Sixers surprised A.I. is overseas

"It wasn't surprising to Allen Iverson's former Sixers teammates that he's playing basketball again.
It was surprising to them, however, that he had to go to Turkey to do it.
Iverson announced Friday in a press conference in New York City that he will join the Turkish team Beskitas, signing a two-year contract worth $4 million.
"I was surprised," Sixers guard Lou Williams said. "But he wanted to play. He's a competitor. He showed that by returning. I just wish him well."
Williams said he was also surprised that no other NBA team would take a chance on the 11-time All-Star, who has scored more than 24,000 points in his NBA career which began with the Sixers in 1996 when he was the first overall draft pick.
"The guy had a great career," Williams said. "I'm kind of surprised that every team in the league didn't think that he could help at all."
Iverson spent his first 10 1/2 seasons with the Sixers. Then he returned last December after Memphis had waived him and Iverson had retired briefly. He wasn't nearly as effective in his second go-around with the Sixers, averaging just 13.9 points per game, by far the lowest of his career.
He took two leaves of absences during the season to deal with family issues that turned out to be a daughter with an undisclosed illness and eventually a divorce from his wife.
Throughout the summer, Iverson had hoped that another NBA team would offer him a contract this season.
None did.
Now he's hoping to work his way back to the NBA.
"Let's hope that maybe him going over there will show that he's good enough to play, that he's got something in the tank, and it'll open up another opportunity here," Sixers coach Doug Collins said. "I just want him to be happy. At the end of the day, there's nothing like peace of mind."
Williams said Iverson still has enough left to warrant another chance in the NBA.
"He definitely can still play and he'll show that over there," Williams said. "Who knows what his opportunity will be like after that?""

Allen Iverson to sign with Besiktas on weekend

The president of Turkey's Besiktas basketball team says he has a verbal agreement to sign a $2 million contract with former NBA most valuable player Allen Iverson.
"I'm going to New York on Friday," said Seref Yalcin, the president of the Besiktas basketball team. "I talked to Allan and his manager yesterday, Gary Moore. He said there's no problem; he's able to sign. Friday, I'll be there, and we'll probably sign Sunday. And Monday, I'll bring him with me."
Yalcin said he was offering the former NBA star $1.5 million in addition to a half-million dollar signing bonus for a two-year contract.
"This is a major advertisement for Turkish basketball. Besiktas' value as a brand has increased. Everyone is talking about this and Besiktas," Yalcin said.
The Besiktas president predicted that Iverson would take his team to the top of Turkey's Champions League.
"He's going to bring lots of fans into our arena," Yalcin said. "If he plays with even 50 percent of his NBA capacity, that will be enough. This will also be good for Turkish basketball in general since he will inspire the youngsters here."
Yalcin said he has offered Iverson housing, transport, school for his five children and an assistant/translator who will be on call 24 hours a day to help the American athlete operate in Turkey's sprawling commercial capital.
Yalcin predicted that Iverson would be able to play with Besiktas in a game scheduled for November 7.
The Turkish basketball season has just begun, and Besiktas has a record of one win and one loss.

Iverson joined the NBA in 1996 and played 10 seasons in Philadelphia before moving among Denver, Detroit, Memphis and Philadelphia again.

Allen Iverson might be headed to China

Allen Iverson 2009-10 season didn't go quite as he planned. After three games coming off the bench with the Grizzlies, he decided he hated coming off the bench for the Grizzlies and left the team. Then — afterAI's brief retirement — because they're suckers for nostalgia, the 76ers brought Iverson back for a 25-game stint that ended with Iverson leaving the team to address his 4-year-old daughter's health problems. A divorce and allegations that Iverson was gambling and drinking excessively followed. All in all, not a great few months for one of the NBA's biggest stars of the past decade.

This past July, Iverson Tweeted that he wants to "return to the NBA this season" and that he "[owes his] fans more than what they have seen of [him] the last couple seasons." Plus, his "family is rock solid and healthy" and he can "concentrate fully on what [he does] best." That's a quote festival, but it basically addresses everything that was troubling Iverson during last season.

Unfortunately for the Answer, there aren't a lot of NBA teams dying to sign a shoot-first 35-year-old who is going to complain about his role on the team if he's not happy. But that doesn't mean he can't get back to playing basketball professionally. There are good leagues all over the globe and new reportsvshed a little light on Iverson's possible plans.

"Allen Iverson could continue his career in China. The 35-year-old guard is in talks with Foshan (the new name of Shaanxi) for the next season, according to sources from the Chinese team. Iverson, still a free agent after not signing a contract with any NBA team, would have a "strong desire" to play in the CBA."

Hey, if there's a place that scoring guards can succeed both on the court and away from it, it's China. As Stephon Marbury has shown us, Chinese basketball for super-quick ball-handlers is all 3-pointers, alley-hoops and shoe franchises. And if Stephon Marbury can be an outrageous success, then so can a lot of other people.

Of course, there remains a month and a half before the NBA season tips and some teams might still be convinced that Iverson has some floaters left in the tank (gross metaphor). Plus, they always seem to be drawn to Iverson's ability to lure customers to the ticket booths, so there's a chance he could get a non-guaranteed veteran's minimum deal somewhere. But, at the very least, it looks like Allen Iverson is going to have a basketball job this season. For a guy who's had a pretty rough year, that's good news.

