Report: Iverson facing trouble

[BOBCATS_BALL!]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4975922

Multiple NBA sources say Allen Iverson is facing alcohol and gambling issues that have derailed his career and threaten his post-basketball well-being, Stephen A. Smith of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports in a column published Monday.

According to multiple NBA sources, there is widespread concern that the four-time NBA scoring champion, who left the Philadelphia 76ers in February to deal with his daughter's illness and will not return this season, "will either drink himself into oblivion or gamble his life away," Smith reported.

Iverson's gambling problem is serious enough that he has been banished from casinos in Detroit and Atlantic City, N.J., according to Smith.

The report comes as Iverson is dealing with significant personal problems.

Iverson's wife Tawana filed for divorce on March 4, the same day the Philadelphia 76ers announced that the All-Star guard would not return for the rest of the season. In the divorce filing, made at Fulton County Superior Court in Atlanta, Tawana Iverson said the couple's 8½-year marriage is "irretrievably broken" and sought full custody of the family's five children, child support and alimony.

Iverson, who played 25 games for the Sixers this season, returned to Atlanta in February to be with his family and deal with an undisclosed illness affecting his 4-year-old daughter, Messiah.

Smith, who has covered Iverson closely for years, wrote in Monday's column that Iverson needs someone with "the ideal combination of compassion and toughness" in his life. And former Temple coach John Chaney said that person is John Thompson, Iverson's former college coach at Georgetown.

"[Thompson] is the one guy who'll have a chance of slowing this train wreck down, who could wrap his arms around Iverson and have an impact, because clearly it has not been done," Chaney said, according to Smith. "But there's still this one question: Will [iverson] listen?"

Iverson started the season with the Memphis Grizzlies but only played three games, amid disagreements over playing time, before announcing a short-lived retirement. He signed the 76ers as a free agent in December, making a tearful return to the city where he spent his first 10½ seasons, won four scoring titles, earned the 2000-01 MVP award and led the Sixers to the 2001 NBA Finals.

Iverson was traded to the Denver Nuggets in 2006 and played for the Nuggets through 2008, when he was dealt to the Detroit Pistons.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

I feel for him and hope he gets through this tough time. He was one of my favorite guys back in the late 90's early 2000's and could go down as the best undersized player and one of the toughest pound for pound guys in NBA history.

[Murph]

We've had a lot of discussions over the past few years about the FO's business decisions. Not signing AI this past offseason was one of the best decisions they have ever made.

[BOBCATS_BALL!]

We've had a lot of discussions over the past few years about the FO's business decisions. Not signing AI this past offseason was one of the best decisions they have ever made.

Yea, this probably had something to do with it. Im sure they knew more than the public about this issue.

[Kakarot]

Man, sad to hear Iverson is going through some alcohol issues. It's always sad when I hear about a brother, well anybody, who gets caught up in drinking addictions. He was one of my favorite players growing up, I hope he gets some help with the alcohol and gambling problems. Thompson needs to talk to him, he's the only one Iverson will really listen to.

[King Taharqa]

We've had a lot of discussions over the past few years about the FO's business decisions. Not signing AI this past offseason was one of the best decisions they have ever made.

When people seen me lobbying for us NOT to sign him that should've told yall something. I like AI and he was a great player but he's going thru some real hard times and his mind and heart just aint with basketball no more. I hope he pulls it together and gets thru his personal problems.

[rico6]

How the mighty have fallen.

Tragic really, never understood how a guy with such ability could allow himself to come to..well this.

Drinking and gambling? That's what bums and winos do, not multimillion dollar well endorsed athletes.

[ckad79]

We've had a lot of discussions over the past few years about the FO's business decisions. Not signing AI this past offseason was one of the best decisions they have ever made.

I think it would have been more about A.I. rebuilding his relationship with Larry Brown, which may have been a good thing.

[Vagrant]

I wish we would have signed him. I think he has a special relationship with Larry Brown that would have helped him on a personal level. I couldn't care less about what he does on the court, but i'm worried about Iverson the man. I think Brown could have had a positive influence on him. Next to Thompson, which the article mentioned, I don't think there are many more people he would listen to. I hope he gets the help he needs. Unlike Marbury, he seems willing to admit he has a problem here.

[ckad79]

In 2005, Allen Iverson said that Larry Brown was without a doubt "the best coach in the world."

I actually watched that 2005 interview from Quite Frankly on ESPN (I believe that was the show's title). Stephen Smith hosted it... AI really opened up and talk about how great Larry Brown was. I would have liked to have seen him here. I am confident that Larry can deal with any personality. Everybody was worried about Stephen Jackson! Why? Have some confidence in Larry.

A.I. would have worked well for us.