Thursday, November 26th, 2009 at 9:00 am  |  133 responses

Is This Really the End for AI?

by Marcel Mutoni / @marcel_mutoni

For now, the only two people who seem absolutely certain that this is the end of Allen Iverson’s career, are A.I. himself and his personal manager, Gary Moore. Everyone else is still in a bit of shock, and waiting (some hoping) to see if The Answer eventually changes his mind.

Taking a read through Iverson’s official statement regarding the retirement, one can’t help but get the feeling that even he’s not totally convinced this is the end:

I would like to announce my plans to retire from the National Basketball Association. I always thought that when I left the game, it would be because I couldn’t help my team the way that I was accustomed to. However, that is not the case.

I still have tremendous love for the game, the desire to play, and a whole lot left in my tank. I feel strongly that I can still compete at the highest level.

That doesn’t sound like a guy who’s ready to hang up his Reeboks forever. If anything, it sounds like a man without a country, so to speak.

Players around the League expressed sadness to see him leave the game like this, and his former coach Larry Brown says he plans to contact Allen about the decision and attempt to talk him out of it.

For the time being anyway, it’s time to say goodbye to one of the most amazing players to ever play in the NBA. He did it his way — and though he didn’t always do it the “right way” (which may have ultimately pushed him out of the League) — you have to respect him for that.

Thanks for the memories, A.I. Here’s to many more down the line.

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  • http://www.slamonline.com Wayno

    Mr. Bengston speaks truth y’all…better listen up!

  • http://slamonline.com Russ Bengtson

    If the Knicks saying “nah, we got Duhon and Hughes, we’re good” doesn’t serve as a wake-up call, nothing ever will.

  • http://www2.gsb.columbia.edu/faculty/jstiglitz/ DIMITRIS DIAMANTIDIS

    Duhon>……..>Patrick Beverley>,……………………>”bball Kournikova”>..>me.

  • http://www.michaelcho.com M Cho

    @Greek dude – whatever name you choose for yourself, if you think Iverson has no pride, you have absolutely no understanding of the man and should just stop running your mouth about him, period.

  • Robb

    You know? I don’t like AI, never did, but Foobar is right, the Sixers should sign Iverson so he can retire in Philadelphia with dignity. He deserves to have his number retired along with Barkley, Cheeks, Dr. J, Wilt, and all those guys. I really really really don’t like him, but man, he deserves that honor.

  • http://www2.gsb.columbia.edu/faculty/jstiglitz/ DIMITRIS DIAMANTIDIS

    @M Cho….: asked why is he considering to sign the “bball Kournikova” last summer(why he was asked such a question…? cause NOBODY wants A.I. for bball reasons in his team,since 2003, as Stein said some months ago ) the owner of Grizzlies Michael Heisley said :”Obviously I think he’d be a crowd pleaser in Memphis.” IF you are in A.I.’s position and you actually consider yourself an all-time great (!!!) would you EVER sign for them…..?????

  • http://www2.gsb.columbia.edu/faculty/jstiglitz/ DIMITRIS DIAMANTIDIS

    BREAKING NEWS….:worse comes to worse for Wafer, just a few hours ago Olympiakos decided that from now on will use VON only for Euroleague games in order to create a spot for Halperin in the greek league…..it is sad but Von is unable even to make it to our bench……the bright side of this is that a player that couldn’t make the starting line-up of a much weaker Euro team last year (Jennings-Roma) is mentioned in the MVP race….maybe next years NBA MVP candidate will be VON WAFER!!!!!!!!!!

  • http://slamonlin.com rnibbs20

    don’t retire ai you have always been my favorite player, your the person that inspired me to play the game, in my opinion you changed the nba from the corn rows, the head band and the sleeve, and brought excitement to the game, pound for pound your probably in the top ten of greatest basketball players of all time

  • http://www2.gsb.columbia.edu/faculty/jstiglitz/ DIMITRIS DIAMANTIDIS

    pound for pound, lil Penny is also in the top ten of greatest bball players!!!! (i never knew that you can measure bball greatness with kilograms….)

