Watching Allen Iverson cry, yesterday, at his press conference to announce his return to the Philadelphia 76ers was maddening for me as a fan of the Detroit Pistons.
Iverson said that, "the last few years have been hell, all I wanted to do was play basketball."
This statement makes me so angry because he had the chance to play basketball last year, on a decent team. If everything would have came together, the Piston's could have been in contention. All Iverson had to do was comply to what the team needed and come off the bench and provide a spark. It's as if Iverson doesn't understand the effects of aging. He is a 14-year veteran who has famously sacrificed his body throughout the years driving to the basket. He is not a top player anymore, nor is he a viable starting shooting guard for a team that wants to win a championship, (well he's never been that since he doesn't have a ring).
Iverson is a shellfish, ball hog who is hanging on to the twilight of his career in some delusional fantasy world where he believes he is still in his prime.
"If I couldn't play basketball at the level that I'm accustomed to then I wouldn't have made this decision," Iverson said between sobs as the tears rolled down his face. " I didn't want to come back and embarrass myself. I know I can play."
Iverson signed a one year deal with the Sixers, I doubt he makes it the whole season. If an injury doesn't take him out, his attitude will.
He hasn't played much since last season, he had a short stint with the Memphis Grizzlies that ended ugly (surprise, surprise). But the Sixers are desperate. They are just 5-14 on the season and looking for anything to spark them.
"Allen hasn't played in a month," said Sixers president and general manager Ed Stefanski. "It's going to progress, it's going to be a process and I want everyone to know that."
A long frustrating process, that ends with Iverson whining and the Sixers losing, is my guess.
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