Allen Iverson retires, unretires, then signs with Sixers

[Lightning Strike]

Very excited to see him play for the 76'ers, I knew he'd be back.

[Oznogrd]

Probably his last shot at redemption but if this is the end, at least he can retire a Sixer. I don't think the Sixers have anything to lose at this point.
I know where you're coming from but in all fairness, why not? He wasn't happy with the way his career was going and it seemed no one was interested in signing him after the offer from the Knicks fell through, so he had a bit of a knee-jerk reaction and called it a career a little prematurely. Think about it; if you had a job you disliked, should you have to stay on or would you give your notice? Professional athletes don't have that luxury (though they do have several others most of us do not) but they do have alternatives in the form of buy-outs, release by mutual agreement and yes, retirement.
I disagree, it has very little to do with Iverson "manning up". Again, you would not expect anyone with a "normal" job to stay at their job when they're dissatisfied with it so I'm not sure why we expect professional athletes to shut off their feelings and do something none of us would feel is fair in our own professional lives. Furthermore, the Grizzlies didn't have to release AI, they could've pursued trade options but they chose to part ways with him. Chances are they wouldn't have gotten anything substantial in return (if at all), so if I'm the Grizzlies I don't feel miffed, I just feel relieved to be rid of the headache and move on.

Most people cant afford to bail on their jobs when its not to their liking. I would fully expect a normal person with responsibilities like a family to stay at a job even if they're miserable because you arent the only person dependent on that career. Hell: most of the people i know with jobs in real life despise their job: but somethings gotta pay the bills. I feel like iverson let down an entire team/city riding his back (maybe in a less direct way than a family, but still a place that was depending on him in a way). You are right about the grizz...they didnt have to let him go, i just think i would've shopped him a little bit before the release. Anything is better than nothing (even a last round pick or something) *shrug* I'm sick of these athletes like favre and AI retiring due to being unhappy and to shop themselves to someone else. You signed a contract: fulfill it like a normal person would be required to do. If i sign a contract with a multinational billion dollar company saying i'd work 2 years and decided after 3 weeks i want out, its not going to be as easy "hey im out because this isnt what i thought it was...see ya". It shouldnt be that way for athletes either. You sign the contract. You finish it.

Not to even say i dont like AI...I like him alot. I just dont like this sudden loophole in professional sports.

[Andrew]

I see your point and that is a fair call about not everyone being able to take the risk of leaving a job, but in most cases you are at least able to seek another job if you're unhappy with your current employer and if you get another job, you can give you notice and (hopefully) move on to a more bearable situation. That's more the kind of situation I was thinking of, being able to look for another job if you're unhappy and leave for a new job if you get one. If you can get another job that's better, there's no reason to work at a place you hate for 20, 30, 40 years but I would concede that it's easier said than done.

Also, to be fair Iverson didn't retire until after he was let go by the Grizzlies and it looked like no one was interested in him. As I said before I think it was more of a knee-jerk reaction, I'm sure having no one interested in him (and the lowly Knicks turning him down) hurt his pride as much as anything else. I also see what you're saying about contracts but if we're to hold players to that standard, teams should be as well which would mean no buyouts. If a contract may be dissolved by mutual agreement, it's fair enough for either party to call for that if circumstances change and that's why I don't entirely agree with the assertion that you sign a contract, you finish it. Ideally both sides honour an agreement, yes, but there are always exceptions and extenuating circumstances.

[kingjames23]

can i get a "hell yeah?" high five?

i predicted it... AI would be going back to philly.....
can i get some cred for that?

just like i predicted dynamic season over a year ago.

i must have ESP

[J@3]

Just shut up. No one cares.

Anyway, will be watching his first game on League Pass. Interested to see how he plays.

[Modifly]

Now that Williams is out, Iverson will likely start. How about once Williams returns? Will Iverson continue to start or will he be brought off the bench? What are your thoughts?

On a side note, speaking of league pass, I'm thinking about getting one. Does it last for a single season only Jae?

[Andrew]

Depends how Iverson plays. If he puts up numbers similar to his 2007/2008 campaign with the Nuggets, I reckon he keeps the starting spot.

[J@3]

On a side note, speaking of league pass, I'm thinking about getting one. Does it last for a single season only Jae?

