Iverson Retiring From NBA After 2-Year Shun: Not 'Another Like Him' Says Former Coach
More than two years since his last game, NBA player Allen Iverson has announced plans to retire.
While the player might maintain a remarkable playing history, his repertoire with teams has been less impressive. Despite showing off top-notch skills during his reign on four different NBA teams, the player walked away from all teams leaving coaches with the feeling that they were better off without.
Since 2010, at the age of 34, Iverson was still young enough to play- but other teams, unwilling to take the risk, have shunned him in the 2010-2011 season, the 2011-2012 season, the 2012-2013 season, and presumably the 2013-2014 season. With that in mind, Iverson plans to announce his retirement within few days according to SlamOnline.com.
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Iverson suggested in a March interview while at a 76er's game that he would be ready to part with his basketball career for the sake of his son.
"My No. 1 goal is trying to accomplish to be the best dad that I can. And if basketball is in my near future, then God will make that happen. But if not, I had a great ride and I've done a lot of special things that a lot of guys have not been able to accomplish and people thought I couldn't accomplish," the player said according to Slam.
After a 13-year career during which he was named All Star 11 times, some say that Iverson has been one of the best players of his generation.
"He might be the greatest athlete I've ever seen," Larry Brown, Iverson's coach from 1997-2003 and the current coach at SMU, told SLAM today. "I don't think there'll be another one like him."
Despite having difficulties with coaches and team managers, the former coach says that Iverson's head was always in the game.
"I'm sure we faced a lot of obstacles," the coach said, "maybe even on a daily basis, but when it came time to play, to try to win a game, he tried to play as hard as he could for his coach."
