That was accomplished before the ball ever went up last night, when Allen Iverson went to the 76ers' bench and hugged Maurice Cheeks.

Iverson, who left for Denver after being traded in December 2006 without speaking with his coach and friend, broke the ice.

The story had taken on a life of its own. All anyone wanted to know was how it would end.

Meeting with reporters before the Sixers' 115-113 victory, Iverson said that somehow the lack of communication had made their relationship stronger.

"We haven't talked to each other, but [the relationship] is a lot better than it was when I left, because it was such a pivotal point in my life, being here all those years and then basically trying to get him in here as the coach," Iverson said before making his first appearance as a visitor at the Wachovia Center.

It must be even stronger now.

"It felt great," Cheeks said afterward. "I thought for him to do that . . . we didn't want to make a scene. We're glad it happened. About everybody was excited about it when he came over there."

Cheeks, though, wasn't sharing the words that were exchanged.

"It was very quick," he said. "It wasn't about the words. It was more about him coming over there. It had nothing to do with the words. I wished him luck, except the game tonight."

Iverson said that before Cheeks was hired in 2005, he had been "begging" then-president/general manager Billy King, "calling him every day" to make the move.

"For me to have to leave with Mo being the head coach, that was a tough time," Iverson said. "I wish I didn't react the way I did" to being traded.

But he was traded, with Ivan McFarlin for Andre Miller, the expiring contract of Joe Smith and two first-round draft choices.

"The reason why they made it a big story is because we were close," Cheeks said. "When someone's pretty close for a while and then you don't talk for a while, something's going to be made of it. I wish him well, except for [last night]. It's an unfortunate thing, with me being here and him not being here. I wish it had turned out better."

Cheeks admitted that coaching Iverson was "challenging," but insisted the relationship didn't end confrontationally.

"It ended," Cheeks said simply. "Unfortunately, it ended in a way [neither] one of us wanted it to end."

It came back together last night. "Had he not ever come over, the respect I have for him would not have changed," Cheeks said. "Even if he didn't, the respect I have for him is very high." *