Yeah, $30 a month.

[Modifly]

Jeez, that's about 900 baht per month, which is pretty damn expensive.

[Lean]

That was quick. Now I can't imagine AI wearing those silly-ass new Sixer jerseys.

[Andrew]

They're not too far off the design they had during his rookie year.

[kingjames23]

awwww man, can't a guy gloat on the internet?

Jae, i didn't mean to piss in your cheerios! im SORRY!

in any case...AI looked really happy at the press conference!

you want my next prediction?

Iverson is on the all star team this year. the fans will vote him on.

from unwanted bench fodder to all star. make it so people.

[benji]

He started for the All-Star team last year despite being unwanted bench fodder.

Doesn't mean much.

[Fresh8]

My friend is at the game and she's a huge Iverson fan. Lucky biatch went to the States at the right time

[NovU]

Your friend sure is a lucky one.

I really wish he plays well, shutting up all the critics once and for all.

[Lightning Strike]

REALLY want to watch this game live, but I don't have a league pass and I'm not really looking at buying one with my internet speed and cap. I hope he does well, and sets up a lot of highlight plays for me to watch post-game.

[Dee.]

REALLY want to watch this game live, but I don't have a league pass and I'm not really looking at buying one with my internet speed and cap. I hope he does well, and sets up a lot of highlight plays for me to watch post-game.

You can watch it Live in Internet Streamed but the quality could be pretty low.

[J@3]

I'm watching it on league pass. Took them a full quarter to get the HD feed running properly. The Sixers are playing ok but God that team is full of chuckers.

[Andrew]

A modest (re-)debut with the Sixers and a loss to boot, but I'm sure he'll have games where he gets more shots and continues to start, so for now I'd suggest he'll be happier in Philadelphia than in Memphis, even in the midst of their ten straight losses.

[Lamrock]

I suppose you can't expect a team on pace for 20 wins to beat a team on pace for 62 (inverse!). It did make me kind of happy seeing AI's return. If Philadelphia is going to be mediocre, they might as well do it with Iverson.

[J@3]

If Elton Brand was on my team I would start a collection plate to get him bought out. I don't care what his numbers looked like, that guy is a giant black hole offensively. He'll hold it for 23 seconds if he's within 15 feet of the hoop, then realize he hasn't got a shot and throw it to the nearest guy he can find. Admittedly that's only the 2nd time I've seen him this season but still.

[NovU]

Sux to see Sixers lose in Iverson's debut game.

If Elton Brand was on my team I would start a collection plate to get him bought out. I don't care what his numbers looked like, that guy is a giant black hole offensively. He'll hold it for 23 seconds if he's within 15 feet of the hoop, then realize he hasn't got a shot and throw it to the nearest guy he can find. Admittedly that's only the 2nd time I've seen him this season but still.

It is just surprising to see how EB's game disappeared so quickly. Whether it's due to an injury or decline, he also has to make an adjustment to his games to be effective. With AI on the court, he should just pass more to Iverson now. Iguodala as a first option didn't work so far so I'd love see Iverson getting more possessions now. Well... for the positive note, EB had a double double. But also with 5 turn overs...

[benji]

This was a perfect example of why the Iverson-Billups trade devastated the Pistons so much:
Iverson: .431
Billups: .781

Sixers would have won if they got any bench scoring (Iverson, Kapono, Ivey, Green combined: 5/25) and didn't let the Nuggets shoot 11/18 from three.

[Andrew]

Noticed this tidbit in a link that NovU posted in the Greg Oden thread:

With an extra 9,000 in the stands, not to mention boffo TV ratings, the Sixers essentially recouped Allen Iverson's pro-rated and non-guaranteed $1.3 million salary in one night. That's a win.

If nothing else, we can't really fault the signing from a financial standpoint.

[Lean]

awwww man, can't a guy gloat on the internet?

Jae, i didn't mean to piss in your cheerios! im SORRY!

in any case...AI looked really happy at the press conference!

you want my next prediction?

Iverson is on the all star team this year. the fans will vote him on.

from unwanted bench fodder to all star. make it so people.

Should we say it's your idea why AI is with the Sixers again? You must be his agent.