In this day and age where everyone feels the need to have to compare people to one another, allow me to be the one who makes the eyebrow-raising comparison between Allen Iverson and Terrell Owens. Not because they're both future Hall of Famers in their respective sports and go by their initials (A.I. & T.O.), but because they're both in their mid to late 30's and are eying a comeback despite being shown little to no interest thus far.
Since being selected as the number one overall pick by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1996 NBA Draft, Iverson has been one of the most prolific scorers in the history of the game. And though he's never won an NBA Championship, his trophy case is anything but empty having won four NBA scoring titles, two All-Star Game MVP awards, a league MVP award as well as a Rookie of the Year award. The last few years, however, have been anything but All-Star worthy for the 36-year old guard. Following his 15-year tenure in the NBA which saw 11-All-Star appearances, Iverson signed a 2-year deal to play ball overseas in the Turkish Basketball League where he helped sell tickets and was promised more playing time, something he wasn't getting enough of back in the states.
But as of this week Iverson is hoping to return to the NBA and has told the media that he's willing to play for anybody in any role including coming off the bench, something he didn't take too kindly of before which eventually factored in his decision to head to Turkey. His timing, however, couldn't be worse granted both the owners and Players Association are in the middle of a labor dispute which has seen little to no progress up to this point with the Commissioner recently announcing the cancellation of games up to November 30. And if the unsettled labor negotiations aren't enough to put a dent in his possible return to the NBA perhaps the fact that he's nearly two years removed from his last NBA game will do the trick.Meanwhile on the football field, Terrell Owens who's been one of the most dominant receivers in the history of the game is trying to awe scouts in hopes of landing a spot on an NFL roster before it's too late. Earlier this week Owens held a workout in southern California where camera crews caught the 37 year old wide-out running routes and catching passes. But other than the handful of reporters and friends, T.O.'s guest list was limited as no team scouts were in attendance. Much to blame for the empty sidelines is the surgery he had in April to repair a torn ACL suffered during the offseason. Despite there being no scouts or team's actually at T.O.'s workout in person, Owens told reporters that he definitely feels that there are interested teams out there and all they've gotta do is see the footage.
Though he still remains jobless up to this point, T.O.'s job hunting hasn't been a complete disappointment. In fact the Chicago Rush of the Arena Football League have reached out to Owens but according to his agent Drew Rosenhaus the team isn't on his wish-list. Rosenhaus also said that if his client doesn't sign with a team this year that he'll try his luck next season as well. Something I see being even less likely to happen than signing with a team this year. Earlier this month Owens held what many thought was a retirement speech in front of a live television crew before pranking those on the set and admitting it was all a joke.
Given the notorious reputation Owens has garnered over the years as being a virus both on the sidelines and in the locker room as well as being somewhat of a drama queen for calling out his fellow teammates most notably his quarterback, it wouldn't be a complete surprise if he were to remain a free-agent. What would be surprising, however, is if he didn't even receive a single phone call by an NFL team. To his defense, the man can still play and put up numbers as he proved last season in Cincinnati where he led the team in receiving. While team's like the Oakland Raiders, Washington Redskins and Chicago Bears are all competing for a playoff spot in spite of lacking a productive receiver, I don't see why either team would not try and sign a veteran like Owens.
With the odds of a possible return in neither Iverson nor Owens' favor at this point, which athlete would you care to see more and which do you think has a greater chance at staging a comeback?
