The Answer appears that he has a lot of problems to solve.  As his days have come to an end on the hardwood, Allen Iverson’s personal life has taken a turn for the worse.  Last week, his wife and high school sweetheart filed divorce papers to end their marriage.  Now revelations are hitting the street about what is truly “irretrievably broken” as was noted in his divorce filing.

Are We Surprised by Iverson's Fall?

Reports are swirling that Iverson has been on a downward spiral for some time due to gambling issues and alcohol consumption problems.  Iverson took to Twitter yesterday to respond to rumors about his personal issues.

“To my fans: You all know that my life isn’t perfect. I am going through some very tough times right now, like I am sure that we all do from time to time,” Iverson wrote. “However, I will stand tall like always with ‘rhino’ thick skin.”

It is unclear whether or not Iverson used his child as a smoke screen to take the spotlight off the real issues.  If he did, it was a shameless act by coward of a human being.  Not surprising coming rom Iverson, but still despicable.  If his daughter really is sick, it is time for Iverson to reveal the true nature of the illness.  At this time, nobody can sit here and believe a word coming out of his mouth.  We have no reason to believe his child is sick at this point and that this had anything to do with his absence.

If the rumors about the alcohol and gambling issues is true, why has it taken so long to hit the newspapers?  According to former ESPN analyst and Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Stephen A. Smith, Iverson’s gambling problem is so serious, that he has been banished from casinos in Detroit and Atlantic City.

Are you telling me the NBA was unaware that AI was banished from casino halls?  Are you wanting me to believe that NBA brass and the Philadelphia 76ers didn’t know the guy had a drinking problem?  Of course they knew, how could they not?  If Iverson’s issues come as no surprise to the average fan, I think we can conclude that David Stern has been aware for a long time and looked away in the other direction as the turnstiles jingled.

You are now looking squarely in the face at the reason why the NBA is beginning to fail.   Their target audience is middle class families earning $75,000 or more annually.  We teach our kids not to not do drugs, not to consume alcohol and not to gamble.  We encourage them to strive to become something more in life, earn your way and appreciate what it took to achieve what you done.

Then we’ve got Allen Iverson, the example of exactly what we never want our children to become.

Iverson’s life was interrupted on February 14, 1993 when he and several of his friends tore up a bowling alley in Hampton, VA.  His group was repeatedly ask to behave or leave, leading to his posse to start a racially charged brawl with white youths in the bowling alley.  During the fight, Iverson assaulted a woman by hitting her with a chair and was arrested.

Iverson was later convicted of a felony, but due to his budding athletic superstar talent, he was granted clemency by the Governor of Virginia and the judicial system was accused of racism and pressured to overturn the conviction.  Iverson ended up just sending four months in juvenile.   It was these events that pull the ball in motion that led to these problems today because Iverson was provided special treatment that you and I would never receive.  And all this special treatment was due to his ability to dribble an orange basketball.

You can grant him all the clemency you want and you can overturn his conviction for supposedly insufficient evidence because a person’s word doesn’t count against an athletic superstar.  Iverson got a second chance in life that would have derailed the rest of us and learned nothing from it.

Iverson’s defenders are still out in full force about how good a guy he is.  John Thompson and Larry Brown just keep loading up the stories about how wonderful a guy he is.  Let them talk all they want, it won’t change the fact that I’d never leave my kids alone with him for more than two minutes.  There is nothing good about an overindulged sports star that shirks their responsibilities in life, both to their co-workers and their families.

The end of the Iverson basketball saga is here.  The story has ended with him falling into an abyss.  But the question we should all ask ourselves…is anyone even surprised by this?

The man known through most of his career as “The Answer” who over the past few years had morphed into the “The Distraction” today became “The Unemployed”.  The Philadelphia 76ers announced that Allen Iverson had been released from his contract and will not take the court again this season for the team.

Iverson Has Played His Final NBA Game

The experiment is over.

