I'm so happy to be doing this post. I'd never thought the day would come that I'd see Allen Iverson back in a Sixers jersey. The official announcement was made Wednesday that A.I. accepted the 1 year none-guarantee deal with the Philadelphia 76ers. Philadelphia was on fire once the news hit the city, our former franchise player and the face and heart of the 76ers was officially back home where he belonged.If any team could bring him out of retirement, it was the 76ers simply because it's where he started his career and where he wanted it to end.
Thursday, Allen was in town to hold a press conference and it didn't take long for him to let his emotions show. The minute he started talking about Philly is when he got choked up and teary eyed:
"The relationships I have with these fans are like no other in sports. I have a love for them and they love me and it's evident. When I had the opportunity to come back here I couldn't turn it down"A.I. spoke from the heart throughout the press conference. And took everyone through the last three years of his life which he described as "hell":
"With the mistakes that I made in my life I painted a picture of me that's not me. I did a lot of things that I am not proud of, but I think those things helped me be the man that I am now," he said.
Some of the reporters kept bringing up his age (34 years old) as if it was going to prevent him from taking care of business on the court. Any Allen Iverson fan knows he leaves his heart on the floor every time he steps out on the court so to even try to insinuate that is age is going to slow him down is ridiculous.
"If I couldn't play basketball at the level that I am accustomed to then I wouldn't have made this decision, " Iverson said. "I wouldn't come back and embarrass myself. I know I can play and I am going to prove that. I am older and I want something better for my life."
"I have done a lot of things as far as bringing it on myself. The mistakes and decisions that I have made throughout my career, that bad rap followed me and it ended up hurting me. I actually for the first time in my life didn't want to play the game because of everything else besides basketball."
Best believe that over the next five months Iverson is going to show the Sixers organization why they should consider extending his contract beyond this season because he NEVER wants to leave home again.
“I want to fit in. I want to be a part of any success that we have. I just want to be one of the guys,” said Iverson. “That’s it. I don’t need a whole bunch of praise. I don’t need to have a lot of accolades, anything like that. I want to play basketball. I just love to play basketball."
“I can only see something positive with this situation. I want to retire here. I wanted it that way. I was young when all the stuff was going on before. I left. I don’t think I made the right decisions. I think I acted a lot on anger. I wish that I didn’t have to go through the last couple years in my career, but I think it will help me with this situation.”
I can't say enough how excited I am about Allen Iverson being back in Philly. And to see A.I. hold up that #3 Sixers Jersey again....priceless!!! And from what I understand his scheduled return game (Monday, December 7th, against the Denver Nuggets) is SOLD OUT!!! The energy in the Wachovia Center that night is going to be unbelievable and I'm 100% sure A.I. will get emotional again from all the LOVE he receives once the P.A announcer says his name and he sets foot on the court. Checkout the video's of the press conference below:
~Unique