Time to release Iverson?

Sixers should consider move for benefit of team.
When the 76ers signed Allen Iverson earlier this month, they said it was strictly a "basketball decision," thrust upon them because point guard Lou Williams was going to miss eight weeks with a fractured jaw.

Sixers president and general manager Ed Stefanski said the team needed someone to replace Williams' scoring, and Iverson was by far the best player out there.

Stefanski said that was the only reason why he changed his stance from last summer, when he had no interest in Iverson, who was a free agent at the time.

So why is Iverson still on the Sixers? They signed him to a nonguaranteed contract, which means they can release him anytime before Jan. 10 without his contract being guaranteed for the rest of the season.

The Sixers have an "out" to save themselves a few hundred thousand dollars. So if Stefanski felt he didn't need Iverson last summer, then surely he doesn't need a broken-down version of him now.

There should be no hard feelings. To his credit, Iverson has been a good soldier. But the Sixers haven't really benefited from his presence. And now that Williams, who was supposed to be out until mid-January, and forward Marreese Speights are back from their injuries, they don't really need him anymore.

The Sixers are 1-4 in the five games Iverson played in. His averages of 15.6 points and 4.2 assists per game are by far the worst of his 14-year career.

That was before he missed the past four games with an arthritic left knee, and he might miss even more. This came after he played through a stress reaction in his lower right leg.

Iverson blamed that on being out of shape following a month-long retirement.

He's not going to be in shape anytime soon now that he'll miss close to two weeks.

Iverson hasn't helped at the box office, either, which Stefanski denied as a motivation for signing him. Iverson's first home game was a sellout. Since then, the Sixers' attendance went back to its previous levels.

The Sixers came close to selling out a game Dec. 16. But that was because LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers were the opponents.

Knicks curious about Iverson

During the summer, the Knicks showed no interest in Allen Iverson when he was a free agent. But after the Knicks' franchise-worst 1-9 start, team president Donnie Walsh told The Post yesterday he will look into the possibility of signing Iverson and investigate why he divorced from Memphis.

In what was called a mutual agreement, the Grizzlies announced yesterday they have ended their one-year contract with the 10-time All-Star and former league MVP. Iverson complained about his playing time and a lack of a starting role before leaving the Grizzlies for personal reasons.

"Because of personal matters that forced him to leave the team on Nov. 7, Allen will step away from the game at this time, allowing him to focus on those matters," Memphis GM Chris Wallace said in a statement.

Memphis, off to an 2-8 start, will waive Iverson, who would become a free agent after 48 hours.

Walsh will do his due diligence and "check it out," but it seems a long shot the Knicks will make a move on the volatile guard, who carries excess baggage. During the summer, Walsh also investigated signing point guards Jamal Tinsley, Jason Williams and Ramon Sessions -- and balked.

But with a roster lacking talent, it's hard to blame Walsh for at least looking into an Iverson signing, especially because the guard's agent is Leon Rose, who also represents LeBron James.

Though Iverson has been a headache at almost all his stops and is the type of personality Knicks coach Mike d'Antoni detests, he could be a major gate attraction for a team fast becoming irrelevant.

The Knicks are curious enough not to shut any doors. Over the summer, Iverson referred to the Knicks as a potential suitor, though Walsh had no interest then. But that was before Chris Duhon began the season in disastrous fashion.

Walsh told The Post on Sunday that he was unhappy with the way the Knicks were executing their fast-break offense, feeling the players weren't running "full out." Iverson could help in that department.

If Iverson doesn't retire, he likely would be amenable to a one-year contract and would have no effect on the Knicks' plans following this season, when they hope to land a big-name free agent.

The 34-year-old guard began an indefinite leave of absence to deal with a personal issue after playing only three games, all in California.

Few NBA teams had shown interest in Iverson before Memphis signed him to a one-year, incentive-laden contract on Sept. 10.

Iverson didn't help himself much during his short stint with his fourth NBA team. He missed the preseason with a partially torn left hamstring and didn't debut until Nov. 2 at Sacramento.

Immediately, Iverson began talking about his distaste for coming off the bench and being on a rebuilding team filled with youth, from Rudy Gay and O.J. Mayo to recent draft picks Hasheem Thabeet and DeMarre Carroll.

Allen Iverson no longer the "Answer", but a question mark?

How does it happen? One day you're a beloved, iconic figure, playing in a city where you were once the star of stars in the NBA All-Star Game, literally the answer to a team's basketball and box-office woes.

The next day you're shipped to a place where the whispers began almost as soon as you got off the plane. Where you weren't an exclamation point, but rather a question mark — with things deteriorating to the point that, at playoff time, you're simply asked to just go away.

And now, exactly a year later, you're thisclose to being one of the most cringe- worthy phrases in sports — a journeyman — perhaps even lucky to land a deal in Memphis, expected to be one of the most cringe-worthy teams in the league.

Allen Iverson, this is your life.

"I didn't expect this, but then again I never had let my guard down either," Iverson said early Sunday afternoon before the Nuggets' 133-123 victory over the Grizzlies. "I understood that it could happen because it had already happened before.