Iverson had missed 9 of the Sixers last 12 games dealing with family matters concerning the health of his daughter.  No details have been released as to the nature or seriousness of the health issue, leading the media to deluge the team with questions about Iverson rather than the ream.  Once again, Iverson’s antics had upstaged his teammates on the cusp of a playoff spot and broke the continuity of the team.

The signing of Iverson, for all sakes and purposes, was nothing more than a mere stunt by Ed Stefanski and the Sixers management team.  The hopes were that Iverson would fill the growing empty seats at the Wachovia Center.  They did for one game, Iverson’s return, but attendance dipped back to league-low levels shortly thereafter.  The fans were not fooled by the sideshow carnival, proving that P.T. Barnum was incorrect that a sucker is born every minute.

The release of Iverson will hopefully be the last chapter of an overhyped career.  Iverson over his years has never delivered wins, garnering just a 51% winning percentage in games that he played in.  Certainly not Hall of Fame standards by any means.  His one successful season had nothing to do with his play, it was the masterful coaching of Larry Brown in realizing that any Allen Iverson-led team must be the best defensive team in the league to compensate for his incessant chucking of the ball and refusal to include his teammates in the offensive flow.

Iverson’s legacy that will be left behind is the damage he has done to the NBA with his selfish style of play and gangster persona.  His negative impact on the sport is comparable inverse to the positive influence of Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson.  In summary, he has single-handedly brought the league to its lowest level of fan interest in over 30 years by spawning a gaggle of AI-wannabes that have emulated his selfish style.

Much of the challenges the NBA currently faces in restoring the game is to undo what Iverson created.  The NBA must return to the focus of team basketball, with emphasis on passing the ball and constant offensive motion.  Iverson’s isolation-style offense has lowered the quality of basketball play and turned away hard-core fans in favor of street thugs with gravity-challenged pants, most of whom cannot afford a game ticket in the nose bleeds.

Iverson impact was also felt on the international stage as well, being the face of the 2004 Olympic team that luckily earned a bronze medal and were the embarrassment of Americans.  He deserves most of the blame on his shoulders for one of the gloomiest days in USA Summer Olympics history.

Good riddance to Allen Iverson.  Enjoy receiving the rest of that guaranteed contract from the Sixers.  Once again, you’ve shown no shame and hopefully your days in the NBA are over for good.

Somebody get the tissues out.  The NBA’s royalty is upset.  Blood was boiling yesterday as Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson and Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers bellyached to the media over the recently completed trade which allowed the Cleveland Cavaliers to obtain forward Antawn Jamison.

Competitiveness can bring out the worst in people.

Antawn Jamison Trade Draws Ire

The Cleveland Cavaliers parted ways with center Zydrunas Ilgauskas, the rights to Emir Preldzic and 2010 first-round draft pick to Washington for Antawn Jamison.  To work within salary cap requirements, the Los Angeles Clippers packaged in guard Sebastian Telfair to Cleveland in return for Washington F Drew Gooden.

So what’s their beef?

The focus of their complaint centers on the construct of the deal.  While Washington accepted Ilgauskas, he is expected to be waived from the Wizards rosters.  Ilgauskas will then get a mini vacation and re-sign with the Cavaliers for the final stretch run and playoffs.

Speaking with ESPN, Jackson shared, “They’re going to get Ilgauskas back and it’s going to be one of those scenarios that we see in the NBA where you ship a player out, you get another player, then your player retires or they pay him off and then he comes back in 30 days.  I don’t know what that does for the league.  I think that’s kind of a weird situation.”

While the criticism is justified given the loopholes within the NBA’s operating policies, it kind of falls on deaf ears when the complaint comes from Jackson and the Lakers.  Jackson must have forgot about that one-sided trade that delivered him the missing link All-Star named Pau Gasol back in 2008.

To refresh Jackson’s memory, here’s a recount of what the Lakers gave up for Pau Gasol:

• Kwame Brown (a phenomenal NBA bust that played 15 games with Memphis)
• Javaris Crittenton (yes, the same guy that drew pistol with Gilbert Arenas)
• Aaron McKie (who the Lakers signed earlier in that day and never played a game with the Lakers)
• The draft rights to Marc Gasol
• First round picks in 2008 and 2010.