The Last of A.I.? - One former NBA superstar who's been on the move more than he's been on the court as of late, is 11-time All-Star Allen Iverson. The 2001 NBA Most Valuable Player has been granted an indefinite leave by the Philadelphia 76ers to care for his ailing 4-year old daughter. Iverson's absence has led to many asking, "could this be the last we see of A.I. this season if not his career?" Instead, keeping us from pondering this question any longer, league officials have reported earlier today, that 'The Answer' won't be returning to the Sixers for the remainder of the season. Iverson's decision to sit out for the rest of this year creates a new question yet to be answered, "Will Philly give him another chance to put a story book ending to his career?" There's no one athlete that the City of Brotherly Love loves more than Allen Iverson and to see his illustrious career come to an end like this, what a disappointment it would be.Iverson, a 4-time NBA Scoring Champion has already missed a handful of games this season, including the NBA All-Star game, due to personal reasons. & Although he didn't put up All-Star caliber numbers, his popularity proves just how much his skills are respected throughout the league and how much he is liked by the fans. Sure he isn't averaging the 31.1 points he averaged in his MVP campaign, but he's still fun to watch and helps fill seats, something the Sixers desperately need. If Iverson does decide to hang it up for good, he will go down as one of the decade's most dominant players and is a for sure hall of famer in my opinion.
It's official, Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers agree to a one-year prorated 1.3 million dollar deal. Just before you could blink, A.I. returns from his so called "retirement" from the game of basketball just days after announcing it, as he returns to the team and city where it all started. Just days ago, the 76ers were said to have little to no interest in the 13-year veteran, until it was released that the team's starting guard -- Louis Williams would miss up to at least 30 games due to a broken jaw. A little something Iverson's presence would help contribute to the Sixers organization, is his guarantee to help fill seats in the arena. A warm welcome should be expected to say the least. I'm guessing something similar to the homecoming the Seattle Mariners' homegrown slugger Ken Griffey Jr. received from the home crowd last season.Iverson joins a 5-14 Sixers team that's currently on a 8-game losing streak. The new Philly squad Iverson will now be a part of is highlighted by players such as Andre Iguodala and last season's newest addition Elton Brand. Although Iverson and Iguodala were Sixer teammates once upon a time, A.I. wasn't playing with the well developed player Iguodala is today. Iverson is expected to make his Sixers debut on Monday December 7th, against the team to which he was traded to--The Denver Nuggets.
The relationship between Allen Iverson and the Memphis Grizzlies has come to an early end and seemed to be over before it even started, as Memphis waived Iverson and terminated his contract, just last week. In the off season, Iverson was in pursuit of finding a suitor that wouldn't mind hiring him as the everyday starter. Instead, Iverson was coming off the bench and was again displeased with the decision made by the team and coach, resulting in his departure from the team for "personal reasons".The former NBA MVP and 4-time scoring champion was linked to a potential deal with the New York Knicks before his signing with Memphis and after his departure. However the Knicks made it more than clear over the weekend, that the team had no intent on adding Iverson. Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni said Iverson would come in and play 40 minutes a game, taking time away from others that are in need of time on the court to continue their growth. With New York no longer in the Iverson sweepstakes, the question now being asked, is has A.I.'s illustrious career in the NBA come to an end? Sure many teams could use his ability to score points, but will teams be willing to start Iverson and hurt the development of their future?
Allen Iverson confirmed his decision to sign with the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday via Twitter. A.I. will sign a one year, $3.5 million deal within the next 24-48 hours. The deal will end a summer-long pursuit of a team for Iverson and will be his fourth team overall and third in the last three seasons. The Grizzlies have already proved over their off season that they're aiming to be contenders this upcoming season. Iverson will join a Memphis squad led by guard OJ Mayo. Other notables include Rudy Gay and newly acquired Zach Randolph. Not to mention their highly talented center they drafted in this year's NBA draft -- Hasheem Thabeet.The Grizzlies are in need of some seats to be filled in their home forum, and Iverson should help do so. The 10-time NBA All-Star and former MVP should also help a bit with team merchandise. Despite Iverson's short tenure with the Pistons, his jersey was the fifth highest seller among individual jerseys trailing only Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Chris Paul and Kevin Garnett. But don't go buying any Iverson jerseys just yet. It's likely he'll be playing elsewhere after this season.Other than Memphis, Iverson didn't have much suitors after him this off season. Miami and Charlotte were said to be the others who showed interest. I personally would have liked to see Iverson, Dwayne Wade and Michael Beasley all playing together, but it looks like that won't happen. Along with Iverson, Wade will join a 2010 free-agent class headlined by other young stars such as LeBron James and Chris Bosh.