"Leaving Philadelphia was something that I never thought could happen, but when that happened (Iverson was traded to Denver in 2006 after more than 10 years with the 76ers), I've always thought that anything could happen, so I always prepared myself for the worst."

Walking through the recesses of the Pepsi Center, the 34-year-old admitted he felt "strange," and "different, after being here day in and day out and having some success. There are a lot of memories."

Sunday wasn't the first time Iverson had been back in Denver. In January he scored a team-high 23 points in leading the Detroit Pistons — to whom he was traded for Chauncey Billups — to a 93-90 victory.

But what kind of sardonic sense of humor would it take for the basketball gods — and NBA schedulers — to bring Iverson back to Denver almost exactly one year after he left? To the Pepsi Center, where the team's march without him to last year's Western Conference finals still permeates the air like residue fireworks smoke, a palpable reminder of how, despite some unquestioned excitement, things ultimately didn't work out.

Instead, that January victory against Denver was quite possibly the highlight of Iverson's season. He played only 54 games with the Pistons, eight after the all-star break, and averaged a career-low 17.4 points a game.

Pointing figures at Iverson

But even worse than the raw numbers was how ill-suited Iverson appeared to Detroit.

For years the Pistons had played like a symphony conducted by Billups, who created harmonic movement with Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince. Throughout his 13 years in the league, Iverson has perhaps been the NBA's foremost jazz soloist.

By the end of the season, the Pistons returned to the playoffs, even though there was little chance they would be a factor. Even so, the team decided it would be better off without Iverson. Citing a back injury, he was left off the playoff roster.

"His style of play, maybe it just didn't work with what we had going on at the time," said Nuggets guard Arron Afflalo, who played with Detroit last season. "But I don't know, man. I think in some ways, Allen was something of a scapegoat for what happened last year. There were a lot of things going on — we had a new coach (Michael Curry); Chauncey had been traded, so we had a new guy at the point (then-rookie Rodney Stuckey).

"There were a lot of different relationships that would have had to jell. It wasn't all his fault, but Allen's always been who he is and so he got the blame, but he's used to that."

Economic fallout effect

As it turned out, Iverson would have to become a lot more accepting. The end of last season also marked the conclusion of a contract that paid him somewhere around $21 million in its final year. With questions about his age and willingness to deal with a lesser role bubbling, Iverson was also entering the free-agent market during what was clearly a looming downturn in NBA finances.

"I think there's an economic atmosphere out there that's against everybody, not only superstars like A.I.," Nuggets coach George Karl said. "That means there's changes about contracts given to 33-, 34-, 35-year-old guys. There's probably a philosophy that they won't sign those guys, just like there are some teams that are near the luxury tax that won't spend a lot of money and go over it."

While there was talk of flirtations with the Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat and Charlotte Bobcats, the start of free agency last July came and went without the phone exactly ringing off the hook — a jarring new reality for a player who had spent more than a decade as part of the NBA elite.

"It probably hurt him a little when you consider the stature that he'd risen to in this league," said Lionel Hollins, coach of the Memphis team that eventually signed Iverson — in September, at a price of just over $3 million for this season. "He's scored 27,000 points, averaged 27 points a game, played 14 years, been a 10-time all-star, all that stuff, and to be treated the way he was treated in free agency probably hurt. I'm sure it would hurt anyone."

While he has yet to play with the Grizzlies because of a partially torn left hamstring, Iverson, says Hollins, has been a vocal leader and is expected to act as a mentor to the team's young guards, Mike Conley and O.J. Mayo.

On Sunday, there were fans at the Pepsi Center eager to send well-wishes his way, but at game time, Iverson remained in the visitors' locker room.

"I think, deep down inside, A.I. likes to play basketball, and he was going to play basketball," Karl said. "Memphis was probably the best opportunity to get minutes and be on the court and lift a team.

"He's still a great competitor; I'm sure he's still going to have some great nights this year. I'm going to be rooting for him for 78 games this year."

Sign-and-trade deal with Gordon could send Iverson to Bulls

Ben Gordon to the Pistons is a done deal. The method by which he will get there is still under discussion.

CBSSports.com has learned that the Bulls and Pistons may yet revisit Detroit's agreement with Ben Gordon and instead investigate a sign-and-trade that would send Allen Iverson to Chicago.

Discussions have not yet reached the highest levels of both organizations, but the revised look at how Gordon goes from Chicago to Detroit would benefit Gordon and the Bulls. Gordon would get an extra year, and thus more money, by signing with the Bulls and getting traded. The Bulls, who currently are getting nothing for losing him, would get Iverson -- a fading future Hall of Famer who would get to finish his career in a major market as long as he's willing to accept a secondary role.

It's a farfetched scenario, and not everyone involved would be on board -- particularly the Pistons. The major sticking point would be how to sweeten the deal for Detroit, which would only consider such an option if it would provide significant cap savings. The Pistons took themselves out of the 2010 free-agent sweepstakes by agreeing to terms with Gordon and Charlie Villanueva on the first day of the free-agent negotiating period. Those agreements are not binding until July 8, when the league-mandated moratorium is lifted and the league and players association agree on the salary cap and luxury tax for the 2009-10 season.

A person familiar with the situation said the Pistons would flat-out refuse to entertain a sign-and-trade for Gordon unless it provided significant savings. The Bulls, too, may not be eager to do business with Gordon, whose agent did not give the team a chance to match Detroit's offer.

