Iverson: Detroit lied to me...

[Elise10]

ESPN

Allen Iverson calls his one season in Detroit the "worst year of my career" and claims team officials and coach Michael Curry "lied" to him about coming off the bench instead of starting.

"They told me, straight up, 'Allen, we would never disrespect you or your career like that,' by making me come off the bench," Iverson said in an interview with ESPN.com Page 2 columnist Scoop Jackson. "That's what they told me to my face. And after that, I never thought about it again. I just went back to playing. Then, they came to me saying that they felt it would be in the 'best interest of the team' if I came off of the bench behind Rip [Richard Hamilton].

"... After that, they told me that if I didn't come off the bench, the team was going to lie down on [not play with] me. ... When he told me that, that's when I felt that this was the worst career move I'd ever made and it was the worst year of my career."

There's also a two part interview of AI @ ESPN.com as well.

 

[VF21]

Let me see...

How much do I care that Iverson thinks Detroit "disrespected" him? I'm thinking...

I'm still thinking...

And yes, I'm still thinking...

Much like Slim's avatar, I was unable to come up with any kind of feeling about it at all other than the obvious. With his ego, I would have been stunned and shocked had he said anything else.

Sorry, AI...you're yesterday's news. Now if you jump on a motorcycle with a couple of handguns, a shotgun in a guitar case AND something like a pair of samurai swords I might be interested. Otherwise, just shut up and play the game, dude.

 

[kennadog]

What a prima donna, but so Iverson.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Tell Allen Iverson to **** Allen Iverson.

 

[6th]

Tell Allen Iverson to **** Allen Iverson.

**** = kiss?

 

[Kingfanpaul]

Maybe it's because he didnt practice

 

[Chupacabra]

I dont blame Iverson. Detroit is being run by morons. Joe Dumars had his streak of genius. Why in the hell would you start stuckey over Iverson? Iverson is a FAR superior player to Stuckey. I dont get why you wouldnt use one of the best scorers in the league. If i were Iverson id definitely by pissed about getting benched behind Rodney Stuckey.

 

[Elise10]

I dont blame Iverson. Detroit is being run by morons. Joe Dumars had his streak of genius. Why in the hell would you start stuckey over Iverson? Iverson is a FAR superior player to Stuckey. I dont get why you wouldnt use one of the best scorers in the league. If i were Iverson id definitely by pissed about getting benched behind Rodney Stuckey.

But it's not Rodney Stuckey that Iverson was asked, told, whatever the case that he was benched for. It was Rip Hamilton. Hamilton had gotten hurt for a number of games, Rasheed too. Iverson started, then when Rip came back that's when THIS started.

Iverson doesn't get IT, yeah Curry in the end got fired but the same time did he ever stop to realize why he finally ended up in Memphis, or that there wasn't a contending team looking to sign him. Comments like:

I mean, I'm starting on the All-Star team, but I'm coming off the bench for my regular team? (Laughs.) I mean, I've started on Olympic teams, All-Star teams, all of the teams I've ever been on in my career.

I'm tired of AI always claiming to be the victim, that the media and people are out to get him. The league has gotten younger, there's not many guards AI's age that are starting especially with the "contending" teams. Either he'll learn to come off the bench and be satisfied or stuck starting for a team that's not heading in the right direction for a while

 

[Aenadin]

to earn respect... got to give respect.....

clearly Iverson doesnt deserve none of that... dont care bout his stats and accolades.. but didnt he disrespect the team when he missed practice?

 

[Reem]

to earn respect... got to give respect.....

clearly Iverson doesnt deserve none of that... dont care bout his stats and accolades.. but didnt he disrespect the team when he missed practice?

man, it's practice, it's practice man! not a game...

 

[Aenadin]

man, it's practice, it's practice man! not a game...

lol just when the team sacrificed their time to get him acquainted in the offense and defense ill pencil in that quote from AI along with "i got a family to feed"

 

[Aenadin]

I dont blame Iverson. Detroit is being run by morons. Joe Dumars had his streak of genius. Why in the hell would you start stuckey over Iverson? Iverson is a FAR superior player to Stuckey. I dont get why you wouldnt use one of the best scorers in the league. If i were Iverson id definitely by pissed about getting benched behind Rodney Stuckey.

biggest question for joe dumars was.. why trade billups for AI

that move just made me add the letter be in the name dumars.. slide it in some where int he middle

 

[Oprostaj]

biggest question for joe dumars was.. why trade billups for AI

that move just made me add the letter be in the name dumars.. slide it in some where int he middle

simple. he believed Stucky was ready to take over full time PG duties, and he could justify trading Billups by pointing people to Stucky's numbers in last year's playoffs while stating that if the AI thing doesn't work, it's 20 million off the books.

AI's problem is his ego. He speaks of all the accolades like they happened yesterday. He's lost a step, and he, when all is said and done, is a VERY undersized two guard. He can't guard anybody, and can't distribute. There is a reason Denver improved vastly after he was swapped with Billups. He just can't see it because he was paid millions to score and to forget about every other facet of the game. Now, he can't come to terms with reality and everybody (including Scoop, who might as well change his name to "Allen Iverson's left testicle")is too scared to tell him the truth straight up. I saw the questions Scoop asked him and it was borderline ridiculous. Almost like AI wrote the questions himself. In any case, can't wait until Memphis decides to sit him. Stupid gamble on their part. You have a young team that you are introducing a cancer to.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Hell, they'd already traded for Randolph; why stop at one cancer? Why do anything by half?

 

[Oprostaj]

Hell, they'd already traded for Randolph; why stop at one cancer? Why do anything by half?

That's true... altough Randolph at least put up very good numbers, and his touches aren't as detrimental to the team as Iverson's, seeing how Randolph's position requires him to finish a play, while Iverson's requires him to put the play and his teammates in motion. Not trying to defend Randolph, I wouldn't touch him with a 10 foot stick, but his production can somewhat defend his acquisition (sp?). Iverson, on the other hand, is baffling.

 

[bloom]

I respect people who go on their word, the Piston's said that he would start and AI did start, but he’s selfish and didn’t care about the team. They were losing with him in there and he didn’t want to sacrifice starting for better chemistry.

This is going to be one interesting year for the Grizzlies. I think as long as AI starts then they'll be ok.

Hell, they'd already traded for Randolph; why stop at one cancer? Why do anything by half?

I was wondering what was going through their minds when they decided to go after him.

 

[kennadog]

AI may or may not have a reason to be made at the Pistons. I just think you shouldn't go shooting your mouth off to the media or to just anybody who'll listen, for that matter. I just find that unclassy and, ultimately, pointless. Get over it and move on.