NBA Rumors: 5 Reasons Why Allen Iverson Should Play in China
The last few days there have been rumors regarding Allen Iverson's basketball future.
Iverson's manager Gary Moore has expressed his shock and amazement that he has received no offers from NBA teams concerning Allen Iverson.
With only two weeks until training camp starts up again for the NBA, Allen Iverson is reportedly thinking about taking a page out of former NBA guard Stephon Marbury, and taking "his talents" to the far east.
Most teams don't seem to care if he stays or goes these days, but it got me thinking about if his move across the globe was a good idea.
After weighing the pros and cons of this move I concluded that in this stage of his career, Allen Iverson's best bet is heading for China.
Here are the top five reasons this move is not only a good move, but the only move left in Iverson's playbook.
His Image
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Allen Iverson has had quite the Image roller coaster during his lengthy career.
He was beloved during his early 76er years, celebrated for his scoring prowess and MVP campaign, gasped at because of his gravity defying moves, and then loathed for his poor attitude and nasty temper.
Iverson was always able to overcome the negative press due to his amazing play inside the lines. But as his play began to decline, so did his image. After a while no one was talking about his play anymore, but how he was disrupting chemistry with nearly every team he joined.
A move to China could give Allen Iverson yet another chance to re-invent himself. He could become a bit more of a distributor, stop running his mouth, and have a shot at going out of basketball on a good note.
His Money
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Now I have no idea how many zeros are in Iverson's bank account these days, but things can't be as good as they use to be.
Iverson's pay days as of late have been less than eye-popping, and Allen does not seem like he would be the most responsible person with money.
He's only got a few years left in the tank when it comes to any kind of professional basketball, and if he wants to cash in again, it better be soon.
Stephon Marbury has found ways overseas to capitalize on foreign endorsement markets while playing some ball as well, and that's exactly the sort of cue that Iverson needs to follow if he wants to keep living the good life.
He Still Has The Jones
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He's been swapped out, mocked, left out in the cold, and he still has the Basketball Jones.
Most players that had the kind of career Iverson has would have stepped away from the spotlight by now. Iverson has had heaps of bad press, no offers on the table in the U.S, and has hardly been able to stay on the court even when he's employed.
The fact that he is considering offers from overseas and has not yet thrown in the towel shows that he still wants to play the game.
After everything that has happened in the NBA, his best bet to keep playing is by taking the offer he's received from China. This would allow him to spend the next few years playing ball, and getting it out of his system.
All evidence so far has shown that he still has the will to play, but we'll find out for sure when he accepts or declines what could be his last offer.
Marbury's Success
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Stephon Marbury has been the band end of a joke for some time now.
He went from being a highly successful electrifying point guard, to the laughing stock of professional sports. After his stint with the Boston Celtics, the offers stopped rolling in for Marbury.
Then Marbury got the chance to go overseas and play in China. No one knew how this would work out for Marbury, but I'd say most people are pretty surprised by now by the results.
Marbury has enjoyed playing time, and broken into the shoe endorsement craze over in China to turn his last resort into quite the profitable endeavor.
If Iverson is worried or uncertain about how things may turn out for him overseas, he need look no further than Stephon Marbury. He would see that success and profit is very possible when you take the right steps, and he even has a model to study from.
His NBA Well Has Run Dry
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The last reason Iverson should continue his career overseas, is that he simply has no other choice.
He enjoyed stints with the 76ers (twice), the Nuggets, the Pistons, and even a few days with the Grizzlies.
I guess you can say he sampled a good part of the NBA landscape. He has also made it pretty clear that he does not consider retirement part of the game plan yet, and he has not received any offers from the NBA.
The fact that we approach the two week before camp mark without even a sniff of interest for Iverson tells me that there won't be an offer.
His only choice now is to roll the dice with China, and hope he can create a profitable and image restoring end to his eventful career.
Allen Iverson will always be an NBA great, but the positive reasons for taking his game to a different league far outweigh any other choice.
