Former Philadelphia 76ers star Allen Iverson is done playing ball in Turkey and wants back in the NBA. But would the Sixers ever bring Iverson back here?
Video (From 2002): We’re Talkin About Practice
Classic Video: Iverson Talks About Practice: MyFoxPHILLY.com
That would seem to be a long shot but stranger things have happened in Philadelphia.
But the team’s rumored new owner, billionaire investor Joshua Harris from Apollo Capital Management, is a long-time Sixers fan.
The web site Business Insider says Harris will get the team for between $270 million and $290 million , which would be a discount from its reported Forbes market value of $330 million.
Harris is a Whatron grad and reportedly a hardcore Sixers fan.
So what fan-turned-owner would pass on giving Iverson a chance to retired as a Sixer?
For Iverson’s part, he told ESPN recently he is back from Turkey , rehabbing an injury and wants one last shot in the NBA.
“Just give me a training camp,” Iverson said. “Maybe I’ve rubbed people the wrong way as far as saying the things I’ve said in my life and in my career. But if any team needs me to help try and win a championship in any capacity, I’m waiting.”
The Sixers may actually have an opening for a guard, at the veteran minimum, if Andre Iguodala is traded for a forward or center.
The team doesn’t have the salary cap space to add a more expensive player, and it could include Jodie Meeks or Lou Williams in a deal to move Iguodala.
The big question is if Iverson can even play at an NBA level. He only played in a handful of games in Turkey and he just turned 36 this week.
But the Sixers would have little to lose by inviting Iverson to training camp to practice with the team and at least giving him a chance to retire in Philadelphia if he can’t make the Sixers.
In December 2009, Iverson returned for a brief stint with a bad Sixers team and wept at a press conference. He left the team several months later.
via Iverson Bags Turkey, Wants NBA Job.
