Jordan says no meeting with Iverson planned
Here's the latest news concerning the 76ers and former star point guard Allen Iverson, or rather, the latest suspension in news. We're here in San Antonio -- the Sixers play the Spurs in about 35 minutes -- and just left the Sixers locker room. The discussion, obviously, centered around yesterday's news that the team is considering Iverson as a replacement for starting point guard Lou Williams, who is out 8 weeks with a broken jaw.
Jordan says no meeting with Iverson planned
Here's the latest news concerning the 76ers and former star point guard Allen Iverson, or rather, the latest suspension in news. We're here in San Antonio -- the Sixers play the Spurs in about 35 minutes -- and just left the Sixers locker room. The discussion, obviously, centered around yesterday's news that the team is considering Iverson as a replacement for starting point guard Lou Williams, who is out 8 weeks with a broken jaw.
Sixers coach Eddie Jordan said that he had no plans to fly to Atlanta to meet with Iverson, which had been speculated in various news outlets. Jordan said he had no knowledge of Iverson coming to where the Sixers are, to meet with them, either. Jordan made it clear Iverson, while clearly "intriguing" was just one of a handful of potential free-agents the team is considering. Jordan said the team has also talked about Antonio Daniels, as previously reported, and Jerry Stackhouse.
"He's intriguing to talk about in the media, with friends, with fans, with your mom, with your sister. Right now we're concentrating on playing tonight. I have not been oversaturated with Allen Iverson in my mind or in conversation with our front office. It's like any other free agent out there, we've talked about a number of people. I know he's the most intriguing one. But there's equal responsibility and doing your due diligence with anybody that's out there -- if we feel fit to bring someone in. Right now there hasn't been a button that we've pushed to bring someone in."
Andre Iguodala said the following about bringing back AI: "With the situation we're in, we can always try to improve. A guy like that could really help us out, you know? Just the caliber player he is, he could come in and help us."
Willie Green said: "Hopefully, if something does happen, it could rally our team and we could make a true playoff run."
Sixers will be without Elton Brand again tonight. Jordan said Brand might rally at the 11th hour to play, but if he did, he would likely then be out for tomorrow night's game against the Dallas Mavericks. More likely, Brand will be out tonight and then, according to Jordan, be available for the last 3 games of this road trip.
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--Kate
Good! We DON'T need him or want him here!
c— sophwill- ANGRY AL 2. Take a hike but leave your seat were going to need it— sophwill
- OK...if not AI1, then who? Oh, I hope all you naysayers are buying tickets.— psuwelsh
- GET AI BACK!!!!!!!!— cuso20
- people won't buy tickets to see AI either after the first few weeks. You don't have to watch him long to see that he's not a difference maker anymore. They're problem is defense, not offense anyway.— dmanns
- People can say all they want about Iverson ruining team chemistry, hogging the ball, and blah, blah, blah. All I know is this: Right now I have no wish whatsoever to see a Sixers game. I wouldn't take tickets if someone gave them to me for free. If Iverson plays for them again, I'll actually go to some games, because at least he's entertaining to watch (what a novel concept). Somehow, I get the feeling there are a lot of other people who feel the same way. Perhaps the Sixers should consider that......unless, of course, they enjoy looking at empty seats in their arena.— riles1875
- All these people saying they'd go see AI, stop lying. You weren't going before. Go back and look at the attendance in the box scores, before he talked his way out of here. They were getting like 17000 a game, and nothing has changed. AI being a draw is a myth.— dmanns
- al, u don't speak 4 the fans,of this team,i'd like.no.i'd LOVE 4 the 6ers to get him in here.right now.coach jordan,u could support this,by meeting with him,lay down the groundwork.get him in stiffanski......get it done!!!— t_darb_56
- I don't like what pro hoops has become in this town.— Helen A. Handbasket
- Dmanns, were you able to keep a straight face when you typed that ridiculous post? Let's take a look at this part of your wisdom: "They were getting like 17000 a game, and nothing has changed." Nothing has changed, huh? The attendance for the last home game was under 13,000. I'd say plenty has changed. I'm not an AI apologist. I know he has plenty of flaws. That being said, he is a draw, and I know I'm not lying when I say I will go to a few games to see him play. If you don't like the idea of bringing back AI, that's your opinion and you're entitled to it. But don't say I'm lying when you don't know me and you can't even back your statement with accurate information.— riles1875
- Yo, Riles...what's the 1875 stand for?— ejmgolf
- Ed Jordan says that there has been "no button to push" for bring someone in to help. THERE IS NO HELP for this team. Seriously. Andre can't put a biddy team on his back.— ejmgolf
- ejmgolf: It's my birthday: January 8, 1975— riles1875
- Allen belongs back in Philly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!— lynn levinsky
Keith Pompey has been an Inquirer reporter since September 2004. He takes over the Sixers beat after covering the Temple men’s basketball team for the past three years and Temple football the past two seasons. Pompey also previously covered the Penn and Drexel men’s basketball team and Villanova football team after initially focusing on high school sports.
Pompey is a native Philadelphian and a University of Pittsburgh. Follow him on Twitter @PompeyOnSixers or reach Keith at kpompey@phillynews.com.
ABOUT MARC NARDUCCI
Marc Narducci has served in a variety of roles with the Inquirer since beginning in 1983. He has covered the 76ers as a backup and a beat writer. In addition, Narducci has covered everything from the Super Bowl to the World Series and a lot in between. Narducci also has a true passion for South Jersey scholastic sports, which he has covered for many years.
