His Way: Iverson Could Cap Career on His Terms
Allen Iverson missed his fourth straight game on Tuesday night because of a personal matter. He will also miss Wednesday’s game in Toronto. The team said it is expecting Iverson to be back on Feb. 16, the Sixers’ first game after the All-Star break which is at home against Miami.
Eddie Jordan did not have any information on Iverson’s plans to participate or not in this weekend’s All-Star game. Iverson was voted a starter by the fans. It is his 11th consecutive All-Star appearance, his 10th as a starter.
A source close to Iverson confirmed that the guard will be in Dallas for the midseason made-for-fans event.
How that will sit with people remains to be seen. When Iverson left the team it was on the heels of beating the Nets. The Sixers have added three more wins in his absence and are riding their longest winning streak of the season. Him being away has not hurt anyone and each win may have allowed Iverson to more easily make the decision to stay with his family a little longer.
Iverson has played 25 games this season, 22 of them with the Sixers. He is averaging 14 points and four assists, both career lows, since rejoining the team that drafted him almost 14 years ago.
When Iverson re-signed with the Sixers on Dec. 2, 2009 as a free agent, the Sixers were in need of a point guard who could step into their starting lineup because Lou Williams, who had been that guy, was sidelined with a broken jaw. His signing was a pleasant surprise in that his divorce from the franchise was hardly amicable, and yet when he returned he did so with such humility and genuine gratitude. The city embraced him once again.
On the court, Iverson brought leadership and really tried to impart to his younger teammates the wisdom that allowed him to shine in so many big moments throughout his career; toughness and fearlessness certainly being in the forefront.
Iverson has always marched to the beat of his own drum. He took tons of criticism, some of it justified, some of it not. The most recent Iverson criticism came when he was named a starter for Sunday’s All-Star game. His season has been abbreviated, leaving others with much more impressive statistics not invited to play on Sunday. Still, Iverson is a showman and fans love him for that.
His third quarter against the Lakers brought back memories of what the little big man did night in and night out for 10-plus seasons in this town. In those 12 minutes, he and Kobe Bryant went back and forth with their scoring. Iverson made 6-of-7 from the floor for 15 points while Bryant scored 14.
Iverson, who has twice been named the MVP of the All-Star game, could have one such performance left in the tank and may display it on Sunday’s national stage. If he does, and if he later decided that was his swan song, one wouldn’t be surprised. Remember, he beats to a different drum. He will have returned to the city that adored him and helped their current roster get back on the winning track. He would get to leave the game that he so enjoyed playing for the bulk of his 34 years on his terms and he would be able to be with his five children and wife on a full-time basis.
It’s a scenario where everyone wins. And isn’t the idea of winning what brought all these pieces together in the first place?
Dallas awaits The Answer and then we await his answers.
რავიცი აბა , მართლა რომ წავიდეს ოლსტარის მერე , პრინციპში ლამაზად გამოუვა
მითუმეტეს რომ ოლსტარის ბრეიქის მერე ახალი კრიტიკის ტალღა ელოდება პრესისგან თუ ისევ იგივენაირად ვერ გააგრძელა გუნდმა ყველა თამაშის მოგება როგორც ბოლო 4 მატჩში უაივერსონოდ ...
ღიირს მაგად ?
აქამდე კი მიხაროდა და დღესაც გამიხარდება თუ მოიგებს ფილა , მაგრამ ყოველ მოგებასთან ერთად , ეგრევე აივერსონს აბრალებენ აქამდე წარუმატებლობას . არავინ არ იხსენებს იმას რომ აივერსონამდე 9 ზედიზედ წააგეს და საერთოდ ჩაძირული გუნდი იყოს , არც იმას მუხლის ტრავმის დროს ყველა თამაში რომ წააგეს ... მარტო იმას აღნიშნავენ როგორც ყოველთვის რაც აივერსონს ცუდი მხრიდან შეგიძლია მოარგო ...
ეს სეზონი ვაპშე კატასტროფაა ალენასთვის ... პლეიოფში თუ ვერ მოხვდნენ საერთოდ აზრს კარგავს ეს სეზონი ... პროსტა გაცილების მატჩის პერსპექტივა რჩება და ვსო
This post has been edited by Rozer on 10 Feb 2010, 13:32 Truth is, everybody is going to hurt you; you just gotta find the ones worth suffering for." -Bob Marley
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PHILADELPHIA 76ERS, ეს გუნდი მალე ფლეი ოფს მოიგებს!!!
