Not everybody knows that Iverson, actually, was a BETTER football player than he was a basketball player in High School. He was better than Mike Vick AND Aaron Brooks in High School. Had it not been for that bowling alley incident, Iverson may have ended up in the NFL. Maybe even at QB.
Browsing Posts tagged Iverson
When Allen Iverson left the Philadelphia Sixers three years ago, it seemed impossible that he would ever wear a Philadelphia jersey again. Now, however, it looks like all the trouble has been left in the past, and the two parties are starting over again. Iverson signed a free agent contract with his old team. The details of the deal have not yet been made public, but it appears to include a 1-year, non-guaranteed contract, according to an anonymous source; guaranteed, it is worth $650,000. Iverson and his agent had a meeting with Philadelphia manager Ed Stefanski and coach Eddie Jordan on Monday to finalize the terms of the deal. Jordan later stated that he wanted Iverson to start with the team as soon as possible; in fact, the player will make his debut against the Denver Nuggets at home on Monday. Jordan is confident about Iverson’s abilities. aEoeWithout really seeing him on the floor, I would like to compare him to Brett Favre, a guy who people think is too old to play and he’s almost having an MVP year,aE� Jordan said. aEoeThat’s off the top of my head. When I woke up this morning, I said, aE�Maybe he can be that.’ It’s not a big maybe.
I think he can be that.aE� Although the move didn’t prove especially risky for the team financially, it may throw off attempts to build up a young core of players. Nevertheless, with starting point guard Lou Williams injured aE” broken jaw aE” and with a minimum eight-week recovery, Iverson’s presence suddenly appeared necessary. Iverson had been planning to retire, and had in fact made the announcement last week while playing with the Memphis Grizzlies, for whom he had played for the year. Initially he asked for a week-long leave of absence but then decided to separate himself from the time. Then, came the offer from the 76ers, one that seemed almost too good to be true. It was, after all, with Philadelphia that Iverson started his professional career; in 1996, he had been the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft and had been named rookie of the year in his first season, 1996-97. Iverson accomplished most of his many career records and titles while with the 76ers; he had played with the team for 10 years, bringing the team to several titles while taking MVP of the year for himself in the 2000-01 season.
He left the 76ers in 2006 when his relationship with the team had soured. Iverson had refused to go to practice and then demanded a trade after he clashed with then-coach Jim O’Brien. He was moved to the Denver Nuggets. He returned at the beginning of 2008 but was dealt to the Detroit Pistons; after a persistent back injury, he was moved yet again, this time for his year-long contract with the Memphis Grizzlies. However, he decided to retire at the beginning of the 2009-10 season. Iverson boasts a number of important records during his professional career, including the NBA scoring title in the 1998-99, 2000-01, 2001-02, and 2004-05 seasons. Iverson is one of the best scorers in NBA history, with a career scoring average of 27.1 points per game.
The past few months have been rough on Allen Iverson. Last week, the Philadelphia 76ers announced that Iverson would not be playing for the rest of the season. On the same day, his wife filed for divorce. This week, it has been revealed that the player has an addiction to alcohol and gambling, putting both his personal and professional life in danger. Iverson was absent from most of the 76ers regular season games; his 4-year-old daughter, Messiah, was diagnosed with an undisclosed disease early this year and has been ill for some time now. During practice, Iverson said that it was difficult to leave his wife and his children, even for work. In filing for divorce, Iverson’s wife, Tawanna, stated that her marriage was broken and asked for full custody of their five children. The youngest child is 17 months; the oldest, 15 years. Iverson’s personal situation had become problematic for his basketball career, becoming a distraction for the team. The player decided that the most important thing was for him to be with his family. “After discussing the situation with Allen, we have come to the conclusion that he will not return to the Sixers for the remainder of the season, as he no longer wishes to be a distraction to the organization and teammates that he loves very deeply,” team president Ed Stefanski said.
“It has been very difficult for Allen and the team to maintain any consistency as he tries to balance his career with his personal life.” Stephen A. Smith, a reporter who has claimed to follow Iverson for some time, wrote a column on the player this week in the Philadelphia Inquirer. He revealed that Iverson’s alcohol and gambling problems have become severe; in fact, the player has been banned from casinos in Atlantic City and New Jersey. Smith also wrote that the former MVP needed someone to help him through his difficulties, someone like former Temple coach John Chaney, who might be able to offer the right combination of empathy and firmness to guide him. Whether Iverson will receive that guidance in time to rescue his career is uncertain. Iverson started his professional career playing with the Philadelphia 76ers when he was chosen as the 1st overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft. He played for Philadelphia for 10 years, during which time he made several records and titles. Conflicts with the 76ers Coach Maurice Cheeks, however, led to Iverson being traded to the Denver Nuggets in 2006. He spent two years with the Nuggets before he was dealt to the Detroit Pistons. He signed with the Grizzlies in 2009 but after a short period he finally signed back with the Sixers for the 2010 season, a deal that made for some very happy fans. The deal was for a non-guaranteed year with a salary of $1.3 million.