The Bulls also would want to know that Iverson, 34, would be totally committed despite not making the $20 million he's accustomed to and without playing the primary role he enjoyed for his entire career until he was traded to the Pistons forChauncey Billups last season. Iverson did not adapt well to diminished minutes with the Pistons, and late in the season vowed to retire before he would come off another team's bench.

But Iverson apparently is invigorated by the prospect of getting past the Detroit experience. He wrote on his Twitter account Thursday, "For those of you who thought that I was done, think again! ... My only preference will be to play for a coach that knows what I bring to the table and that I am going to bring it every night."

It has been widely speculated that Iverson would land in Charlotte with his former coach, Larry Brown, with whom he had a rocky relationship in Philadelphia. But the two men respect each other, and Brown recently gushed about his time coaching Iverson. Beyond teams with cap space (Memphis, Oklahoma City, Sacramento) who wouldn't be interested in signing a veteran like Iverson, the options for A.I. are limited to sign-and-trades and, more likely, a deal for the mid-level exception or less.

While the sign-and-trade scenario with Detroit is farfetched, Iverson is exploring all options to find one more landing spot in an often tumultuous but Hall of Fame career.

Camby sees Iverson remaining in Denver

Nuggets center Marcus Camby ran into teammate Allen Iverson on Wednesday. Iverson sure didn't sound like a player about to bolt Denver.
The deadline is today for Iverson to opt out of the final year of his contract and become a free agent July 1. While there was no word Thursday from the Iverson camp, and a Nuggets executive declined comment, most NBA observers don't expect Iverson to opt out of a deal that would pay him $20.84 million.
"I'm pretty sure he wants to stay," said Camby, speaking at Lucky Strike Lanes in Denver before an event involving his Marcus' Mentors program. "He was talking about us as a team next year and that he's going to be a part of it."
Iverson, 33, continuously has said he wants to remain in Denver. In a May 30 interview with the Rocky Mountain News, Iverson's personal manager, Gary Moore, reiterated that and said his camp has had discussions with Nuggets brass about Iverson possibly signing a multiyear deal.
That would seem to be the only scenario in which Iverson would opt out. The 6-foot guard would become a free agent, then sign a longer deal with the Nuggets.
But no indication surfaced that such an event was about to occur. For that to happen, Iverson would need to take a pay cut for next season, much as Vince Carter did last offseason when he made a similar move with New Jersey.
It is within NBA rules for both sides to agree to extend Iverson's opt-out deadline to as late as June 30, but neither side has spoken publicly about possibly wanting to do that.
Nuggets vice president of basketball operations Mark Warkentien declined comment.
"We were talking (Wednesday) about how Boston won the championship and how (the Celtics) were really together as a team," Camby said about his talk with his teammate, in which Iverson didn't specifically mention the deadline to opt out. "We were just talking about how we need to become like that, not just spotty, but on a daily and nightly basis. . . . I hope (Iverson) comes back."
As to whether Camby comes back is another story. Speaking with the News shortly after the season ended, a source said Camby was the Nuggets' most likely big-salary player to be dealt this offseason.
"I've been in the league 12 years, and I heard (rumors) every summer," Camby said. "You deal with it. My stance has always been the same. I love it (in Denver). I don't want to go anywhere, but I always want to be where I'm wanted. Bottom line.
"I still think I'm productive, even at 34. So, like I said, I want to be where I'm wanted."
Camby also has heard trade rumors involving Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony. He has talked with Anthony and doesn't believe the speculation has affected him.
"I hope (Anthony) doesn't go anywhere," Camby said. "He's the franchise. . . . He's our go-to guy. Everything we do revolves around him, especially offensively. He's a great kid. He's going to be a future Hall of Famer. I would like to see him here for a long time."
With questions swirling about what the Nuggets might do this offseason, Camby hopes the team's core remains intact.
"I just hope I'm here, and I hope everyone else is here," Camby said. "We've got a lot of work to do. We got a lot of coming together to do also. But I still feel confident with the roster we have now."
ETC.: A source said the Nuggets are deep in negotiations to play Toronto in an October preseason game in Edmonton, Alberta. . . . With trade rumors heating up leading to the draft Thursday, ESPN reported the Nuggets have discussed sending forward Linas Kleiza and the 20th pick to Memphis for point guard Kyle Lowry and the No. 28 pick. Denver had interest in Lowry before the trade deadline in February.

Iverson's 38 points put away Sixers

Allen Iverson insisted that facing his former teammates was nothing special. Denver Nuggets coach George Karl said before the game that Iverson did not trust his three-point shot. The Sixers vowed after Friday night's 31-point ambush by the Los Angeles Lakers that they would be ready to bounce back against the Nuggets.

Wasn't anybody at the Pepsi Center telling the truth?

Iverson might not have felt it was a special game, but he played with a purpose and certainly looked adequately motivated last night. With Iverson scoring 38 points and adding eight assists, Denver defeated the Sixers, 109-96.

It was the third straight loss for the Sixers (14-20), who ended their six-game road trip with a 2-4 mark. Andre Miller, included in the trade for Iverson, had 22 points and six assists for the Sixers.

