Report: Allen Iverson expected to announce retirement as player
NBA veteran Allen Iverson is expected to soon announce his retirement from the NBA, according to SLAM magazine, which is devoted to coverage of the NBA.
Citing an unnamed source, the magazine reported Wednesday that Iverson, 38, is likely to announce the end of his playing career in the next few days.
The timing is odd, as Iverson has not played in the NBA since 2010, when he was with the Philadelphia 76ers. He then went on to play pro ball in Turkey in 2011. He has not played professionally since then.
In Iverson's last public comments back in late March, he responded to a question about coming back to play by saying, "My No. 1 goal is trying to accomplish to be the best dad that I can. And if basketball is in my near future, then God will make that happen. But if not, I had a great ride and I've done a lot of special things that a lot of guys have not been able to accomplish and people thought I couldn't accomplish."
Iverson played 13 years in the NBA, averaging 26.7 points per game (and 29.7 ppg in 71 playoff games), 6.2 assists and 2.2 steals per game.
The 6-0 guard was an 11-time All-Star, led the league in scoring four different seasons and won one regular season MVP award. He would be eligible for nomination to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015.
The former Georgetown University star began his career with the 76ers, their No. 1 pick in 1996. He also played for the Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons and Memphis Grizzlies.
"He might be the greatest athlete I've ever seen," Larry Brown, Iverson's coach from 1997-2003 and the current coach at SMU, told SLAM. "I don't think there'll be another one like him."
