The Iverson Files

I've been wanting to write about the AI thing for a minute, but I haven't had the time with so much going on. I also think that part of me didn't want to come to grips with the reality of the situation. But the player profile now says Denver Nuggets, not Philadelphia Sixers. It doesn't get any realer than that.

THE SIGNS, PART 1
They've shopped Allen many times before, publicly and privately. This year, however, I knew was going to be his last. They harped on him being older last year (even though he still put up MVP numbers), but then, not making the playoffs and not showing up on time for Fan Appreciation night led to another publicity timebomb. I figured the explosion was going down over the summer, but Billy King, after dangling AI in front of every suitor, announced that he would begin the season in a Philly uniform. Key word = begin.

WAIT A SECOND
Philly's out the gate 3-0 to start 2006-07. Steve Mix (long-time Sixer's broadcast commentator) is talking about this squad playing "team ball" and sounds excited about how they close out games. Maybe AI can work some more magic. Maybe training camp abroad did cause this team to gel. Maybe AI and C-Webb (the #1 scoring combo in 2005-06) can translate their savvy into some W's. Maybe Iggy, Kover, and Dalembert will round us out to becoming a competitor in the wide-open Atlantic Division.

CRASH AND BURN
Three weeks later, 5-17. Webber's complaining about not getting tick in the 4th (like he's going to stop somebody on the defensive end) then his back starts hurting so he's rocking sports jackets on the sidelines (thanks to David Stern). Al is taking all types of bad shots (once again, the same question we've asked for 10 years -- who is he supposed to pass to?). To top it off, in a game against the T-Wolves, Randy Foye went around Iverson like he was standing still, and some other cat blocked AI's step back jumper, the bread-and-butter shot of the last 3 years. Either dude watched hella film or Al wasn't getting the same lift. Either way, it didn't matter. Philly wasn't going to the playoffs this year, despite having the #2 scorer in the NBA. The formula wasn't working. He'd be gone to a contender before the trade deadline. The writing was chiseled on the wall.

SUDDEN IMPACT
After an apparent blow-up with Mo Cheeks, word comes out that AI has been asked to stay home. The quick follow-up report is that a trade is expected within days. When Ed Snider trumps Billy King's typical "no comment" coy ploy and says, "yes, he will be traded," there's no backstepping. (We saw how he just took his finger off the Flyer's reset button). Without warning, we'd seen Iverson play his last game as a Sixer.

THERE WILL BE UPS AND DOWNS, SMILES AND FROWNS
I've written about Iverson often, for many reasons. At under 6ft (no matter what they list him at), he's done remarkable things on the basketball court. I've watched him from his G-Town days. I knew he was good then, but didn't know he would do all that he has as an individual. He's been the face and heart of the Sixers for a decade. He kept fans interested, because you never knew what you were going to get. He might drop 50. Or he might shoot 20% and force the other guys to play some D. Most seasons, he kept us in the playoff hunt. Kept fighting, despite the odds and injuries. Despite the offcourt issues (you never knew what you'd get there, either), and the public scrutiny. In so many ways he took on Philly's "eff you" attitude. That's why he was love and hated. That's how we do it here. Fortunately, he got that, and lasted 10 years. Maybe it was 10 years too long. Maybe he was too stubborn to leave before. Maybe if the team had more pieces, they could have made another run. Or maybe his game is suited for another style. There's always a maybe. The only certainty now is that things have changed, and the changes were needed.

THE HARD WAY
There's no easy way to trade Allen Iverson, even despite the general public sense that Philly ain't too mad to see him go. So I guess it's fitting that he didn't end up in a summer deal, as expected, but went out in this cloud of smoke that the media created. Still, it's messed up that it had to go down like this. He recently told Stephen Smith that he didn't request the trade. I figured as much. The Sixers just wanted to take advantage of the situation, and the room for interpretation that his dissatisfaction left. While they were doing him dirty, saying he demanded to be moved, he was still bent on playing for them, despite injuries and a 5-17 record. He had to be banned from the team. I've never seen a player demand a trade then be upset about not being able to play. To add the period to the sentence, Philly cleared his locker for him, since they wouldn't let him in the building. How that for ten years of All-Star service? It's a business, nothing more.

RESOLUTION
I'm going to miss watching AI play 3-4 nights a week (I'm not investing in the NBA League Pass so I can stay up late and mess up the morning routine that took me 1 year to get used to). I held out hope that he could be a winner here. That apex happened 5 years ago. Despite the critics saying that he would slow down, he hasn't much. Even this year, he's still dropping 30+. But the team has dropped considerably.

On the flipside, when you put AI in an All-Star game (or on an Olympic team), he distributes with the best, and keeps everyone honest. If he's going to get a ring in Denver (or somewhere else), he's going to be a complimentary piece. They said in the beginning that he was too small to carry a team. He had to prove everyone wrong. Now, he has to convince himself that he doesn't need to carry a team, then prove himself right.