"The things he did tonight is what he does, and has been doing it for as many years as he has been in the league," Sixers coach Maurice Cheeks said. "What he does is Allen Iverson - and is pretty good."

Before the game, Karl said he believes that Iverson could be a good three-point shooter but that he doesn't trust his shot or work on it.

Iverson laughed when he heard that before the game and then drained three key treys to keep the Sixers at a manageable distance.

After settling for mostly jump shots in the first half, the Sixers started attacking the basket with a purpose in the third quarter. What a difference it made.

They trailed by as many as 15 points in the second quarter and were down by 53-43 at halftime.

After the Sixers tied the score, 62-62, on Miller's jumper with 5 minutes, 9 seconds left in the third, Iverson took over.

He hit consecutive treys and added assists on the next two Nuggets baskets, extending the margin to 72-63.

"I think that helped as far as our momentum and gave us a big boost," Iverson said about the two three-pointers. "I got two good looks."

Maybe Iverson will tell Karl he can shoot the three.

"Once I start saying that, I'll go 0 for 5 or something," Iverson said with a smile. "I will take them when they are given to me."

When the Sixers cut the lead to 88-80 on Willie Green's layup with 7:54 left, Iverson came back with a driving layup and the Nuggets remained in control the rest of the way.

Sixers guard Rodney Carney, who started the first four games on this road trip, was inactive last night. Cheeks said to not read anything into it, but it is hard to ignore.

The coach explained that he wanted another bigger body, so he activated Louis Amundson.

One wonders if Carney's athleticism could have slowed Iverson down just a little. Then again, probably nothing would have worked against a player who appeared on a mission, even though he would not admit it.

The Sixers received their second straight strong effort from first-round pick Thaddeus Young. Coming off a 16-point effort against the Lakers, Young collected 11 points and eight rebounds, and might be earning even more playing time. Center Samuel Dalembert had 10 points and 15 rebounds, while Andre Iguodala scored 14 points but took just 11 shots.

As for the Nuggets, Carmelo Anthony had 23 points and Anthony Carter added 15 assists.

Still, this evening was all about Iverson, who had 15 points in the first quarter. He shot 14 for 25 from the field and 3 for 6 from beyond the arc for the game.

"He got it going early, and any time you get it going early and get in a rhythm and start shooting free throws, it's tough," Miller said. "He got to the foul line, and that opened the game up for him."

And it closed a sour trip for the Sixers.

Iverson regrets bad talkin' bout practice, bad talkin' bout practice

Among the many ways Philly sports fans will remember Allen Iverson's long and tempestuous tenure here is that jaw-dropping May 7, 2002, press conference that turned into a rant about practice.

It's an episode that Iverson now says he regrets.

"It was just being young and definitely immature. I wish it wouldn't have ever happened," he says during an appearance on Fox SportNet's "Best Damn Sports Show Period." The interview, which took place Wednesday, will air tonight. "But you learn from experiences like that . . . I think it sent the wrong message, especially to kids. You can't be a scoring champion and an MVP and an All-Star and all of that without practice . . . I didn't want kids to get the message that you don't need to practice because when you're not practicing, someone else is out there practicing, getting better."

As you no doubt recall, Iverson and coach Larry Brown sniped at each other through a disappointing 2001-02 season that ended with a five-game playoff loss to the Celtics. After being criticized by the coach for, among other things, missing practice, A.I. met with the media. His frustration boiled over into one of the most riveting and entertaining press conferences this town has ever seen in which Iverson was "talkin' about practice" and used the phrase over and over again.

Brown tried to defuse the dustup with an equally memorable press conference the next day.

Iverson played for the Sixers from 1996 until last December, when he was traded to Denver. He tells the "BDSSP" hosts, who include former Eagles quarterback Rodney Peete, that he loved playing here.

"It's a tough town because they love their sports so much," he says. "And they care about it. They're passionate about their sports. And you have to love them for that. I loved every minute of playing for those fans because they cared about it and it meant so much to them."

Iverson returns on March 19

The NBA's 2007-08 schedule was released on Thursday and you can finally mark your calendars: Allen Iverson and the Denver Nuggets will make their only Wachovia Center appearance at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 19.
The team opens on the road Oct. 31 at defending Atlantic Division champion Toronto. The Sixers' 07-08 home debut -- and the first chance for fans to see first-round picks Thaddeus Young and Jason Smith -- is Nov. 3 against New Jersey at 7 p.m.
The team will play 16 of its first 28 games at the Wachovia Center.

