Reebok Still Talkin’ Quote of the Day 11.18
Outside of Northern California the hotbed for NBA drama has been in the Allen Iverson camp. We watched as arguably the greatest pound for pound, inch for inch scorer and future Hall of Famer was left flailing in the wind during free agency. We scratched our heads when he signed with Memphis and none of us were surprised when the Grizzlies granted him his release. Now we are left to wonder where Allen Iverson will land since he has made it clear he is not ready to stay retired. For today’s Reebok Still Talkin’ Quote if the Day we look to ESPN’s Chad Ford and his take on the AI situation.
“Sad” That’s exactly how one long-term GM described it to me yesterday. Iverson’s body can’t do what his mind still thinks it can do. Basketball has been his whole life. It’s tough to let this go. He can still play for many years if he would accept a lesser role. I just don’t see him do it. Who’s going to take him now? I think Larry Brown is the only one crazy enough to do it.
Seeing the man who inspired an entire generation of ball players losing his grip on the NBA is heart wrenching. Allen Iverson fans across the world hope the Answer can still produce but realize that Iverson might never get that chance again. Mentally, he sees himself as the player who led the Sixers to the 2001 finals but physically he’s lost a few steps. The question is, is any coach willing to take on the Iverson experiment? Larry Brown is the natural choice but has said his team is loaded with guards and right now there is no room for AI. George Karl left door open in case of injury and Magic GM Otis Smith won’t completely rule out the possibility of Iverson after losing their starting point guard. We will have to wait and see if anyone will take a chance on Allen Iverson or if his career will be derailed like Stephon Marbury and Steve Francis.
Hit us with your favorite basketball quote or favorite basketball trash talk in the comments section below or send it to us via our Twitter page and we’ll post the best ones we get every day … with a special twist. Over the course of the next month, we’ll pick the best of the best, and lace that reader with a brand new pair of Reebok’s Still Talkin’ kicks (pictured above).
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November 18th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
POPPI GEE says:
It is sad. He is player despite all the critics that was fun to watch and hopefully we can watch him again. He also had more heart than prolly 90% of the players with and after him.
Dang man.
November 18th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
RA says:
BS! If he lost a step he is still 2 steps qicker that 90% of the guards in the leaque. Iverson played with his brains and his heart. He is a savvy vet that understands the nuances of the game and uses his intelligence. Why are they forcing AI out the league. He is quicker than John stockton in his prime. Still quicker that Steve Nash. Also he played better D than those guys. He is a legend. What legend comes off the bench? He earned his right to start retire him if that’s his choice after he decides to quick. But not from the bench. If his attitude is the problem. Put him on a winning team and see if he has a bad attitude! Dude is a warrior and a winner. That’s not attitude it’s confidence. Ask Kobe, Lebron, and D-wade because they have attitudes to.
November 18th, 2009 at 3:54 pm
Promoman says:
Iverson’s likely done. It’s not that his body failed him it’s his attitude. He’s used to having a hall pass and now it finally got revoked. He had the green light to shoot, dribble all day, not practice, not adequately defend, and now that teams see that he’ll cut up on any type of team, he’s not worth the trouble.
November 18th, 2009 at 3:54 pm
Detroit Dave says:
Pride, Heart and Soul. The very things that made Allen Iverson an All-Time great and one of the most feared scorers every to play in the NBA, are the same qualities that are keeping him out of the NBA. He doesn’t seem to understand or care about the concept of the word TEAM. Its is a priveledge to play in the NBA. Over the summer we heard all this bullsh!t about him wanting to play for a championship and prove everyone wrong and he goes and signs with the Memphis Grizzlies. We all know that AI has starters talent but the NBA isn’t how it used to be. Nobody lets you dribble the ball for 20 seconds just to go one on one anymore. How come AI can’t just play the Jason Terry role and come off the bench and serve nigg@s up just like the JET? I hope he retires just so I can stop hearing about this bullsh!t. I’m a Piston fan and actually believed that he got a raw deal last year dealing with M. Curry but know I just think AI is delisional.
November 18th, 2009 at 4:00 pm
Detroit Dave says:
AI should realize that if you go to a bad team that they will be dedicated to developing young players. If you sign with a legit contender, they want you to improve their bench and add depth. We know he is still good for plenty of buckets but just because you can Average 25pts a game doesn’t mean that it will make the team BETTER. He isn’t a top 5 point guard or shooting guard, but that dude could be the best roll player (6th Man) in the league. He is an Average jump shooter. He isn’t lighting fast, can’t play solid defense and dribbles the ball so much that the offense stalls. I wouldn’t sign him if I was a contender just because sooner or later he would cause a rawkus and throw off the whole season.