Needless to say, it was the most one-sided trade in recent NBA history that catapulted the Lakers back to prominence.  Making things more suspicious, the NBA increased revenue sharing by 63% shortly after the deal, helping line the pockets of the smaller market teams.  One of the leaders of that push…Memphis Grizzlies’ owner Michael Heisley.

Now let’s look at Boston’s gripes.  Celtics’ coach Doc Rivers shared with ESPN, “I have a problem with that.  I loved it three years ago when we did it with Gary Payton if you remember, but now I think it sucks.  I think it’s a terrible deal.”

How interesting that it was okay when it benefited Boston, but when the shoe is on the other foot they cry foul.  Let’s take a moment and reflect on what Boston gave Atlanta in the deal for Antoine Walker:

• Gary Payton (who was subsequently released and re-signed with Boston as their starting point guard)
• Tom Gugliotta (who was averaging 1.3 PPG and retired at the end of the season)
• Michael Stewart (who hadn’t played a game all season for Boston)
• First round draft pick

By having the Hawks release Payton, the Celtics ended up giving away two players that couldn’t contribute in the NBA any longer for a perennial All-Star in Walker that immediately became a starter on the Celtics.  As for Payton, he missed a handful of games and was soon back starting at the point with the Celtics.

It is hilarious to hear these teams complain that this trade is unfair when their past actions were significantly more egregious.  The Cavaliers didn’t do anything but play by the rules set forward for them that were exploited previously to the benefit of Lakers and Celtics.

Some advice to Jackson and Rivers…stop being crybabies and get back to playing ball.

Tracy McGrady and the Houston Rockets parted ways today in a three-team, eight player trade with the Sacramento Kings and New York Knicks.  The Rockets received Kevin Martin and Hilton Armstrong from the Kings, as well as Jared Jeffries, Jordan Hill and a conditional draft pick from the Knicks.  The Kings received Larry Hughes from the Knicks and Carl Landry and Joey Dorsey from the Rockets.   The Knicks ended up with McGrady and Sergio Rodriguez from the Kings.

McGrady, Knicks Highlight Blockbuster Trade

Without question the big winners in this trade are Tracy McGrady and the New York Knicks.

The oft-injured McGrady fell out of favor with the Rockets and head coach Rick Adelman.  In the final year of his contract, McGrady worked his back from the injury list only to find his team no longer desired his services.  After being limited to eight minutes per game by Adelman, McGrady and the Rockets reach an agreement for him to seek out a trade and be excused from the team.

With the trade to the Knicks, McGrady fits in nicely with Mike D’Antoni’s uptempo offense.  With limited scoring options to choose from, McGrady will be given the opportunity to log minutes and prove that he can still play on the NBA stage.  Despite the injuries, McGrady is just 31 years old and should have a little gas left in the tank for one more NBA contract.  Now he gets to showcase himself at Madison Square Garden.

For the Knicks, they get further salary cap relief by dumping contracts and accepting McGrady’s gargantuan expiring contract.  With the expected lowering of the salary cap for next season, the Knicks needed to dump more salary to maintain room to sign two major talents in the upcoming offseason.  The Knicks have their sights on LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade and Joe Johnson.  They also get a grateful player in McGrady who may re-sign with the team for a reasonable price in return for the shot at playing for a winner.

The losers in the trade…the fans in Cleveland.  Not only did the Knicks just make it more enticing for Lebron James to come to New York with the increased salary cap room, it comes on the heels of a disappointing trade that yielded them Antawn Jamison instead of the bigger prize of Amare Stoudamire.

Call me skeptical, but I have to think LeBron has to be questioning whether an out-of-position power forward was the missing link to the championship.

Lakers win again without Kobe Bryant.

