Iverson will be back


Allen Iverson has always been one of my favorite players to watch in the NBA. Though he doesn't believe in "practice", he's always played his heart out and been willing to sacrifice his body. I was stunned to hear the announcement that he plans to retire.  This seems like an incredibly rash decision on his part, and something I'm sure he will change his mind about soon. However, with the recent chatter of Iverson coming to Boston, I was incredibly relieved that at least this retirement would mean he wouldn't be coming to Beantown.

Iverson still can be a solid player in this league, but he is not good enough to start for any championship contending teams. Not only that, but his ego is too big for him to except a lesser role. Boston doesn't need another scorer on their team. They need a backup point guard and a lengthy perimeter defender to guard Lebron and Kobe. Would Iverson be able to give them scoring off the bench? Of course he would, but at the expense of other players. Plus, the Iverson/Rasheed Wallace combination has already been a failure in the past. The last thing we need is two gunners coming off the bench.

I've always respected AI's game, but he isn't what he used to be. One of the saddest things in sports is watching the decline of a great player. You see them desperately hanging on to what they once were. They still have the belief that they are great, but their physical abilities are diminished.

I remember when Jordan came to the Wizards. Though he was still a solid player, it was depressing watching one of my childhood idols languish in mediocrity. I'm hoping Iverson stays retired and keeps his legacy in tact. However, the reality is he will probably be wearing an NBA uniform in the next month.