The Tragedy of Allen Iverson.

[Maximus Meridius]

Originally Posted by throwback1718

I wish that the league players union would give maybe a 2 week course during the off season to educate these young millionaires as to how to spend their money and planning for the day that they can't play ball any more....
like there is no way in hell that i will make 150 million and be in this position. hell no way I make one million and be in that position ....

I really hope someone puts that idea in place somehow. I'm tired of seeing African American athletes go down the tubes financially

The NFL does it with rookies and it dont change sh!#. These dudes are gonna do whatever they want with their money. Some listen and are smart with their money and others are careless.

 

[ldj]

Originally Posted by VA757VA

Everyone kissing his feet? We must be taking about diff cats..lol..


He us the furthest thing away from a pampered athlete...nd I highly doubt dude is broke..I don't he is even close to broke...seriously

i was talking about athletes in general, but um it be farfetched to think him being famous, and rich didnt open doors and ppl wouldnt/havent bent over backwards becuase of it. Maybe the media or david stern didnt.

 

[DCAllAfrican]

Damn imagine all of that Puerto Rico groupie love he is passing up.

 

[va757va]

I feel u bro..and im sure he had opportunities we wouldn't get because of his celebrity..I'm just saying compared to other #1 high school players he had it pretty bad..usually these cats are catered to from 9th grade until the make or break in the league...that want the case for AI..completely diff path...


@moonman - I think the majority of pro athletes mismanage their guap and live more extravagant than necessary..lol..so do I see my man taking any karats out his earrings?? Nah..lol..he gon ball out I ain't gon lie..

 

[ldj]

Originally Posted by DCAllAmerican

Damn imagine all of that Puerto Rico groupie love he is passing up.

so he still on this nba or bust trip... dude better bone up on his spanish literally and figurably. even if he makes like 500k a yr, hes still getting 5 mil in shoe money and maybe a look from nba teams.

 

[-Red-]

Originally Posted by TraSoul82

Originally Posted by red mpls

Originally Posted by TraSoul82

First you claim that AI retired because he didn't want the collective record of the teams he's played for to fall below .500.  Then you state that no team in the league would sign him.

And you're the one bringing "facts" as opposed to "outlandish claims" to the discussion...

You know what? I misspoke. I didn't mean his retirement. I meant the stint where he refused to play when the Sixers weren't so good. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=1759535
Thanks for clearing that up. Shines some more light on this guy's character. And that was 8 years ago too. 

I hope you don't think that your link proved or even remotely supported your initial claim... because it didn't.  It's clear you're grasping at straws homie, please just stop.  We understand that you hate the guy, and that's fine, that's your choice.  But you don't have to make stuff up to try to further paint the man in a negative light...

On another note, it's a shame that AI doesn't seem to be able to get it together.  I don't feel "sorry" for the man, but I think that it's important that people really try to understand him and his actions within the context of his life.

For people that grew up like he did, a spectrum exists with two extremes.  At one end of the spectrum, some people forget about those that held them down when they had nothing as soon as they make it.  On the other end, some people are so loyal that they try to help people even when it hurts themselves.  AI was clearly on the latter end of this spectrum.  I think that somewhere in between lies a good balance.  But I respect someone who's too loyal much more than I respect someone that's utterly disloyal because they gotta "handle their business"... it's not even close.  Not that that was the root of all of AI's issues but it certainly contributed to many of them...

 

[trasoul82]

Originally Posted by red mpls

Originally Posted by TraSoul82

Originally Posted by red mpls


First you claim that AI retired because he didn't want the collective record of the teams he's played for to fall below .500.  Then you state that no team in the league would sign him.

And you're the one bringing "facts" as opposed to "outlandish claims" to the discussion...

You know what? I misspoke. I didn't mean his retirement. I meant the stint where he refused to play when the Sixers weren't so good.http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=1759535
Thanks for clearing that up. Shines some more light on this guy's character. And that was 8 years ago too.