  • Still ballin

    Ai..just expect a lesser role on any team.because I know your still that good.you still will shine even if your coming of the bench.I know ur still the answer!!you said it your self that you already got all the individual awards.time to get that ring.and go out with a bang!! don’t let this be the end.I’m a true fan since 96!!

  • http://slamonlin.com rnibbs20

    i don’t even have lil penny in my top 20 allen iverson should start he just needs to go to a team that needs a dominant scorer like him, the dude is in his 30′s and he could probably still average 28-30 points a night

  • http://joeloholic.wordpress.com Joel O’s

    @Teddy: My bad, I was being vague. He can definitely do what you said, and more. I meant that he sadly can’t do it “the way that (he) was accustomed to” – which I interpreted as being the alpha and omega of his team’s offense. And that’s fact, since no team is willing to make him the centerpiece – the way he was accustomed to. Can he easily pour in 20+ ppg coming off the bench as a killer sixth man for a contender? Heck yeah, I hope and pray that he will accept that role sooner.

  • http://joeloholic.wordpress.com Joel O’s

    Problem is, where does he fit? I think the teams who think they are contenders – the Lakers, Cavs, Nuggets, Celtics, Magic, etc. – are pretty happy with what they have, and are confident that they can compete with what they have. So that leaves us with a second-tier team or another bottom feeder as a potential place for him to end up if he decides to make a comeback. With the way Memphis turned out, I don’t think even the league’s other minnows will readily sign him (eg. NY backed out). So that leaves a second-tier team on the cusp, like say… I don’t know, Miami? Dallas? Houston? NO? Toronto, even?

  • http://joeloholic.wordpress.com Joel O’s

    And of that 2nd-tier bunch, I don’t see much hope there, too. Cuban, of all people, I’d think would be one of the few who would readily take a chance on AI and give him at least a super-sub role like he did with Van Exel, which worked out great. Unfortunately, Jason Terry already does that role perfectly. Toronto is out since I don’t think he fits the team’s direction. Miami has been discussed, and so has NO. Could Houston sign him and make things work? They made Artest work – an equally idiosyncratic ball-dominant inefficient scorer – and AI would immediately be their #1 weapon.

  • http://www.hibachi20.blogspot.com BETCATS

    looks like no Allen Iverson for the Bobcats. 3 straight wins. Indy, Toronto, and CLEVELAND

  • http://joeloholic.wordpress.com Joel O’s

    Maybe he can sign for the LA Galaxy – I hear that’s a popular location for aging superstars…

  • http://joeloholic.wordpress.com Joel O’s

    @BETCATS: Would he even fit there, do you think? Aside from the Larry Brown connection, I don’t see how Allen fits there. Because 1.) you guys already have a bunch of quick little scorers, and 2.) with Stephen Jackson, there’s already a bona fide scorer and creator on the team.

  • str8 from samoa

    he’ll be back!!!

  • http://www.hibachi20.blogspot.com BETCATS

    Joel: a Iverson – Jackson – Wallace – Diaw- Chandler lineup would be the result of signing Iverson. We would also have to trade DJ or Felton (most likely DJ though) to make it work. If we sign Felton to a long term and give him 25 minutes a night, everyone can be happpy. Iverson could get about 30 minutes, and would participate as part of a team orinted offense, as we would have no pure starting point guard but 3 point forwards. HOWEVER after tonight i just dont see it happening.

  • J

    BETCATS: as what i’m saying since… Charlotte is what i think the best fit for him. and also, i hate that you beat my cavs. i didn’t saw the game but damn..

  • http://joeloholic.wordpress.com Joel O’s

    @BETCATS: That’s some lineup… but yeah, looks like the best thing for Charlotte right now is to keep doing what they’re doing. 3 solid wins against teams which conventional wisdom would rate as better squads. The Bobcats really looked dynamic as heck against the one dimensional Raps earlier this week. Sigh.

  • Joe King

    Bobcats are just getting their rythmm now that steph jax is on the roster.

