Allen Iverson

Iverson got a bad rap for what happened in Detroit. Remember, A.I. came into ‘08-09 as the NBA’s third-leading scorer, having averaged 26.4 ppg the season before with Denver. And he did that while shooting 19.0 field goals per game, well below his typical Sixers season where he’d fire up 23-27 shots a night to get his 30 points. In his second-to-last game with Denver, Iverson dropped 25 points on the Clippers on 19 shots. So it’s not like he lost his game on the flight from Denver to Detroit. As he showed throughout his Pistons tenure, he can still get it done: 30 points vs. Sacramento in November, 38 vs. Utah in December, 31 vs. San Antonio in February, plus six other games of 25-plus points. Contrary to what you might’ve heard, Allen Iverson wasn’t bad last year. He just landed in a terrible situation where certain teammates weren’t willing to accept his arrival, his coach didn’t know what to do with him, he had some injuries, and he just didn’t mix with his new team.
While going to the Grizzlies is admittedly a case of Iverson running out of options and simply taking what he can get, the signing does in a way represent a first step in Iverson proving he’s not an insufferable diva. How many 34-year-old former MVPs and future Hall of Famers would accept a $17 million pay cut to play for one of the worst teams in the League? (Not to mention a team on which he may be asked to come off the bench?) At this age and stage of their careers, most players like Iverson either demand more money than they’re worth, or only want to play for a contender. They don’t settle for less on both fronts. Iverson didn’t say one word about “I need to play for a ring.” He didn’t refuse to come off the bench. He didn’t hold out to demand a lifetime appreciation contract.
Both sides win here, but Iverson ultimately has more to gain, and more to lose. The Grizzlies were headed to the Lottery without A.I., and will most likely be in the Lottery again with him. Either way, they’ll make some money off the deal and get some mainstream exposure.
Iverson will either self-sabotage his career in Memphis, or he’ll change people’s opinions of him. If he does the latter, he’ll go into next summer as a 35-year-old free agent able to find a proper way to play out his last games. It could be in Philadelphia. It could be with a contender in L.A. or Boston or Cleveland. It could be with a random team like Houston or Dallas.
However it works out, next summer should be better than this summer. Iverson at least deserves that, but he’s got to earn it first.

click here to see the original post