Fuck Yea[h] NBA

Marc J. Spears at Yahoo discusses Allen Iverson’s hopes to return to the NBA. If there is an NBA. He also talks about the family issues that derailed his career as he bounced first to Denver, then to a hellish year and a half in Detroit. Now, Iverson will play for anyone—even if they’re not a contender. He just wants to ball. I don’t blame him.

It doesn’t matter if it’s the Cleveland Cavaliers, Toronto Raptors, Minnesota Timberwolves – or any of the NBA’s other basement dwellers. Allen Iverson(notes) will take your call. If you’re an NBA team and you have a spot open on your roster, Iverson is willing to talk.

“I’ll play for anybody,” Iverson told Yahoo! Sports.

A 10-time All-Star and former MVP, Iverson still wants back in the league even though he’s 36 and played only in Turkey last season. He’s one of the game’s greatest scorers, but his history of off-the-court drama and issues with coaches tainted his career, even in his last few seasons in the NBA. He complained about his role with the Detroit Pistons and griped about coming off the bench with the Memphis Grizzlies. Iverson took a leave of absence after playing three games with the Grizzlies two seasons ago and was eventually waived. That led him to announce his retirement – but a couple weeks later he signed with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Iverson ended up leaving the Sixers to spend time with his ill daughter, and he was eventually waived. He now says he was too distracted by his daughter’s health issues and divorce proceedings with his wife to stay focused in his last two NBA seasons.

“That wasn’t me at all,” Iverson said. “Obviously, I was dealing with the situation with my daughter and going through a divorce, and I wasn’t there mentally. In my career those last couple years were so hard for me because I wasn’t there. Mentally, I wasn’t there.

“During those 48 minutes on the basketball court, all I [ever] cared about was that time right there. Nothing else distracted me. But at times, I felt myself standing on the court just thinking about my daughter, thinking about the situation with me and my wife. I wasn’t giving [the teams] everything I had mentally.”

So why are things different for Iverson now? It seems he’s learned what a lot of divorced couples with kids learn. You have to remain a cohesive unit when you raise your children, even if you want to kill your former spouse.

“Everything is fine,” Iverson said. [My wife and I] are still going through the process. But it’s not like it was. … I just felt like the right thing – even if it’s not me and her [together] – we got to be friends and cool with each other because we got five kids together. That was the most difficult part. And then once I got to there, as far as that situation, then everything was basically cool. My kids are healthy. I don’t have anything to worry about but basketball.”

As of now, he isn’t going back to Turkey to play out the remainder of the 2 year $4 million contract he signed with Turkish team Besiktas. He’s looking to catch on with any NBA team that will have him, and he’s not going to let reported gambling and alcohol issues (some true—others not) derail that plan.

Multiple reports within the past couple years said Iverson has been troubled by financial, alcohol and gambling issues. He admitted there was some truth to his personal problems but declined to go into detail, saying it “would take all day” to explain what wasn’t true.

“There are going to be people out there that say things,” Iverson said. “But it’s the same thing I teach my kids: ‘If it’s not true, why do you worry about it?’ It bothers me at times because I do have a heart, and my kids do have to hear some of those things. But that’s the only time it bothers me. I’m used to people saying a bunch of things about me that are not true.”

I hope someone (Knicks?) picks him up. He’s a valuable scorer off the bench still—I think. We’ll see. First, lets see if any games are going to be played this year.

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