I hope you don't think that your link proved or even remotely supported your initial claim... because it didn't. It's clear you're grasping at straws homie, please just stop. We understand that you hate the guy, and that's fine, that's your choice. But you don't have to make stuff up to try to further paint the man in a negative light...

On another note, it's a shame that AI doesn't seem to be able to get it together. I don't feel "sorry" for the man, but I think that it's important that people really try to understand him and his actions within the context of his life.

For people that grew up like he did, a spectrum exists with two extremes. At one end of the spectrum, some people forget about those that held them down when they had nothing as soon as they make it. On the other end, some people are so loyal that they try to help people even when it hurts themselves. AI was clearly on the latter end of this spectrum. I think that somewhere in between lies a good balance. But I respect someone who's too loyal much more than I respect someone that's utterly disloyal because they gotta "handle their business"... it's not even close. Not that that was the root of all of AI's issues but it certainly contributed to many of them...

No. I admitted that I misspoke when I said he "retired" for the reasons stated. THAT WAS INCORRECT ON MY PART, POINT BLANK, PERIOD. What I meant was the last couple of seasons he was in Philly (1st stint) he basically refused to play when the the team's records were dipping below .500. He pulled the same thing the 2nd time around when he left for "personal reasons." As it turns out his daughter was so sick, he had to party hard to keep his mind off of things during his time away from the game. Why do you think his wife filed for divorce shortly after? The only thing I'm "making up" is my noted theory that part of his motivation for "leaving for personal reasons" stemmed from the fact that he didn't want to his career win/loss record to dip below .500. I don't believe he officially used the term "retire" at the end of his last stint.
Breakdown of events:

From Denver, AI got traded to Detroit and ran into coaches who realized that he was running on "E" and told him to come off the bench. Things fall apart ("back injury"). He then bounces to Memphis and thinks he can ditch training camp and run the show, but Lionel Hollins isn't having it. Things fall apart ("retirement"). Finally, Philly breaks down and gives him one more shot as a starter as an emotional gesture to their fallen prodigal son returns. *Then the losing becomes too much. Uses his daughter's illness as an excuse to step away. Host's a party with Jermaine Dupri in Charlotte (not where his daughter or family is). No one wants him at this point. He goes to Turkey and makes little to no impact there. Things fell apart. Now he just exists. I just hope AI can grow up before those idle hands get him in serious trouble and... Things fall apart.
*Again, the underlined is just a theory of mine, but the fact of the matter is Philly doesn't want him back for whatever reason. The rest of my statement is documented.

I was in youth basketball camp in PG County when AI was the man at Georgetown. I saw him cross up MJ and I told everyone he would go down as one of the greatest to ever play. Then something happened. I became a man. He didn't. I'd like to see him do so. I just think that the support of his past behavior hampers any potential progress he may make.

He needs help, not enablers. Listen to this fool in 2010:

As someone on YouTube pointed out:

Manu Ginóbili? All Star, Olympian, Former MVP (euro), All-Nba...and 3 time champion . He comes off the bench

 

[trasoul82]

Here is Lionel Hollins giving his take on how he handled the Allen Iverson drama:








Starts at 10:11

 

[mrkane]

^^pride always precedes the fall.
I respect anyone that doesnt kiss anyones A%$, and Lionel Hollins was totally in the RIGHT for not kissing up to AI
God is not a respecter of persons
80% of athletes have an EGO problem and thats why many go bankrupt because they wont grow up or listen to good sound advice.

AI was a great player no doubt but brought it on himself

 

[tommykairaa]

damn.

 

[jonathan79936]

Such a shame. I actually feel bad for him.

 

[damnthosejs]

Breakdown of events:
From Denver, AI got traded to Detroit and ran into coaches who realized that he was running on "E" and told him to come off the bench. Things fall apart ("back injury"). He then bounces to Memphis and thinks he can ditch training camp and run the show, but Lionel Hollins isn't having it. Things fall apart ("retirement"). Finally, Philly breaks down and gives him one more shot as a starter as an emotional gesture to their fallen prodigal son returns. *Then the losing becomes too much. Uses his daughter's illness as an excuse to step away. Host's a party with Jermaine Dupri in Charlotte (not where his daughter or family is). No one wants him at this point. He goes to Turkey and makes little to no impact there. Things fell apart. Now he just exists. I just hope AI can grow up before those idle hands get him in serious trouble and... Things fall apart.