The Lakers are showing the NBA that they are a complete team and have the depth and talent to win without their superstar Kobe Bryant. They won their fourth straight game  without him on Tuesday night against the Golden State Warriors 104-94. This time they were lead by Shannon Brown who stepped with 27 points and 10 rebounds. The defending NBA champions are gelling as a team are getting better and better. This creates a scary picture for the rest of the NBA as they try to stand in the way of the Lakers repeating…

During this four game streak, the Lakers have had a different leading scoring in each game. Brown joins Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom and Ron Artest as top scorers. Wins like these without Bryant will do nothing but make the Lakers a more complete and  confident team all the way around. The players know they can win without him on the court and in turn Kobe will have that much more confidence in them when he is  on the court.

With all this confidence and completeness, the Lakers quest for back to back NBA championships looks very good. The Lakers are the best team in the NBA, and this will make them even better. You have to have a good bench in the NBA who can step up when it counts. The Lakers have that bench and that  bench is only getting better as the season goes on. It is a scary thought that the Lakers are even better than last year, scary for everyone other than the Lakers.Barring any unforeseen misfortunes, the Lakers should win another NBA championship trophy for their storied franchise.

The Philadelphia 76ers are streaking, cruising to a blowout 119-97 victory Tuesday night over the Minnesota Timberwolves.  The Sixers opened the second quarter with 15-0 run and never looked back as they post 43 points in the quarter, ending the first half with a 73-51 lead.  Andre Iguodala led the way with 24 points with Elton Brand chipping 21 points in the winning effort.

Sixers Should Bench Iverson

Missing from the lineup for the fourth straight game was Allen Iverson, excused to attend to a family matter, a reported illness to his daughter.  Without Iverson with the team, the Sixers have scored wins during the streak against playoff-bound teams that include Houston, New Orleans and Chicago.  All solid victories where the Sixers executed with precision, shared the ball and operated as a unit.  As a result, the Sixers are now back in the playoff picture.

Allen Iverson not on the floor has been a boon to his teams this season.  While a member of the Memphis Grizzlies, the team went 2-8 with Iverson in the locker room.   Since his departure, the Grizzlies are 24-17 and are now in the thick of the playoff hunt.  The same trend is happening in Philly.

Since joining the Sixers, Iverson has helped Philadephia to a 9-13 record when he shows up to play.  When Iverson doesn’t show up, the team is 6-3 and has won their last 5 games when Iverson hasn’t shown up.

So why they Jeckyll and Hyde personas?  Very simple…Iverson causes disruption when he is on the floor and interrupts the rhythm of everyone around him.  While he might not be chucking the ball as often as he used to, he still leads the team in shots per minute played when he is on the floor.  What that means is when Iverson takes the floor, the offense runs through him and his teammates take a backseat.

Iverson is at best the third option when he is on the floor, he becomes the fourth option when Thaddeus Young is on the court.  But Iverson’s ego stands in the way of success, as his pride will not allow him to let others around him lead the team so that the Sixers will win ball games.  Its all about Allen Iverson, 24/7.

With Iverson not around, Brand, Iguodala and Young have played their best ball of the season as they head into the All-Star break.  Iguodala in particular has been lights out on both ends of the court.   The difference is Willie Green in the starting lineup.  His selfless play and smart shot selection makes the Sixers a better team overall.

Ed Stefanski and Eddie Jordan have some major decisions to make during the break.  The Sixers are back in the playoff picture thanks to Iverson’s sabbatical.   Only 4 1/2 games out for the final playoff spot, the season is not over for the Sixers.  Stefanski essentially threw in the towel when he signed Iverson in December and now they are back in the thick of things given Iverson’s absence.  Trading away Iguodala for expiring contracts when you are in the playoff hunt is no longer an option.

The answer is to bench Iverson upon his return.  Bringing him off the bench as the eighth man in the rotation is the best thing for the team and gives them the best chance of making the playoffs.  Willie Green is now a better player than the eroded-skilled Iverson and he deserves to be in the starting lineup.   Iverson can serve as a 15 minute bench spark, which is where he can help this team the most.

