3SOB: The Allen Iverson situation obviously didn't work out the way you planned. There's been a lot of discussion here in Memphis about why his role wasn't more clearly defined at the meeting in Atlanta.
MH: Well at the meeting in Atlanta it was pursued and it was pretty clear. I don't know why you're assuming it wasn't clear.
3SOB: Well the comment was ...
MH: You think the problem was it wasn't clear?
3SOB: No sir. It was the comments made at the press conference that whether or not he would start or not never came up in the conversation and Iverson was obviously upset that he wasn't the starter right away.
MH: Believe me I have made comments with people talking to me now and where I have said I thought Allen would be a very positive influence on their team and I would love to see him back in the NBA. I'm sorry he's not back with me.
What happened was that Allen was told he would have the ability to compete for the starting role. That's what he was told. Lionel said I am very concerned that you won't let me coach you. He was very blunt to Allen. He [Iverson] said no it won't be a problem. And Lionel said, and I remember very clearly what he said, if it's close to the end of the game, maybe a minute left, and I take you out and put somebody else in are you willing to accept that? Allen was a little disturbed but he said yes.
That's the way the meeting ended. Allen said he wanted the opportunity to compete for it. What happened? Well, #1 Allen will tell you that he didn't work out until he signed a contract because he didn't want to hurt himself. So he was not coming into the camp in the greatest of shape but Allen's body is one that is almost always in shape.
Well they came to camp and he was out of shape, not like an overweight guy but not in NBA shape. So he's coming along and then Allen tears his hamstring and he had to sit down.
I told Allen at that time
"Allen, I'm going to be the guy that makes the final decision: when you come back to play, when you get back on the court, and how much time you get. And I'm going to get my recommendations from the trainer." Allen said fine and went on. Allen didn't complain. He didn't play in any of the exhibition games except the first one when he got hurt and sat out after the first quarter. So he got no exhibition games. He didn't get any conditioning either because he couldn't run.
So when the season started Allen was still injured and not in the best of condition.
We were going to have to bring him along slowly. The trainer said I don't want him playing in the first two or three games but when he starts to play we should play him about 15 minutes. We're going to watch him very closely and bring him along slowly otherwise he's going to injure this leg again. So that's the directions Lionel got. He played him 18 minutes in the first game when we told him 15 minutes. Which was fine and Allen did well. He scored 11 points in 18 minutes I think.
So in the 2nd game, if I remember correctly, he played 25 minutes and he scored 17 points. Now he went to the press and started @$%@($@* about not being the starter. I think he was being a little ridiculous to think he could be put out there after he's coming off that leg injury and be the starter and that he had earned it like he said he wanted to do.
Lionel then had a meeting with him and the team; with all of the stuff that was going on around the team and Allen was very upset. I was in the Middle East when this took place and I flew for 29 hours and when I got home I heard there was a problem and I flew out to the West Coast. Lionel and I met with Allen and I thought things were going to be straightened out.
He came to me that night and said he had a problem at home that he had to take care of, which I believed to be true and I still do believe, and I told him to take as much time as he needed to take care of his personal problem and so he left.
I didn't hear from him for a couple of days. Then I heard he was thinking of retiring. I talked to his agent and his agent told me that he was thinking of retiring, and that he didn't think it was a good idea. I said I didn't think it was either, and I hoped he would come back. Then we heard that he is going to come back. Then at the last minute Allen announced he was retiring. I told his agent, Leon Rose, I don't want Allen to retire. I think that what we ought to do is have what is called a divorce, because this will allow Allen to play with anybody he wants and he won't have to clear waivers. So he said that that was very nice Mr. Heisley.
I wanted Allen back in the league. I wanted Allen to play in this league. If he can't play for us I want him to play for somebody else.
MH: So that's what happened with Allen. Now I don't know why people are having a problem with all of this. That's the reality but it's too matter of fact.
It's very tough to be one of the greatest players to ever play the game and get towards the end of your career, get traded, get injured, go through this process and keep an equilibrium. I'm not sure how Kobe or anybody else would handle that.
But Allen's going to have to come to grips with his game and where he's going to play and how much he's going to play and how all of this is going to work out.
Now I hope he gets to go with Philadelphia 76ers. I talked to the General Manager. I hope he gets there. I think it would be spectacular for the 76ers. It would be great for the league to have him close out where he made his name. It would be a great story. Their PG is injured. He's going to be out for 8 weeks. They'll have a lot of time for Allen to show what he can do. That's the Allen Iverson story. I'm sorry I can't give you anything else.
I
often wonder where all of this BS comes from. Not just Memphis but everywhere. Everyone is speculating. Nobody wants to get the real story. Where do they get that information. They watch those soap operas. They think this [stuff] up and believe that it's fact. So they print it. Then some other person prints another story and references it, saying according to sources and the source is that nutcase who made it up to begin with. It's unbelievable.
So anyway I really do hope that Iverson has a real good opportunity to have a good run in this league and nothing would make me happier.
The most unhappy person is my wife right now. That's her favorite player and always has been since I got involved in basketball. She was a little upset with me that I couldn't work it out. I did everything I could.
So what else?
@ him saying AI was #%*(@$.
