PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — If the Sixers brought Allen Iverson back to the organization, could that be “the answer” to their championship drought?
In a recent Bleacher Report interview, the franchise icon expressed his interest in joining the organization in some capacity.
“I’ve forgotten more basketball than some people know,” he said, “and I know I can help an organization get better.”
Iverson said he knows “the ins and the outs” of the game that go way beyond talent, though he hesitated to explain who he desires most to help.
“I’m a Sixer for life,” he added. “I got Sixer blood pumping through me, so everybody know that I want to help that organization. I’ve been retired, what, 11 years? I don’t know how I’m not a part of that staff some kind of way.”
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Iverson said he would be happy even if he was only a consultant who didn’t bring in big bucks. He made it clear that he has no ill will toward the organization, but “it’s something that I just don’t understand.”
It’s unknown if Iverson ever approached the Sixers about this previously, or vice versa. KYW Newsradio has reached out to a Sixers representative in response to Iverson’s comments.
Some, like ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith, who covered Iverson for The Philadelphia Inquirer, strongly advocate for Iverson. Smith said he finds it unacceptable that the Hall of Famer is left without a place in the current organization.
Those on the fence may reference Iverson’s short-lived stint with Ice Cube’s BIG3 basketball league, or his 2002 “practice” rant after losing in the first round to the Boston Celtics. (To be fair, that rant was during a lengthy press conference while Iverson was dealing with the death of a close friend.)
However, what is undeniable is that for a decade, Iverson gave everything he got when the lights came on and the Sixers had a game. He became an NBA legend with a 6-foot, 165-pound frame. He carried the Sixers to the 2001 NBA Finals, and his number is hoisted in the rafters at the Wells Fargo Center.
It’s hard to argue against his knowledge of how to compete, win and defy the odds.