Thanks for the summary.

I don't see on how could anyone feel "bad" about this guy. If anything you're DISAPPOINTED on how he turned out (I'm one of them).

I like on how these "keepin' it real" people fail in life. Their lives are so predictable like an Eastern Indian movie: you know the characters, plot and the ending.

I hope Mayweather's "smart" business moves right now are actually REAL, because everyone's just waiting for him to fail like AI here (unrelated athletes but same attitude).

 

[trasoul82]

Originally Posted by jonathan79936

Such a shame. I actually feel bad for him.

Me too. Especially now that I'm just realizing how much Whitney's voice touched me as a kid, I can understand where his supporters are coming from. I just hope no one thinks I'm just trying to bash him for the sake of it. I just want to see him get things together so he doesn't flame out like I feel he will.
Just went down today:

[h1]Allen Iverson reportedly broke[/h1]

Former Detroit Piston Allen Iverson reportedly is just about broke. He can't pay an $860,000 bill he owes to a jeweler, so a Georgia judge has seized his assets.

http://www.freep.com/arti...-bankrupt-jewelry-assets

 

[toughmoney]

Yeah Iverson is broke. Especially once court order him to pay his money hungry, stay at home, ex-wife

Dude got 5 kids at that.

 

[airjordan jb23]

Damn AI... 

 

 

[iluvjordanxi]

He's fun to watch but you can see how his work ethic transition into his money management.

 

[dmncn lew]

To say he stood up to the "man" is ridiculous. When AL came into the league and thought he was bucking the system any sane person could see this coming. They let him play by his rules with the headband and arm sleeve; but guess what? They slapped an NBA logo on them and made money off of it. This story is nothin new. You think an athlete or anyone who has been passed along throughout the educational system can manage millions of dollars? You think an athlete with 1 or 2 years of college can manage that kind of money?! Them dudes can barely read and write! 

 

[dric]

Allen Iverson's life is not a tragedy. Tragic events happened on September 11. Iverson had a definite say so to where his life has gone. I don't feel sorry nor am i shocked. He can still get his life together, but he needs to grow up.

 

[traviswade]

I've only got one thing to say .... "practice"

 

[xtapolapacetl]

How can anyone feel sorry for this fool with all the stuff happening in the world, especially after him flashing unnecessary jewelry in everyone's faces for a decade? The only ones I feel sorry for are his children.

If you have enough feelings to spare and feel bad for this idiot over blingin away dozens of millions of dollars and get himself in a mess that he created entirely on his own, then I envy you and your easy cruise through life because you obviously haven't experienced true tragedy.

 

[-Red-]

Originally Posted by TraSoul82

No. I admitted that I misspoke when I said he "retired" for the reasons stated. THAT WAS INCORRECT ON MY PART, POINT BLANK, PERIOD. What I meant was the last couple of seasons he was in Philly (1st stint) he basically refused to play when the the team's records were dipping below .500. He pulled the same thing the 2nd time around when he left for "personal reasons." As it turns out his daughter was so sick, he had to party hard to keep his mind off of things during his time away from the game. Why do you think his wife filed for divorce shortly after? The only thing I'm "making up" is my noted theory that part of his motivation for "leaving for personal reasons" stemmed from the fact that he didn't want to his career win/loss record to dip below .500. I don't believe he officially used the term "retire" at the end of his last stint.�
Breakdown of events:

From Denver, AI got traded to Detroit and ran into coaches who realized that he was running on "E" and told him to come off the bench. Things fall apart ("back injury"). He then bounces to Memphis and thinks he can ditch training camp and run the show, but Lionel Hollins isn't having it. Things fall apart ("retirement"). Finally, Philly breaks down and gives him one more shot as a starter as an emotional gesture to their fallen prodigal son returns. *Then the losing becomes too much. Uses his daughter's illness as an excuse to step away. Host's a party with Jermaine Dupri in Charlotte (not where his daughter or family is). No one wants him at this point. He goes to Turkey and makes little to no impact there. Things fell apart. Now he just exists. I just hope AI can grow up before those idle hands get him in serious trouble and... Things fall apart.
*Again, the underlined is just a theory of mine, but the fact of the matter is Philly doesn't want him back for whatever reason. The rest of my statement is documented.�

I was in youth basketball camp in PG County when AI was the man at Georgetown. I saw him cross up MJ and I told everyone he would go down as one of the greatest to ever play. Then something happened. I became a man. He didn't. I'd like to see him do so. I just think that the support of his past behavior hampers any potential progress he may make.�

He needs help, not enablers. Listen to this fool in 2010:�

As someone on YouTube pointed out:

Manu Ginóbili? All Star, Olympian, Former MVP (euro), All-Nba...and 3 time champion . He comes off the bench

That was the only thing I had a problem with.  You initially said that you were presenting facts when you weren't in that case at all; it was pure speculation.  Even in the context that you're using it now, i.e., missing games instead of retiring.  But now you seem to be saying that he missed games because he just couldn't handle playing night in and night out for a losing team, not that he missed games because he consciously wanted to keep his career win percentage above .500.  I would agree with the former but have heard no support from anywhere for the latter...

I mean, the man clearly had some issues, including an unwillingness to follow rules at times and an inability to embrace a diminishing role on a team.  I just felt like you were really reaching with the "all-time record below .500" thing.  AI's done enough on his own to incriminate himself on a lot of things, but I don't think that's one of them.

 

[nycknicks105]

Originally Posted by Xtapolapacetl

How can anyone feel sorry for this fool with all the stuff happening in the world, especially after him flashing unnecessary jewelry in everyone's faces for a decade? The only ones I feel sorry for are his children.

If you have enough feelings to spare and feel bad for this idiot over blingin away dozens of millions of dollars and get himself in a mess that he created entirely on his own, then I envy you and your easy cruise through life because you obviously haven't experienced true tragedy.

Originally Posted by Dric

Allen Iverson's life is not a tragedy. Tragic events happened on September 11. Iverson had a definite say so to where his life has gone. I don't feel sorry nor am i shocked. He can still get his life together, but he needs to grow up.

I don't feel sorry that he's broke or has an ego the size of Wisconsin or the fact that he's an alcoholic drunk. I feel bad that this dude is 330+ years and still can't grow up.

 

[trasoul82]

Originally Posted by red mpls

TraSoul82 wrote:

That was the only thing I had a problem with.� You initially said that you were presenting facts when you weren't in that case at all; it was pure speculation.� Even in the context that you're using it now, i.e., missing games instead of retiring.� But now you seem to be saying that he missed games because he just couldn't handle playing night in and night out for a losing team, not that he missed games because he consciously wanted to keep his career win percentage above .500.� I would agree with the former but have heard no support from anywhere for the latter...

I mean, the man clearly had some issues, including an unwillingness to follow rules at times and an inability to embrace a diminishing role on a team.� I just felt like you were really reaching with the "all-time record below .500" thing.� AI's done enough on his own to incriminate himself on a lot of things, but I don't think that's one of them.


So basically, if I have a theory to go with facts I can't say it? Not happening.

Find a time where I said the "sub-.500" thing without noting it was a theory. And this is my last response. You seem hell-bent on having the final word so the floor is yours...

 

[yelloo]

Damn I want AI to come back to the league and perform well again

 

[dior paint]

Originally Posted by dmncn lew

You think an athlete with 1 or 2 years of college can manage that kind of money?! Them dudes can barely read and write! 

Did you learn how to read and write in your first 2 years of college?