If he objects to the benching, he just solidifies his legacy as the most selfish player ever to play the game.

There is a new Los Angeles Lakers franchise scoring king and his name is Kobe Bryant. Bryant scored 44 points albeit in a losing effort to the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night. The Lakers lost the game 95-93, but Bryant passed Laker great Jerry West to take away a little of the sting of the loss. This is just another great accomplishment in the career of Kobe Bryant. Scoring the most points in the Lakers storied franchise is one hell of a accomplishment…

Kobe has been as clutch a player as the Lakers have ever had. He demands the ball at crunch time

Kobe is the new Laker scoring king.

and is not afraid to take the shot when the game is on the line. I have been a Laker fan for over thirty years and have seen Magic Johnson and Showtime. Kobe has put on his own brand of  showtime since he has been a Laker. As a fan, you love the ball in Kobe’s hands whether he shots or passes the ball. He is the closest thing that you will ever see to the great Michael Jordan. Kobe leaves everthing on the court and gets the most out of his teamates. He loves to win and hates to lose ala Jordan. You can’t ask for much more as a fan. He represents all the Laker greats and knows he is just a part of their winning history. He has humility to go along with his greatness.

Kobe has won four championships and is eyeing a fifth. Everybody thought he would never win one without Shaquille O’neal ,but he did it last year. He was driven to come out from under his shawdow. Kobe is always motivated ,and one more title would put him ahead of Shack for his career. I love Kobe’s chances of pulling off number five. You can call in one for the thumb. Kobe will not be denied and that is why he is a favorite among Laker fans.  Congratulations to the new Laker scoring king, Kobe Bryant.

Philadelphia 76ers GM Ed Stefanski all but confirmed rumors yesterday that the Sixers were active in trade discussions.  When pressed about rumors that their top scorer Andre Iguodala was in the mix of trade talks, Stefanski replied “When I was in Jersey, and here, I don’t think there are untouchables.”

Stefanski Ready To Ship Out Iguodala

Can Stefanski actually trade himself?  Because if he trades away the club’s best player, he is going to need a one-way ticket out of town.

Since arriving in town in December 2007, Stefanski has dismantled a team that was on the verge of becoming relevant in the playoff discussion annually.  He immediately shipped out their best outside shooting threat in Kyle Korver, brought in the washed up Elton Brand who was coming off a serious Achilles injury, and then sent head coach and beloved Sixer Maurice Cheeks packing.

He now wants to gut the team further by giving away Andre Iguodala.  Reports are flying that both the Cleveland Cavaliers and Houston Rockets are close to securing a deal to send expiring contract players to the Sixers in exchange for Iguodala.

Sixers ownership really needs to start thinking about how much further the Stefanski era should last.  The answer can be found by driving 90 minutes up I-95 and taking in a New Jersey Nets game.   Since his departure from the Nets, they have been the worst team in the NBA.  Stefanski’s fingerprints are all over that debacle and an extended tenure in Philly will likely produce similar long-term results.

Top-tier free agents are not interested in joining an organization where everyone is tradable.  They also aren’t interested in joining squads where the GM is not held accountable for bad decisions. And this doesn’t even take into account no top-tier free agent will genuflect to an aging has-been in Allen Iverson,.

The Sixers have no chance in securing a top-tier free agent.  LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh wouldn’t touch Philadelphia with a 10-foot pole.  These guys want to win and they are only going to a place where that will happen immediately.   Joe Johnson is unlikely as well, especially if the Iguodala is traded.  Johnson is a carbon copy of Iguodala and Stefanski has proven over and over that he places no value in sharp shooting guards despite league play moving in this direction.

The Sixers cannot offer anything enticing to an incoming top-tier free agent.  Nobody is out there dying to play with Elton Brand thinking he is the key to a future championship.   Nobody thinks Thaddeus Young is going become a star because they play next to him.  Nobody thinks Jrue Holiday is the next great point guard.  And nobody, I mean nobody, wants to watch Allen Iverson jack up missed shots and help the team rack up losses with his selfish play.

