Change of heart: Iverson reaches out to Sixers

BY KEN BERGER

Allen Iverson has reached out to the Philadelphia 76ers about a possible reunion with the team that launched his iconic and controversial career, a person with knowledge of the situation confirmed to CBSSports.com on Saturday.

The person, who is familiar with the Sixers’ plans but not authorized to comment on them, said Iverson’s name is one of several that has been under internal consideration since starting point guard Lou Williams suffered a broken jaw that will keep him out about eight weeks. But a decision about whether to accept Iverson’s offer to shelve his retirement plans and return to Philly is complicated and will likely take several days to unfold. The person familiar with the team’s plans estimated the chances of Iverson returning to Philly at “50-50.”

While some members of the organization recognize that Iverson’s play-making ability could be an asset for a team that is 21st in the league with a 96.9 scoring average, others recall the ugliness of Iverson’s departure when he demanded – and received – a trade in December 2006. Since then, Iverson’s resume consists of a mostly positive experience in Denver and two stormy exits – from Detroit, where he was not willing to accept a bench role, and from Memphis, where he played only three games before leaving the team amid persistent rants about his role. Iverson’s contentious departure from Philly, his history with the team, his desire to dominate the ball, and how his role would be defined will all factor into the team’s decision, the source said.

Iverson’s camp felt an offer from the Knicks was a “done deal” last week, according to another source, which contributed to his willingness to leave Memphis with only about $400,000 of the $3.1 million contract he signed over the summer. But the Knicks had an 11th-hour change of heart, deciding on Nov. 20 that Iverson’s dominant personality was not the answer for a rebuilding team.

So on Wednesday, Iverson, 34, announced his intentions to retire from the NBA in a statement published on Smith’s personal web site. On Saturday, Smith wrote on his own site and for FOXSports.com that the Sixers had all but decided to re-sign the future Hall of Famer. The Sixers were leaving Saturday for San Antonio, where they begin a four-game road trip Sunday against the Spurs. If coach Eddie Jordan and team president Ed Stefanski decide to pursue Iverson, it is believed that Jordan will meet with the 2000-01 league MVP to discuss his potential role.

In his retirement statement, Iverson made a point of saying he still had "tremendous love for the game, the desire to play, and a whole lot left in my tank. I feel strongly that I can still compete at the highest level." His rapid about-face on stepping away from the game to "spend quality time with my wife and kids" has NBA front office officials just as dubious about his intention to return as they were about his plans to retire.

Iverson and the Sixers getting back together makes sense only in the way that remarrying a divorced spouse makes sense. You know each other all too well -- the good, the bad, and the ugly. And it would appear that the Sixers are Iverson's only chance to continue his career, barring the desperation factor that could emerge with major backcourt injuries elsewhere. When Iverson was shopping his services during the summer, only the Grizzlies showed serious interest. Once that situation flamed out in spectacular fashion, not even the dysfunctional Knicks were willing to take the plunge.

A.I.'s first tour of duty with the Sixers included a little bit of everything -- four scoring titles, two All-Star MVPs, a Finals appearance, and countless clashes with coaches, many of whom wound up getting fired at Iverson's behest. Now, the organization that Iverson defined and overshadowed for so many years is at a crossroads. What's more important? Ticket sales and a short-term boost in excitement? Or the long-term plan to rebuild the right way under Stefanski and Jordan?

One way or another, the Sixers still can't seem to emerge from Iverson's shadow.