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For Iverson, a slow crossover

A few minutes after 6:30 Friday evening, a polished black Bentley Azure slowed to a stop outside ESPN Zone in the District. Out stepped Allen Iverson, clad in his normal get-up of baggy shorts, a do-rag, a sideways baseball cap, dark shades and plenty of bling. Flanked by his notorious entourage, the Denver Nuggets star sashayed past reporters and fans gathered outside the restaurant and made his way inside to kick off his annual Celebrity Softball Summer Classic weekend.
He was more than an hour late.
Iverson offered no explanation or apology for his tardiness, nor did he want to discuss the decision by a federal jury that called for him to pay $260,000 to a Maryland man his security detail assaulted at the D.C. nightspot Eyebar in 2005.
"We are going to deal with this [ruling]," said Iverson's attorney, Alan Milstein, doing his best to diffuse the situation before his client took the podium. "The judge certainly dismissed any claim that Allen hit anyone. We are hopeful that this thing will be reversed and that justice will be served."
Milstein then asked for questions, and only after a period of awkward silence did Iverson lend his voice.
"Well, this is obviously a good day — even the media want to be positive," said Iverson, sitting with his four children. "I am here to talk about something positive. You want to get something negative out of this situation, the exit is right over there. Positive news sells, too, you know."
Iverson's charity softball event — which took place Saturday at Prince George's Stadium in Bowie and benefited the Allen Iverson Student Athlete Scholarship Fund and the Crossover Foundation — was a sunny spot of good press for a man mired between last week's verdict and another pending suit for a similar late-night fracas at Zanzibar on the Waterfront, also in the District, in 2005.
"We send out press releases and press releases, and you probably never get to hear all of the good things that Allen does," said Gary Moore, president and CEO of Crossover Promotions Inc. and Iverson's longtime mentor. "Allen has always strived to encourage young people to live right and do the right thing."
Iverson has endowed three scholarships and has been working with inner-city youth for a decade in the District, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Denver and his hometown of Hampton, Va.
"I want to give back to these kids," Iverson said. "That's the most important thing to me. As long as the kids get something out of it, I am happy. I want them to learn from me. The mistakes that I've had, the success that I've had, maybe a lot of these kids that look at my life and look at my career won't do some of the things that I did growing up."
Age has worn on the 32-year-old former first pick overall, both on the court and off it. In December, Iverson elected to share the ball with Carmelo Anthony in Denver rather than close out his career as the Philadelphia 76ers' main attraction. The throng of autograph seekers outside ESPN Zone on Friday was considerably smaller than it would have been six years ago, when Iverson led the Sixers to the 2001 NBA Finals as league MVP.
"He's probably my third favorite player behind Carmelo Anthony and Yao Ming," said Ray Herring, a Wizards fan from Haymarket, Va., who added that he wouldn't trade Gilbert Arenas for Iverson. "He's kind of getting up there."
Iverson, who averaged 24.8 points in his diminished role for the Nuggets last season, shared the spotlight even at his own event, with Anthony serving as the marquee name at Saturday's slow-pitch game.
Iverson has been one of sports' most controversial figures since his high school days in Hampton, and the eight–time All-Star's words reflected an aging athlete with many regrets, yet a man comfortable enough in his own skin to continue living life in the same edgy manner as is his custom.
"People know that I make mistakes with my life. I'm not doing the same things I did when I was just coming into the league — I was rich after being poor my whole life, and I made some mistakes," Iverson said. "I got my own four kids. They watch my every move. My 9-year-old, my 12-year-old, they can read the paper. They know what's going on when my face flashes across the TV. So I think about them with the decisions I make."
It seems Iverson is more comfortable playing the cautionary tale than the role model. Even though the melee at Eyebar came during the weekend of his softball tournament two summers ago, there was plenty of clubbing left on this weekend's itinerary. Following Friday's media dinner, Iverson's entourage headed off to a party at Love nightclub in Northeast. Saturday evening featured an official postgame party at Broadwater Mansion in Upper Marlboro, and the festivities wound down yesterday with a finale at K Street Lounge.
"Nothing happened at Eyebar, so we have no concern that anything is going to happen at any of these events," Milstein said when asked whether the group had considered scaling back on the weekend's nightlife aspect after Monday's ruling. "We are certain that everybody will be acting responsibly."
The roster for Saturday's game was littered with celebrities noted more for their controversial behavior than their charitable efforts. Along with Anthony — who was suspended 15 games last season for punching New York Knicks guard Mardy Collins — the lineup included Nuggets teammate DerMarr Johnson, recently charged with resisting arrest after he was tasered by police outside a Denver nightclub last month, and rapper Method Man, who was charged with marijuana possession after a May 17 traffic stop in New York.
Golden State Warriors forward Stephen Jackson — suspended this week by NBA commissioner David Stern after he pleaded guilty to criminal recklessness — was scheduled to play but canceled.
After Iverson, who turned pro following his sophomore season at Georgetown, spent the good part of 15 minutes talking about the importance of education, a reporter asked whether the former Hoyas star planned on returning to get his degree upon retirement.
While Moore first said Iverson was "absolutely going to finish his education at Georgetown," Iverson himself didn't seem so sure.
"I want to fish," said Iverson, drawing laughs from the members of the media. "No, honestly, I want to be a professional fisherman. That's all I want to concentrate on after it's all over."
The inconsistencies are fitting for a man who has spent his career being a contradiction. While he plays every game of the grueling NBA season as if it were Game 7 of the finals, he also is notorious for his lackluster effort in practice. He is the team-first point guard who has won four NBA scoring championships. He has the wispy goatee and the ghoulish tattoos of a hardened, aging man but the skinny legs of a second grader and the biceps of a boy scout.
"I want these kids' lives to be more successful than mine," Iverson said before being whisked away for a private interview. "I've always said I don't want nobody to be the next Allen Iverson. I want them to be the next them. I want them to be better than Allen Iverson."