November 18th, 2009 at 4:23 pm
BiG ShoT BoB says:
People say he’s hall of fame and numbers wise I agree. But something tells me with the stuff that’s been going on he may not make it for political reasons similar to Dennis Rodman. Think about it the tattoos, the controversy is very similar to the worm.
On another note what’s the spread on Iverson still making the allstar game this year? LOL
November 18th, 2009 at 4:30 pm
POPPI GEE says:
Trash Talk
Browns nose tackle Shaun Rogers talking to media about LeBron James hypothetically playing football for the Browns:
Shaun: “I have mixed emotions about that. A great athlete? Yes. A football player? No…Yeah LeBron, I said it…I just don’t think you can step off the basketball court…and just play football.”
November 18th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
control says:
Here, I went ahead and corrected a line in your article:
“Seeing the man who inspired an entire generation of BAD ball players WHO HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO PASS OR PLAY AS A TEAMMATE, CARRY THE BALL CONSISTENTLY AND WEAR CORNROWS EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE 30 YEARS OLD”
I put my additions in CAPS.
You can thank me by sending me a pair of those shoes.
November 18th, 2009 at 4:39 pm
AdvancedMind says:
I love this, all the fans get there fairwell letters together and pretend like you watched greatness lol..
Stop the madness, i understand if you like his talent, i agree he had alot of talent, he could of been one of the greastest POINT GUARDS ever. Insted he decided to become a horrible point guard who shot the ball too much and ran any player with talent or that posed a threat to his scoring off his team. For every 30 point game he put up he allowed 30 right back on his head, if not 40. Go check a stat line on how many games his teams won when A.I had 10 assits in a game. He is a glorified Micheal Adams with tatts and braids.
November 18th, 2009 at 4:43 pm
alex says:
Seeing the man who inspired an entire generation of ball players – ball players who don’t care about fundamentals (see, Iverson, for all his skill, can’t go left and shoot left), won’t make a pass that leads to an assist, won’t defend, etc.
i hope he gets to join a team and cause more drama like he has, his entire career.
November 18th, 2009 at 4:52 pm
AdvancedMind says:
@ 2
HOLY SHIT
A.I has better D then Stockton?
Cancel your NBA tv channel quickly, cuase you have lost the left side of your brain.. Not to mention your comparing him to Point Guards.. A.I was listed at 2 GUARD, until it came time to make room for him on the all star team.
November 18th, 2009 at 4:56 pm
Chicagorilla says:
@#2 RA
Did this muthafucka actually say Iverson was a better defender than John Stockton? John Stockton son? STOCKTON? You mean the all-time steals leader and 5X’s all-defensive team Stockton?
Is that you Ezail<–(Iverson’s middle name)? uh I mean Allen Iverson. No way Ezail can f^k with Johnny Stock’s game. You’re an idiot, go kill yourself.
November 18th, 2009 at 5:26 pm
str8ganksta says:
Iverson haters, please! The kid can ball. Iverson with a step slower is still a lot better than half the players in the L. Still. Kid was dropping classic games under 12 months ago…and now he’s washed up? Please!
As for his legacy, he took his team to the playoffs many times and went real deep one year. This doesn’t happen with the kind of player these comments suggest. He was an elite player who maintained his status in the L for over a decade. The guy had his problems, but the same can be said of most punks in the L…yet most of these tend to disappear after a few years – not AI.
The bottom line is that AI put his body on the line more than any other player this L has ever seen and showed the world that this game can be ruled by dudes under 6′6. That’s worth an MVP and a HOF. Stop hatin.
November 18th, 2009 at 7:22 pm
Lee says:
Iverson put his body on the line for his stats, not his team.
He could have been the modern day Isiah Thomas.
November 18th, 2009 at 9:01 pm
hooper5013 says:
How has iverson lost a step I dont see it! Detroit was and is still a train wreck. he played WELL in Denver, MEMPHIS is trash and he shouldn’t be coming off the bench…they asked him the question and he responded. I have never been a HUGE AI fan but for people to trash him is insane…but in few seasons they will do the same to LeBron James…