It was truly a shame when Allen Iverson failed to find employment in the NBA and had to head to Turkey. Sure, he lost a step (maybe even two) by that point, but Iverson in his mid-30s was better than many guys in the League. His unwillingness to come off the bench was what kept teams at bay. However, Iverson has recently changed his tune about coming off the bench in the NBA, but it’s probably too little, too late.
I believe Iverson is the most uniquely gifted NBAer ever, not named Dirk Nowitzki. You hate to see an all-time great end his career in that manner. And this lockout surely isn’t helping his aspirations of returning to the Association. A few days ago, Iverson played in the CrossOver Celebrity Basketball Game in Greensboro, North Carolina, and reminded us all of what used to be and perhaps, what still can be.
Granted it was a celebrity game and I’m sure nobody was playing All-NBA First Team-type defense, but he still looked good. His handle was in tact and looked liked he was having fun. Other invited guests were the NFL’s Michael Vick, Percy Harvin and DeAngelo Hall as well as Larry Hughes, Joe Smith and Stephen Jackson – among others. Here are some highlights of his performance (video courtesy of SLAMonline.com):
