When Allen Iverson was a free agent last summer and garnered little interest around the league, it started to sink in.
He’s not the player he once was. Therefore, teams weren’t willing to take on all the baggage that comes with “The Answer,” who said it was a “humbling experience.”
“That bad rap followed me and it ended up hurting me,” a tearful Iverson said. “I actually, for the first time in my life, didn’t want to play the game because of everything else besides basketball.”
Iverson’s nonguaranteed, one-year contract for the prorated veteran’s minimum ($1.3 million) showed how much he wanted to play again. The tears at Thursday’s press conference showed how much he wanted to play in Philadelphia.
“Coming back home, all I could think about was the people who made me who I am,” said Iverson.
Sixers general manager Ed Stefanski said Iverson isn’t being guaranteed a starting job or even minutes. And he’s definitely not committing to Iverson past this season.
Meanwhile, Iverson said he’d ideally like to play a few more years and finish his career where it all started.
“I want to retire here,” said Iverson. “I want to fit in. I want to be a part of any success we have.”