New A.I.? Assists increase

We have a tough question for The Answer: At age 31, can Allen Iverson ever learn to trust his teammates enough to give up the rock?
What I love about Iverson is what gives the Nuggets a chance to win a championship so long as he wears a Denver uniform. While critics cannot get past the tattoo ink, what drips from his every pore is a passion for basketball.
It pains Iverson to lose. He is proud. Defiant. Self-reliant to a fault.
Given yet another disappointing first-round exit from the NBA playoffs, would the Nuggets make their expensive trade for Iverson again?
Yes, in a heartbeat.
Can A.I. and forward Carmelo Anthony not only play together, but win it all together?
That depends. On Iverson.
"It was a big adjustment for me, too," Iverson told me early in Denver's series against San Antonio, finally admitting that putting two superstars on the same team was far from as easy as announcing the Nuggets' starting lineup.
I had told A.I. that shortly after his trade to Denver, the word on the NBA street was the Nuggets would adore Iverson as a teammate, but his need to dominate the basketball would demand Anthony to change his game so drastically that the adjustment period was bound to be rocky.
Iverson looked at me intently, considered the theory seriously and offered a confession that goes to the basic question of whether the Nuggets can ever make a deep playoff run.
As much as he genuinely appreciates the talent on Denver's roster, Iverson admitted, he had been the lone reliable scorer in Philadelphia for so long that it was a huge challenge to place his trust and basketball in somebody else's hands when the pressure was on.
"I told A.I." injured Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin declared the other day, "that when I get back on the court next season, his assists will go up by four a game."
Let's hope it's true.
Because the tougher the going got in the series against San Antonio, the more Iverson dribbled. And dribbled. And dribbled.
With Spurs defender Bruce Bowen in hot pursuit, Iverson would zig and zag across the floor without rhyme or reason, the way a frightened garter snake slithers when being chased by a dog across the yard.
Asked if he could ever predict where Iverson was going with the ball, Nuggets center Marcus Camby once joked that A.I. himself doesn't know, so how could anybody else?
You or Denver coach George Karl can blame J.R. Smith for this postseason disappointment, if you want.
But, as much as I dig Iverson, a far more crucial reason the Nuggets lost to San Antonio is because A.I. made a sad 36.8 percent of his field-goal attempts, the worst performance of his playoff career.
The more pressure San Antonio put on Iverson, the less he trusted his teammates.
Old habits die hard.
At a salary of $19 million next season, Iverson will either make Nuggets owner Stan Kroenke dig deep in his wallet or force team management to contemplate difficult personnel moves involving the Denver core.
Trading Camby, for example, must be seriously considered, because as the league's defensive player of the year, his market value is unlikely to be this high again.
Considering Camby is 33 years old and has a history of injury, the Nuggets would be foolish to wait long to move him, if they seek a veteran shooter or would like to explore a draft-day trade with a salary cap-rich team for a young point guard or center.
How far the Nuggets ultimately go will depend on them looking to Anthony, whose embarrassing suspension and tough chiding from Karl only caused him to grow in stature as a star.
Where does Iverson fit in this picture?
I see A.I. as a new Denver sports icon with much in common with where Broncos quarterback John Elway found himself shortly after turning 30.
Long depended on to do too much, Elway never wore a championship smile until he discovered that doing less could actually be worth more to his team.
Although Iverson celebrates his 32nd birthday next month, he shows no signs of slowing down. As Nuggets executive Rex Chapman recently suggested, the veteran guard is so wiry, like barbed wire, that nobody will want to mess with A.I., even when he's gray and 50 years old.
So there's plenty of time remaining for Iverson to get back to the NBA Finals. But, deep down, does A.I. really have the faith that his fellow Nuggets can take him there?
For The Answer, it's a question of trust.

