Allen Iverson Appreciation Thread

PHILADELPHIA - Allen Iverson is set to retire from the NBA, according to an online report. Commentator Stephen A. Smith published a statement on his Web site Wednesday attributed to Iverson. It said Iverson plans to retire but also that "I feel strongly that I can still compete at the highest level."

The statement also said Iverson has tremendous love for the game and the desire to play.

The 10-time All-Star played three games this season with Memphis before taking a leave of absence to attend to personal matters. He was waived after the two sides agreed to part ways.

It was the second straight ugly ending for Iverson, who was unhappy last season playing for the Pistons. He was upset that Detroit coach Michael Curry and Memphis' Lionel Hollins used the former MVP as a reserve.

The New York Knicks considered signing Iverson last week after he cleared waivers, before deciding he would take too much playing time away from younger players they are trying to develop.

The Knicks seemed to be the only team who would consider bringing in Iverson, so there was no guarantee he'd play in the NBA this season, anyway. Still, the announcement Wednesday came as a surprise to George Karl, who coached Iverson in Denver.

"I think he still has something left to give some team out there. If that's his decision, he'll go down in history, I think, as the greatest little guard ever to play the game of basketball," Karl said.

"I was happy to have him for a couple years and hopefully our paths will cross. But I have a sneaky feeling that somewhere along the way an injury or a circumstance with a team will open that window back up."

http://newzar.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/allen-iverson-tattoos.jpg

lil' ball hog...lil' drama queen...lil' gangsta...lil' legend. god bless.

http://tricup.com/demos/gallery/Sports/Basketball/Allen_Iverson/hires/Allen-Iverson-0003.jpg

http://www.man-hairstyle.com/blog/uploads/2009/02/allen_iverson1.jpg

http://www.clap.name/images/iverson7.jpg

http://thefreshxpress.com/freshxp/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/allen_iverson_his_rookie_year030308122059gif.jpg

http://www.5starhiphop.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/answer-12-colorways-3.jpg

http://hribar.info/static/images/uploaded/Image/sports/nba/iverson_look_up.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SI-AZQcZ0dc

he was never gonna be a good pairing with melo, but he was the best nba citizen he could be at denver.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5I7ilIRJgQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sUAcBubdhk

For the year 2G the rap game change for one name
Jewelz aim to slain anything on this plane
Remains are found when the best kept secret get heated
You went platinum wit a ghost writer,
so in the game you won you cheated
My slang bang when you need it
You man enuff to pull a gun be man enuff to squeeze it
(*gunshots*) Die if you don't believe it
Anything to do wit millions I'ma be wit it
Hats off to the hardcore niggaz FUCK the rest
In my guess y'all useless, just talkin music
Never mistake me for a fake MC
You got the wrong idea nigga I'm CT fool
Get murdered in a second in the first degree
Come to me wit faggot tendacies
You'll be sleepin where the maggots be
Ain't nuthin kinda used to beef actually
but when it's on I raise first automatically
Won't catch me as a victim and a rap casualty
Dynasty Raiders hit VA in the summertime
Ten Bentleys in one line
Gats in each hand, twin 45's in mines
Snipers hittin niggaz long distance for a rate
Sons and daughters, one order you'll be floatin in water
Bad news home of the Dynasty Raiders
One luv to the ol school niggaz
They in the jail tryin to raise us
Even the ones that tried to blaze us
but couldn't even graze us
See dem bitch azz niggaz y'all killin don't amaze us
Y'all slobbin I'm spittin wit a mouf full of rage
(DIS MY NIGGA JEWELS REPRESENTIN BAD NEWS
YO MY HOMIE SAY DAT SHIT)
Everybody stay fly get money kill and fuck bitches
I'm hittin anything in plain view for my riches
VA's finest fillin up ditches, when niggaz turn to bitches
die for zero digits; I'ma giant yall midgets
I know killaz that kill for a fee
that'll kill yo' ass for free, believe me
How you wanna die fast or slowly?
Fast as a rolie, slow as a rolie polie
I bought yo shit it was weak, trashed it now you owe me
All the hardcore niggas know me
I aint knockin, I'm jus gon' bust up in the motherfucker
Takin anything that's rightfully mines
Lust, AKs, rifles, and nines
Physique crew, thick designs
wit jewels that shine all the time
Ain't nuthin sweet about this rate of mystique
Got niggas while you eat shit sleep and beat yo meat
die reachin fo heat, leave you leakin in da street
Niggas screamin he was a good boy ever since he was born
but fuck it he gon life must go on niggas don't live that long
but hoes in wigs niggas that think they head strong
got niggas hollerin Jewelz dead wrong on this song
THIS TYPE OF MURDA DONT NEED NO HOOK
JUST FORTY FUCKIN BARS FROM DA MOUF OF A CROOK!!!
YO!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwUUUdW9mKY

fuck, this is really bumming me out

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6OqgQus43M

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwoFCaIkPB8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Br82oH43VOA

scott are u banned from i love hoops??

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwFxHiuS6-M

the crossover against Jordan is one of my favorite clips ever.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/Allen-Iverson-retires;_ylt=AqUKvghRisXFOOh4ZP.U6ga8vLYF?urn=nba,204978

Who are white NBA reporters going to hate now?

Iverson is the reason I love basketball. No joke.

my favorite AI memory is him pulling up for three in OT in game 1 against the lakers - man, this is really ruining my day

I was in high school in D.C. when Iverson was at Georgetown, and the whole city was totally electrified by him. Iverson's back story and the way Thompson took him under his wing was really amazing to see, and the basketball was incredible.

I'm surprised he hasn't gotten signed. The rap against him is that he won't come off the bench. He wants 20+ shots a night. But that's AI.

I remember listening to that game one against the Lakers on my contraband radio in highschool. Even over the radio it was one of the most thrilled sporting events I've ever heard in my life. (And then I stayed up all night listening to commentators on the sports networks talk about how incredible the win was.)

lol i remember that game quite differently. great competitor, dope ass player. i don't think he's done for good tbh

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4705901

:(

rip lil big man

saw a preview for a documentary coming out about him the other night. i guess it's focusing on some big fight he got into in high school that had all sorts of racial implications. first i had ever heard of it, but it sounded like he might of done some jail time for it.

the fight at the bowling alley iirc

he was in danger of going to prison but did not iirc

the charmed lives that athletes lead iirc

it was more of a athletes charm themselves out of situations in which they might otherwise be fucked by institutional racism iirc

an interesting take iirc

tbh i dont particularly rc but it was one of those black kids charged / white kids walk sort of fights right

yeah I think so

Practice? iirc

practice! iirc

we are talking abt practice amirite?

not a game

p r a c i c e

TS: Iverson's rant about practice or Jim Mora's rant about playoffs.

practice

not a game

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4975922

Multiple NBA sources say Allen Iverson is facing alcohol and gambling issues that have derailed his career and threaten his post-basketball well-being, Stephen A. Smith of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports in a column published Monday.

never thought 2 consider that stephen a smith will have no reason to be on tv with iverson gone

a sad day for broadcast television imo, like walter cronkite leaving the air

This looks great, by the guy who made Hoop Dreams

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fe66EodgWww

http://www.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/04/07/georgia.iverson.police/index.html

see, that part where he came back later and apologized is why I like this dude so much

lambo fleet

I'm watching E1 of the new Iverson documentary/puff piece and learned that his nickname Bubba Chuck came from the name of two uncles not because he was an unrepentant chucker.