Allen Iverson -- and his image -- struggle to find job - 籃球

Allen Iverson -- and his image -- struggle to find job

Source:http://www.detnews.com/article/20090723/OPINION03/907230384/1031

Former Piston Allen Iverson still is looking for a home, but he's really
looking for another kindred spirit.

He's had two: John Thompson and Larry Brown. Thompson was Iverson's coach at
Georgetown, but more importantly, a father figure when Iverson needed it most.
Brown recognized Iverson's talents in Philadelphia, parlaying it to a Finals
appearance in 2001. Thompson and Brown are Iverson's staunchest defenders and,
ironically, coaches who have at times been labeled "rebel" and "misunderstood."

Everything hasn't been rosy for the 6-foot, 180-pound Iverson, but it hasn't
been all thorny either.

It's a Catch-22. Without his stubbornness, he never would be the 16th-leading
scorer in NBA history. More impressively, he's averaged 41 minutes a game
through his career, fourth most in NBA history. No player similar in height and
weight is in the top 20.

The same attributes that make him great, however, hold him back from signing
with a contender at this stage of his career.

He's done things his way and had success. Based on his rough background, his
game and life parallel each other, for better or worse. Consequently, he's been
judged, deservedly or not.

"I obviously feel like it's unfair, but it just makes the chip on my shoulder
that much bigger," Iverson told NBA TV in an interview Tuesday night.

There's precedent for players who have submerged their style of play to win a
championship. Nate "Tiny" Archibald, who once led the league in scoring and
assists in the same season, joined the Celtics late in his career, helping
Larry Bird win his first title. Mark Aguirre went from scoring 25 points a game
to splitting time with Dennis Rodman, but he owns two rings with the Pistons.

If Iverson backed down a little bit, he'd be ideal for a team in need of
someone capable of scoring in bunches. He could've changed the tenor of the
entire offseason.

From the outside, last season seemed to be the perfect opportunity for Iverson
to ingratiate himself into the Pistons team-first style. The marriage was
doomed from the start and both sides made errors. Iverson was branded the bad
guy and didn't play after April 3 because of a back injury.

"The whole thing with me is to be in a situation where I can be happy," Iverson
said. "Obviously the objective is to win a championship, but I've been thinking
about it -- my whole thing is to be happy and finish my career in a happy
situation."

Sounds like a man who's taken more beating from detractors than bruising
7-footers on drives to the basket.

Contemporaries Ray Allen, Rasheed Wallace and Kevin Garnett are playing for
contenders because they've conformed in some manner, while Iverson's biggest
suitors are the Grizzlies and Clippers, hardly world-beaters.

"I feel like I have to prove myself all over in this league," Iverson said.

Sadly, he does. Chances are he wouldn't have it any other way.

Red, white and Bluedevil

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski signed on as USA's basketball coach through the 2012
Olympics.

Good for him. He accepted the high expectations of getting USA back on top and
exceeded them.

Now he has the loyalty and admiration of multi-millionaires, and he will help
replace and transition a new set of stars into the system with its showcase in
Las Vegas on Saturday.

Having Kobe Bryant and LeBron James on your team helps a little bit, though.


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