“I really think it’s a blessing I’m back here,” said Iverson in his opening statement on Thursday.
“Once I announced my retirement I felt like the basketball part of my life was over. And I always thought once that day came I would be sad. But once I did it, I was happy because I felt like I could give my wife and kids something I hadn't been able to give them because of the NBA lifestyle.”
“And then I got the call from my agent that said I might be able to come back home [to Philadelphia]. It was an opportunity and situation I couldn't turn down. My wife was all in for it, and my kids were as well.”
Rumors had been swirling around Iverson since he announced his retirement from basketball on Nov. 25 to focus more time and energy on his family.
He was unhappy with his support role on the Memphis Grizzlies bench and parted ways with the team after an extended period of leave and having played in just three games this season.
But then he held a surprise meeting with Stefanski in Dallas on Monday, and the 76ers made their offer the next day. The rest is history. Now it's up to Iverson to make some more history.
Iverson is returning to a struggling 5–14 team that he left three years ago after helping build it up to one of the top teams in the NBA.
He accumulated an accolade of honors with the Sixers, including Rookie of the Year in 1996, NBA MVP in 2001 and All-Star MVP in 2001 and 2005, in addition to a host of scoring titles.
Iverson is currently ranked fifth all time in NBA scoring.
Self Reflection
Iverson was highly self-reflective in Thursday’s press conference, coming to tears at several points when thinking back on his 10 years of rising stardom with the Sixers, his prolific scoring, tremendous fanfare, and in the latter years, serious clashes with the franchise’s management over his hot-headed attitude. Now he seems eager over the opportunity to set things right.
“With the mistakes that I have made in my life, I created a picture of me that is not me. I did a lot of things when I was young that I’m not proud of,” Iverson said.
“All I want to do is play basketball and help the guys that I play with,” Iverson said after being asked where his outburst of emotion was coming from.
But somber turned to hopeful when A.I. thought about the strong fan base he formed while in Philadelphia.
“This is a great day for me because I have fans all over the world and I appreciate my fans in Denver, and in Memphis, and Detroit, but the relationship I have for these fans is like no other, I think in all of sports.
“When I had the opportunity to come back here, it was just something I couldn't turn down. I'm just happy.” He never felt right playing in any jersey other than the 76ers, he said.
GM Stefanski showed warmth over Iverson’s return but was frank when it came to questions on why the team decided to sign the free agent after the rough and tumble fallout of 2006.
“This was a basketball decision,” Stefanski said.
“When Lou Williams got hurt and was going to be out for a substantial amount of time, we looked at free agents on the board. It was by far an easy decision to make on who the best basketball player was on that board."
Still Able to Play
While there are no guarantees on just how effective the 34-year-old Iverson will be with the Sixers after coming off the bench over the past two years, both Iverson and Stefanski were in agreement that his position will be one of leadership, not support.
“I am not bringing Allen Iverson back here to be a player that adds depth to our team,” Stefanski said. “I'm bringing Allen Iverson to help us on the court to win basketball games.”
“I was born to be a basketball player,” Iverson said. “If I couldn't play basketball at the level that I'm accustomed too, then I wouldn't have made this decision. I didn't want to come back and embarrass myself. I know I can play, and I'm going to prove that.
“We have no doubt he has something left,” Stefanski agreed. “We'll get a practice in with him on Sunday and hopefully he will make an appearance on Monday.”
The Sixers play Golden State (6-11) on Monday night in Philadelphia. No guarantees were made on how many minutes Iverson would play or whether he would play a starting role any time soon.
“I love the fact that everybody is going to come at me. But I'm going to come right back,” Iverson said. He welcomed questions on how he was going to deal with the younger, more athletic players the NBA has to throw at him.
