danger due to alcohol and gambling problems.

Smith went on to say Iverson has been banned from casinos in Detroit and Atlantic City, and these recent revelations coupled with the news of his daughter, and his wife's recent request for a divorce add up to a very difficult month for Iverson.

I have been critical of Iverson in the past because I feel that even though he was a great player he never took the steps to maximize his potential and explore the depths of his game.

His dislike for practice is legendary, and he has never given much thought to the weight room, and when his non-chalant manner is held beside players like LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, you have to question his desire, if not the results.

Iverson has been known to enjoy a good time, and it's no coincidence that many of his past troubles have occurred in situations in which alcohol was present.

One of those situations took place this past week at the CIAA tournament in Charlotte, NC, where Iverson and music mogul Jermaine Dupri hosted a party at Club 935.

Iverson reportedly remained in the VIP section of the club for the duration of his time there and was visibly intoxicated by the time the party came to an end, repeatedly stumbling and slurring his speech.

I live in Charlotte, and although I did not attend the above-mentioned party, my statement is not hearsay, but is in fact common knowledge which has been the focus of talk at many of the radio stations in the city.

I would never begrudge a person the right to let loose and enjoy themselves, and I have been known to partake in the pleasures of the liquid spirits myself, but for Iverson, this is a story we have all heard before.

Not only in the NBA, but throughout the world of sports athletes have become just as famous for their urge to indulge in alcohol, drugs, and gambling as they are for excelling in their particular field of choice.

As a society this is something we have come to expect from our heroes, and in some cases we even accept it, even when their destructive tendencies could potentially ruin their legacies.

NBA players like Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, and Antoine Walker have all seen their reputations tarnished by their gambling troubles, and this may just be the tip of the iceberg.

But the sad thing is instead of holding these players accountable for their actions, we readily forgive them, which makes us partly responsible for the entitlement culture which has been created.

To be fair, these are issues of a personal nature, but they are held in a different perspective when you consider the impact these athletes have on our lives.

Some of them serve as role models to our children, and even though they are not responsible for that task, it is an inescapable conclusion made possible by the advances of mass-media.

Society loves to root for the underdog, but we also have a perverse attachment to stories about our fallen heroes, and their ability to conquer their demons and rise again.

But just because they have achieved redemption in our eyes doesn't necessarily mean they have overcome the obstacles in their own personal lives, in fact it's likely the opposite.

We were all appalled to learn the depths of Jordan's gambling problems, but once this issue was brought to light, and Jordan made the appropriate apologies, did he learn any lessons from his mistakes?

Apparently not, because Jordan is still known to love a good wager, and Barkley even has the gall to openly discuss losing sums of money to Jordan on the golf course, the place where "His Airness'" problems began.

But once Jordan admitted his mis-deeds and apologized to everyone he hurt, including his wife, we forgave him and business pretty much continued as usual.

Jordan's problems didn't end there as his wife later divorced him, and his struggles you can draw parallels to Iverson and the current tribulations he is faced with.

Iverson has endured many difficult situations in the past, and in each instance his fans and followers have made excuses for his actions, and refused to judge him based on his indiscretions.

Even though we all could see Iverson was clearly troubled in his personal life, we chose to disregard the gun violations, the marijuana accusations, and the spousal abuse in favor of his performances on the court.

And now that his wife of eight-and-a-half years is divorcing him, and players and friends alike have said they are worried about Iverson's financial and physical well-being, we act surprised?

We shouldn't be, and in fact it was inevitable Iverson would travel this path, because all the signs he has shown us throughout his career have led to this conclusion.

But instead of recognizing that Iverson was in serious trouble his fans chose to blame his problems on the court to hostile management, and an inability of observers to understand him.

People who use this excuse have fallen victim to the same demons which plague Iverson, because instead of accepting blame for his own actions, Iverson chose to deflect it elsewhere.

The Iverson faithful could never find the wrong in his actions or his attitude, but now his personal life has been exposed and he must face these challenges or be consumed by them.

The early signs are not promising as Iverson has released a Twitter statement which says he is not a perfect person, but his true fans know not to believe everything they hear.

I can accept that, but what about the things Iverson's "true" fans see? His professional and personal life are teetering on the brink, and this is something Iverson will be forced to face.

So will his adoring fans who have seen their hero crumble before their very eyes yet refused to accept all the previous evidence which made this resolution eventual.