Former Sixer GM Billy King recently sat down with Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer to chat about what else, Allen Iverson.
Recent discussions have Iverson perhaps suiting up for the Charlotte Bobcats and reuniting with former head coach Larry Brown. Brown has lobbied for Iverson to join Charlotte, and despite their history has backed a reunion a hundred percent.
The GM during that relationship was Billy King, who later traded Iverson to the Denver Nuggets before being fired.
King had some harsh words to say about Iverson, though nothing he said is anything Sixer fans didn’t already know.
“Everything is about Allen, and it can’t all be about Allen at this point in his career,” King told the Observer. “He’s no longer that intimidating figure who can just blow by everybody. So he’s got to do other things, and I’m not sure he will.”
King’s comments are spot on here. Iverson struggled in Denver to mesh with superstar Carmelo Anthony, he was then traded to Detroit where he became the sixth man at best.
Iverson lacks the speed and athleticism to do what he use to, there is no doubt about this. Worser still is that he doesn’t have the ability to be an effective NBA player without the speed and athleticism he once had.
It’s a wonder that only the cellar dwelling teams are ringing his phone. Memphis and Charlotte are looking for the quick spike in attendance and merchandise sales that would accompany “The Answer.”
“Allen never made the people around him better in the first place, because it’s always about Allen,” King said.
Everyone knew the Sixers team that went to the Finals in 2001 was one and done, Iverson was the reason. You can’t build a team around a superstar that doesn’t want a team built around them. He was stubborn and sometimes childish, but got away with it because he was everyone in the front office and ownerships meal ticket. With Iverson came lots and lots of money and they knew it.
Once Iverson became more of a financial problem then a team distraction it was time for A.I to go. And ever since, he’s been a burden every where he’s went.
Denver was looking for a change, someone they thought would compliment their rising superstar. Guess they didn’t watch the carousel of “compliments” the Sixers brought in and out to pair with Iverson.
He was traded to Detroit simply for cap reasons, Detroit used his big cap number to pull off deals for Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva.
Now he’s flirting with joining either the Memphis Grizzlies or the Charlotte Bobcats. What has happened to this former MVP and scoring Champion? What we all saw coming.
-Mike Santa Barbara
*** Follow Me on Twitter @Mike__SB ***