Bad games? Forget it; Iverson already has

Allen Iverson is up against it.
Botched shots, bungled passes, questionable decisions - the bad plays are coming with distressing predictability for the Nuggets point guard through three NBA playoff games against the San Antonio Spurs.
Fortunately for Iverson and the Nuggets, he doesn't remember them.
Like NFL cornerbacks, Iverson is a natural amnesiac, able to instantly forget gaffes that create self-doubt in less-daring players.
So what if he has made only 27- of-67 shots in three games, blew easy layups in Game 2, missed 13- of-20 shots in Game 3 and finished with only four assists and ignored open teammates?
The mercurial point guard routinely follows bad games with brilliant ones, especially in the playoffs, where his headlong style eventually wears down frazzled defenders.
Or so the Nuggets hope.
"There's no pressure to me," said Iverson, who met with Nuggets coach George Karl on Sunday to review their tactics for Game 4 tonight at the Pepsi Center. "I've been through too many other things in my life way more serious than basketball for me to call this pressure. This is a game, this is fun; you want this kind of pressure in your life.
"I'm not going to guarantee I'm going to play well every night. But I know I'm going to play hard for 48 minutes and after the game I can look in the mirror and feel good about my effort."
No one needs to remind Karl about Iverson's explosiveness. His Milwaukee Bucks held him in check through three quarters of Game 6 of the Eastern Conference final in 2001, then Iverson peeled off 26 of his 46 points.
In Game 7, The Answer dropped 44 on the Bucks in a 108- 91 victory.
"I don't have a lot of concerns about A.I. I just trust him and believe in him," Karl said.
"He's a great competitor to have on your side. I know he wants to play better. We talked briefly (Sunday) how we can help each other, what he was thinking on some situations.
"I don't think it's an individual thing. . . . Offensively, I'd like to have a 25-assist game. I'd like to get us making the extra pass a little more."
The Spurs have taken away the Nuggets' fast break, dropping three players into the backcourt, including Robert Horry, whose job is simple: hang out at the three-point line, catch and shoot and then retreat instead of crashing the board.
"When he don't make the shot and they win, (reporters) talk about Tony Parker and (Manu) Ginobili and Tim Duncan," Iverson said.
"But when he makes the shot he's going to get all the praise for it. That just shows you what kind of players his teammates are. He gets that shot because they get so much attention. I miss it, they talk about me missing the shot. If I make it, they talk about me making it. But if I miss the shot, they won't talk about anyone else.
"I'd rather it be like that. I'd rather the pressure be on me. If I could have a chance to take the last shot, I'd rather it be me. But honestly, you gotta be able to trust the guys on your team. If they got a better shot, you gotta trust that guy to make it."
A sore leg has slowed Iverson a bit, yet he led the 76ers to a 3-1 first-round series victory against Charlotte in 2000 despite a broken toe, chipped heel, injured shoulder and inflamed elbow, which is why the Spurs are bracing themselves for another A.I. run.
"He's been doing this his whole career, especially in the playoffs," said Michael Finley of the Spurs.
Added ESPN analyst Bill Walton: "Allen Iverson is one of the greatest players ever. One of the things about greatness is that you let mistakes of yours go. It's a long game and a ton of possessions in an incredibly long career.
"But you (never really forget). Coach (John) Wooden still tells the story of the day he missed a free throw and the other team got the ball and made a half-court shot to win the state championship. At 96, he can still describe every second and every detail of that event."

Melo & The Answer starting to click at right time

Carmelo Anthony doesn't mind answering the question as much now, because it comes with a resolute - and positive - response.
But he always said that would be the case.
It was the speculation that irked the Nuggets forward. The speculation and the snickers and the cynicism that came when the subject of he and Allen Iverson playing together full time on the same team cropped up.
Three months after Iverson was added to the Nuggets' roster, it's hard to believe that he and Anthony have only played 19 games together. But after Tuesday's win in New Jersey, the Nuggets went somewhere they haven't been in a while with the duo together in the lineup - back over .500.
The Nuggets are 10-9
"It's clicking now," Anthony said.
The difference? Time.
"When you get a tandem like that, it's going to take time," Anthony said. "I had to figure him out; he had to figure me out. The rest of the team had to figure their spots out."
Said Detroit Pistons coach Flip Saunders: "When you have two guys like that, you just don't all of a sudden play together in two or three weeks. It's going to take a couple of months to get a comfort level."
Each has taken turns deferring to the other, but now it seems they have found common ground. Iverson's initial lack of aggressiveness seemed cured by a big push from Nuggets coach George Karl to be more heavy-handed in the scoring column.
Anthony has been trying to fine-tune his own game at the same time as trying to find some chemistry with Iverson. Questions about Anthony's willingness to rebound, pass and play defense have swirled for the better part of the last month, but some of that has started to subside.
In their 19 games together, Anthony has averaged 27.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists, while shooting 46 percent from the field. Iverson has averaged 24.8 points and 7.5 assists
while shooting 45.2 percent from the field.
Each has taken a hit in their scoring averages. Iverson said he has welcomed not having to carry the load.
"In Philadelphia, we were 7-49 when I scored under 15 points," Iverson said. "That said a lot right there."
Anthony has not hit the 30-point mark near as many times as he did early in the season. He has scored 30 or more points in five of the past 14 games, whereas at the start of the season, Anthony went for 30 or more in 12 of the Nuggets' first 15 games.
He recently lost his lead in the scoring race to Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant, who used a combined 115 points in two games last weekend to buoy him to the top.
"We're not trying to outshine anybody else," Anthony said.
Karl continues to stress Anthony "committing to play defense" and Iverson "passing the ball and being a scorer" as how the Nuggets, winners of five straight games, will continue to win with the two in the lineup.
Said Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin: "You have Kiki (Vandeweghe) and Alex English play together, and they shared the ball. It can be done. Roles have to be defined, but it can work."

Iverson's technical erased

The NBA on Monday rescinded a technical foul on Nuggets guard Allen Iverson. That could come in handy down the stretch.
Iverson was assessed what would have been his 11th technical of the season Sunday in Sacramento. Iverson not only saved the $2,500 fine but stays at 10, important because 16 results in a one-game suspension.
NBA spokesman Mark Broussard and Nuggets executive Mark Warkentien did not comment other than to confirm the ruling.
Iverson, after picking up his third foul with 6:25 left in the first quarter, said he said to official Ron Garretson "Oh," then ran to the bench because he knew he "was going to sit down" because of foul trouble.
He wondered if Garretson thought he was "running away and reacting."
"The only reason I'm doing it is I know I'm 100 percent right," Iverson said after Monday's practice about appealing a technical for the first time in his 10-year career.
Iverson was so stunned, he watched the replay at halftime.
Iverson wasn't available after the ruling but indicated earlier he's willing to donate money he got back to charity.

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