Iverson retirement may be brief: AP source says
Published: 29 Nov. 2009, 21:18
PHILADELPHIA - Allen Iverson’s retirement from the NBA could be a short one.
A person with knowledge of the talks says the Philadelphia 76ers have been approached about signing their former superstar, and team management has held internal discussions about bringing Iverson back.
The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because talks have not been made public, says Iverson is among the free-agent candidates the 76ers are considering to replace injured point guard Lou Williams, who’s expected to miss eight weeks after jaw surgery.
“I think we would look at all the options for sure, but nothing has really happened,” Peter Luukko, CEO of Comcast-Spectacor, which owns the 76ers, told The Associated Press. “We have had no formal discussions.”
With no apparent interest from NBA teams, Iverson announced his plan to retire this week.
His statement read more like a job pitch for a playoff contender rather than a final farewell. Iverson said he planned to retire, but also stated that “I feel strongly that I can still compete at the highest level.”
He could find out if that’s true in Philadelphia, where he spent the first 10-plus seasons of his career. The 10-time All-Star was the NBA MVP in 2001 when he led the 76ers to the NBA Finals. He was the No. 1 overall pick of the 1996 draft and became a global star with his all-out play - and a major headache with his rants about practice and run-ins with former coach Larry Brown.
Fed up with losing and his relationship with former coach Maurice Cheeks irrevocably broken, Iverson wanted out in 2006 and he was traded to the Denver Nuggets. He played for Denver until early last season when he was traded to Detroit.
The 6-foot Iverson played three games this season with Memphis before taking a leave of absence to attend to personal matters. He was waived after the two sides agreed to part ways.
Iverson’s agent, Leon Rose, and 76ers team President Ed Stefanski did not immediately return messages for comment. AP
A person with knowledge of the talks says the Philadelphia 76ers have been approached about signing their former superstar, and team management has held internal discussions about bringing Iverson back.
The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because talks have not been made public, says Iverson is among the free-agent candidates the 76ers are considering to replace injured point guard Lou Williams, who’s expected to miss eight weeks after jaw surgery.
“I think we would look at all the options for sure, but nothing has really happened,” Peter Luukko, CEO of Comcast-Spectacor, which owns the 76ers, told The Associated Press. “We have had no formal discussions.”
With no apparent interest from NBA teams, Iverson announced his plan to retire this week.
His statement read more like a job pitch for a playoff contender rather than a final farewell. Iverson said he planned to retire, but also stated that “I feel strongly that I can still compete at the highest level.”
He could find out if that’s true in Philadelphia, where he spent the first 10-plus seasons of his career. The 10-time All-Star was the NBA MVP in 2001 when he led the 76ers to the NBA Finals. He was the No. 1 overall pick of the 1996 draft and became a global star with his all-out play - and a major headache with his rants about practice and run-ins with former coach Larry Brown.
Fed up with losing and his relationship with former coach Maurice Cheeks irrevocably broken, Iverson wanted out in 2006 and he was traded to the Denver Nuggets. He played for Denver until early last season when he was traded to Detroit.
The 6-foot Iverson played three games this season with Memphis before taking a leave of absence to attend to personal matters. He was waived after the two sides agreed to part ways.
Iverson’s agent, Leon Rose, and 76ers team President Ed Stefanski did not immediately return messages for comment. AP
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