The Sixers need to lock Andre Iguodala in for the long-haul and look to the draft as their only option for improvement.  They are assured a lottery pick in the upcoming draft and perhaps they can score a second-tier free agent in Randy Foye or Rudy Gay to fill their gaping outside shooting hole at the guard position.

If Stefanski trades away Iguodala, be prepared for the Wachovia Center to become the NBA’s version of Elba Island, and exile for NBA players that were once desired but will only be taken in by the league worst run team.

Can you imagine the cringe on the faces of NBA executives yesterday when they announced the final balloting results for the All-Star game that is scheduled three weeks from now?  All-Star games are meant to display the league’s most talented players during that season.  So what happened?

Iverson All-Star Selection Troubling

Philadelphia 76ers guard Allen Iverson easily earned a starting spot in the upcoming game with the following glistening resume:

• Was able to only get one team to display interest in him in offseason, the Memphis Grizzlies
• Was cut by the Memphis Grizzlies due to poor behavior which disrupted the team.
• His former coach Larry Brown lobbied for someone to sign him, but wouldn’t do so himself
• Got his former team, the Sixers, to sign him simply to fill seats not earn victories
• Play a total of 19 games, score less than 15 points and not rate as a stat leader in any category

About the only All-Star worthy stat line associated with Iverson is the Memphis Grizzlies win-loss record since his departure.  While creating distractions galore, Iverson helped lead the Grizzlies to a 2-8 start.  Since his departure, the Grizzlies are 20-11.  They are on pace to gain a playoff spot due only to subtracting Iverson from the team.

Iverson’s selection highlights what is wrong with the NBA.  Fans actually really believe that Iverson is a great player although the teams he has played on have close to a .500 record when he actually plays.  It personifies that the NBA does not do enough to promote that basketball is a team sport.  And it leaves traditional fans disappointed in the product being served to them.

Commissioner David Stern needs to wake up and smell the coffee.  The attendance figures and revenues are down because fans want to see team ball.  Selfish ball-hogging and showmanship is killing the game and turning basketball fans to college basketball over pro.

What’s left in the stand are a bunch of people that actually think Allen Iverson is an All-Star.  If Iverson has any self-respect, he will decline the invitation and allow another player that is deserving be allowed to play.

It’s no longer a laughing matter for Gilbert Arenas.  The Washington Post is reporting that District of Columbia prosectuors today charged the Washington Wizards point guard with felonious possession of a gun outside of a home or business without a license.

Arenas Charge With Felony

The charges were filed in D.C. Superior Court under the basis of “information,” a filing status which is normally associated with a plea deal.  A grand jury had been convened to review the circumstances surrounding the case, but no indictment was delivered.  With charges being brought by the prosecutor’s office, it signals that the situation has been resolved legally.

Washington Post sources have confirmed that Arenas’ plea deal will include little to no jail time.  Under sentencing guidelines, Arenas could have faced up to five years in prison and a fine.

As reported by Benchwarmers United on January 6th, the police investigation arose after a locker room Mexican Standoff between Arenas and teammate Javaris Crittenton.  Arenas had needled Crittenton over gambling debts and the argument spilled over from the team plane to the locker room where guns were drawn by the two players.

Arenas was subsequently suspended indefinitely by the NBA for his misbehavior.

The felony charges hold serious consequences for Arenas.  NBA bylaws between the league and players union forbid guns at an NBA arena.  Additionally, every NBA player has a “morals” clause included in their contract and a felony conviction provides the Washington Wizards legal rights to terminate Arenas’ 6-year, $118 million contract.

Arenas can expect a very lengthy suspension from the NBA now that the matter has been resolved.  The likelihood of his return to the Wizards, who changed their team name from the Bullets because of the violent connotations, is quite unlikely.

Anyone interested in a gun-toting felon to direct their team to a championship?  He has gun, will travel.