    AI should play for the knicks or PLAY AS A TEAM

  • freezy23

    IVERSON BACK TO PHILLY!!!!WOOOOOO!!!

  • http://www2.gsb.columbia.edu/faculty/jstiglitz/ DIMITRIS DIAMANTIDIS

    Iverson back to (elementary) school.

  • http://www.real.com realism

    All this talk of Warrior and nobody (even the fanboys) has bothered to call this chump a Winner.

    And we all know there can only be one Tru Warier

  • riseabove

    I hate to see Iverson retire like this

  • tavoris

    Jukai-why u bringing up my name? Aint nobody trying to argue up here. In case u havent noticed, my comments are few & far between when idiots like you don’t address me personally.

    u & ur cohorts are pathetic & i’m interested (not really) where ur innate player-envy will manifest itself if this “retirement” sticks.

  • http://slamonline.com Dave

    I see “the Greek guy” is continuing his anti-Iverson barrage as usual. How’re those fifty Euroleague players going? They still better than AI in his prime?

  • alou

    ALRIGHT THE NETS SHOULD SIGN IVERSON TO A ONE YEAR DEAL. THEY ARE 0-15…THEY NEED SOME CHANGES AND IVERSON COULD GO IN THEREE AND COMPLEMENT HARRIS AND LOPEZ. ALSO, THE SIXERS LOST STARTING POINT GUARD LOU WILLIAMS AND HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO DEPTH AFTER THAT-THEYVE BEEN STARTING JRUEVHOLIDAY WHO AVERAGED LIKE 8 POINTS LAST YEAR IN COLLEGE. SIGN IVERSON- NO HOLIDAY- :) . SOMEBODYS GOTTA TAKE HIM…BECAUSE HE IS MY FAVORITE PLAYER AND HE CANT END IT LIKE THIS….HE JUST CAN NOT. I <3 IVERSON/ AI/ THE ANSWER OR WHATEVER YOU WANNA COOL HIM.

  • http://www.sixers.com 360vue

    serious considerations have been made this wknd in Phila, meetings were called whilst the team have gone on their road trip. good news for AI fans. still, if Jordan cant even sort out Brand for having an awful work ethic (that douche has picked up some awful habits after a handful of games in last two seasons) then I doubt he’s got the nuts to handle AI effeciently. im starting to dislike Jordan, he is a nice man and funny, but the players are disappointing more often than not and when its a collective its the coaches job to get them functioning properly, it is as if they havent even heard of D… its a disgrace. 40pts allowed in one Q?! WTF! And he has got them taking awful shot choices, and he has serious favouritism of some in terms of minutes and clearance for shots at ends of play, wasteful plays at that so we cant even score which is what this squad was born to do. now we’re bringin AI as a solution to rapidly disintegrating season (which is predominantly down to Jordan) when we’ve been progressing without him steadily, albeit slowly, for years

  • http://slamonline.com Russ Bengtson

    From what I understand, AI to Philly isn’t even close to a done deal yet.

  • http://www.sixers.com 360vue

    @Russ

    They haven’t even talked to him; moves probably wouldn’t be initiated till midweek or after even if they decide to.. I meant ‘now we’re considering bring AI’ in my last post. However, considering they’re having an unscheduled and serious discussion amongst the top brass and everything the management have being saying this season about performances (lack of), needing a playmaker, needing a potent scorer, needing to get bums on seats (29th lowest attendances with 11k), the only stumbling block I can see in all this is AI himself (which could be likely), unless there is a serious dissenter who has not made desire known yet as sources sound positive in terms of them all in management having a serious attraction to the idea. Also, as it doesnt appear that rebuilding and developing a young core is a priority anymore with anyone in the franchise above Jordan, (maybe even Jordan himself considering his job could be on the line in in a few months at this rate) they all seem fussed on making the playoffs again and putting more green numbers on the financial sheet

  • http://www.slamonline.com B-zog

    A.I. A SIXER ONCE AGAIN!!! THE LEGEND RETURNS!!!

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