Allen Iverson's Return To Philadelphia Might Not End Pleasantly
When Allen Iverson was embarrassingly released by the Memphis Grizzlies earlier this season, his subsequent signing in Philadelphia where his brilliant career began was a nice redemption story, giving a city that adored him the chance to let him finish his career.
Well, that career might be finished more quickly than originally thought. Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the Sixers have had internal discussions about severing ties with Iverson, due to his numerous absences from the team, purportedly to be at the side of his sick child.
When Iverson signed in Philly for a non-guaranteed, veteran's minimum deal, it was deemed a low-risk move for a franchise desperate to create some buzz and sell some tickets after an underachieving start to the season. "If it doesn't work they can just cut him," we all said.
It turns out, though, that it's a lot harder to deal with the distractions of a guy who averages 13 points per game and shoots 42 percent than it was to deal with them when he was winning scoring titles.
As Wojnarowski pointed out, it's not quite that simple: Iverson's iconic status in Philly could make his release a very public nightmare if it is handled poorly — and frankly, if Iverson is released while tending an ailing child, there's really not a way the team can look much uglier.
The only hope for this to end will in Philly is if they can reach some sort of agreement with Iverson to step away peacefully.
Follow Technorati