The Puerto Rican league, which starts its 30-game season in March, pays its stars about $20,000 a month, plus living expenses, sources said. The league’s commissioner is selling Iverson on the chance to work his way back to a possible return to the NBA.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Allen Iverson may soon have a job playing basketball -just not in the league or country he’d like.

Reports indicate a team in the Puerto Rican league is considering offering a contract to the future member of the Hall of Fame.

This is the latest sign the once-mighty Iverson is no longer relevant and/or meaningful. He’s a name, a marketing draw for some second-rate team in a fifth-rate league .

Sadly, Iverson only has himself to blame. He was given several opportunities to accept a role and prolong his career as a second-unit game-changer in the NBA.

Except his pride got in the way -in Detroit and Memphis. Then his personal issues became overwhelming in Philadelphia.

Now Iverson is willing to be a supporting piece, but no NBA team is interested. And his proud career is ending in the worst possible way.

--Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

Allen Iverson, who sources indicated the Lakers had some interest in as long as he was willing to go to the NBA Developmental League for a few weeks first, is not the answer. He's simply not a point guard. The Lakers are also said to be interested in former Toronto Raptors point guard Rafer Alsotn, who helped the Orlando Magic reach the NBA Finals in 2009. But who knows if that will materialize into anything?

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: According to the rumor mill, Gilbert Arenas is no longer ‘The Answer’ to the Los Angeles Lakers’ point guard woes.

Reports indicate the purple-and-gold may think Allen Iverson is ‘The Answer’ -if he`ll report to their D-League affiliate for a conditioning stint.

A few things worth noting:

First, Iverson to the Lakers was first reported by ESPN scribe Stephen A. Smith, who has a personal and professional relationship with the former MVP from their time in Philadelphia.

So consider the source, and ask if Stephen A. is tossing Iverson a solid and keeping him relevant by even suggesting the Lakers had interest?

Second, Iverson always refused a bench role. He wouldn’t do it for Detroit. And he wouldn’t do it for Memphis. Worst of all, he wouldn’t do it for a contender.

It’s hard to believe he’d report to the D-League under any circumstances -even if there was the chance of joining the Lakers.

Third, Smith is right. Kobe and company need a pass-first point guard, not a shooting guard in a point guard’s body and big personality like Iverson.

The Answer’ isn’t the answer for the Lakers’ woes.   

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

Jorge Hernandez was certain Allen Iverson would put basketball on the map in Venezuela—up until this morning. Hernandez, co-owner of Guaros de Lara in the Venezuelan League, was to introduce Iverson today as the team’s new point guard. Playing alongside Smush Parker, Iverson would bring unprecedented attention to Guaros.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Can’t play in the United States; can’t play outside of the United States. What a predicament.

Right now, for a variety of reasons, Allen Iverson isn’t playing basketball. No NBA team will sign the former MVP because he won’t report to the D-League, while legal problems are preventing him from leaving the U.S. to play abroad.

This is sad. However, Iverson only has himself to blame.

Years ago, Iverson should have reinvented himself as a second-unit game-changer. His pride and ego were too great for such a change.

For instance, he sulked in Detroit and Memphis when they asked him to come off the bench. And his return to Philadelphia was a flop, too.

So Iverson is in limbo. Who knows if he ever plays again.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.


 

The Memphis Grizzlies are on the verge of signing Gilbert Arenas, sources confirm. Arenas will sign one-year deal worth the veteran minimum.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Haven’t we seen this song-and-dance before with the Memphis Grizzlies?

A few years ago, the club signed shot-happy guard Allen Iverson, who was expected to complement the Grizzlies’ young, developing pieces.

Of course, nobody told Iverson this. He was stuck in a time-wrap, thinking he would get unlimited minutes, shots, and touches circa 1999 in Philadelphia.

The experiment last three games.

Now reports are breaking that the club has signed Gilbert Arenas to a one-year contract for the veteran minimum. Wouldn’t it have been better for the Grizzlies to take a pass and for Arenas to sit the year and sign with a team this summer?

Arenas would then have an entire training camp to prove himself to his new team. Now he has a few short games before playoffs begin.

Sadly, this situation sounds all too familiar in Memphis.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

"I understand the importance of Tristan (Thompson) and these younger guys getting the opportunity to play," he continued. "I’ve taught them so much and it’s been fun teaching them, but it’s time for me to move on as well. I don’t know what the future holds, I don’t know what opportunity might present itself, but I definitely have a great feeling this is probably my last home game and tomorrow will be my last game as a Cav."

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Antawn Jamison is done mentoring a bad Cleveland Cavaliers squad and wants to win -even if it costs him millions of dollars.

The veteran forward will become a free agent in July when his $15 million per year contract expires. Expect Jamison to take the Mini Mid Level Exception and join a contender as a second-unit scorer.

Of course, there are the usual concerns when an established player takes a lesser role. In fact, some can’t do it (think Allen Iverson, Steve ’Finer Things’ Francis, and Stephon Marbury).

But Jamison is a different breed. He’s always been a team-first guy, volunteering to come off the bench during his prime with the Dallas Mavericks and conceding the spotlight to a brash Gilbert Arenas with the Washington Wizards.

So Jamison told the inquiring media before the Cavaliers’ final home game that he was likely moving on. The future, however, looks good with Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

Some experts have called the first round of the 2012 NBA Draft the most deep in recent memory; but does that mean it will ever rank as one of the best in history? When the dust settles will the 2012 version be able to hang with the first rounds of 2003, 1996, 1985 or 1991?

HoopsVibe Very Quick Call- It generally takes a couple years for any draft to pan out. But who knows?

The definitive Top 10 shooting guards of all time.

HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: Some things are debatable, but these top 3 are a lock.

Off-guard, 2-guard, shooting-guard, no matter how you say it this is the position that has produced some of the most exciting players in NBA history. HoopsVibe sizes up the best of the best and put together this list of Top 10 shooting guards of all-time.

I don't even want to know what you've got to do to get a woman mad enough to intentionally get foreclosed on her own home.

HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: Nothing like a woman scorned, especially an NBA wife.

Allen Iverson shows humility and maturity, while turning down a D-League offer to climb back into the NBA.

HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: I find the slow ending of athlete's careers one of the saddest things to watch. 

So Allen Iverson's problems are continuing; and now his mansion has officially been foreclosed on.

Hoopsvibe's quick call:  Iverson never seemed to have any of the right "answers" off the court.

There's so much ink in the NBA, it could power a space shuttle to the moon and back eight times.

HoopsVibe Very Quick Call: So many weird tattoos, so little time.

There are so many players with bodies full of ink, it's difficult to narrow the field down to just five. And with each passing minute some NBA player, at this very moment, is probably getting inked up. The explosion of tattoos in the NBA over the last 10-15 years is in no doubt due to two people- Dennis Rodman and Allen Iverson.

Rodman was the first player to sport multiple tattoos, unabashedly, on the court. Iverson took a cue from Rodman and continued the trend, to the point now where roughly 70% of NBA players have tattoos.

Wilson Chandler

Chandler had several tattoos when he joined the league in 2007, and since then he hasn't slowed down at all. A big fan of comics (Juggernaut of X-Men fame), cartoons (Beavis and Butthead of all things, next to Master Shake from Aqua Teen Hunger Force) and rap music (an Eazy-E piece), Chandler has dedicated a portion of his body to each. Check out this article for the full break down.

JR Smith

Smith is filled to the brim as far as tattoos go, with some even now spilling out onto his ears and close to his face. Smith had around 70 tattoos "before I lost count." Smith actually said about tattoos that he "hated them" when he was younger, and told himself "he would never get like this." He seriously has no more room to add anything.

Chris Anderson

Speaking of a guy with no room left for tattoos, Chris "The Birdman" Anderson is in the same spot. In a lot of ways Anderson was a head of the game as far as body art and he has spawned a lot of imitators. I was on board until the "Free Bird" neck tattoo, the color in that thing was just too much. I had to put a pic of a young Anderson so you can see how far he has come, tattoo wise.

Monta Ellis

Ellis' stomach tree is probably the most noted stomach tattoo in the NBA. Gilbert Arenas' was for a while, and Kevin Durant's selection of tattoos is pretty close, but nobody beats Ellis. 

Dorell Wright

About five years ago, Wright was an afterthought in the category of "most tattooed NBA player." But now, he is easily one of the most tatted.

If Larry Bird had started playing in the NBA during the last decade, what would he have a tattoo of? Here's an idea:

The NBA playoffs are when we separate the good from the great.

HoopsVibe Very Quick Call: When the pressure is on, who stepped up and scored the most for his team, when it mattered the most?

Michael Jordan accused of stealing Bow Wow's Iverson kicks and we believe it's true.

HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: Knowing MJ's intense competitive spirit Bow Wow's story of theft makes sense.

The Quick Hit: Recently, former superstar Tracy McGrady told reporters, despite his lacklustre play and mediocre health, he wouldn’t sign with a team this summer that asked him to serve as sixth-man.

McGrady, of course, believes he’s a still starter. And McGrady also believes he hasn’t ‘fallen off’ to where he's a reserve.  

Forgive me, but didn’t we just see this song and dance? Didn’t we just see first ballot Hall of Fame guard Allen Iverson commit career suicide by refusing a lesser role for the Detroit Pistons and Memphis Grizzlies?

Some of you will remember that earlier this year we put together a feature on the NBA's 50 worst tattoos that showcased the worst body art from across the league. Well, due to popular demand we've thrown the images into a short video. Check it out and let us know what you think.

Am I crazy for being a little bit excited about the Las Vegas Superstar Challenge?? I promised myself that during the strike, I wouldn’t do this. I wouldn’t get excited about substandard basketball that was a shade above the “And 1 Mixtape Tour” simply because it featured current NBA players and I am basketball starved.

On Wednesday, former NBA stud Allen Iverson he announced he will be competing in tournament called the “Las Vegas Superstar Challenge” featuring four teams of NBA players on November 12^th and 13^th. On Tuesday, former NFL stud Terrell Owens held a private workout to prove he is 100% healthy and can still contribute to an NFL team.

When players claim that they’re pondering about retirement, usually that means that they are quitting the game. Once the word “retirement” enters their mind, they will choose that option. It’s the end. The only way to get out of that thought is youth. The youth will usually say that when they cannot handle defeat well. That’s it. However, after these disrespecting moments, these guys should have quit shortly thereafter. This stuff is embarrassing and makes grown men cry.

The NFL lockout is over. If you’re an NBA fan, sucks to be one right now. If you’re also an NFL fan, it’s a great time. Right now, Derrick Rose, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, and Kobe Bryant are hamming it up in the Phillippines. The highlights of their All Star game are up on Youtube. The quality is bad since the broadcast was on a stream, but you get the gist of it. Did Kobe travel on that lob pass to Rose? Yep, he sure did. Who cares though. I didn’t.

The 2011 NBA Draft is done. Did your team get what they wanted? This particular draft was all about needs. There were many international players from all over the place. A lot of teams did not get what they wanted according to their fan bases. Rumored trades, and other stuff we don’t know, did not go down because of the uncertainty around the new collective bargaining agreement. This is completely understandable unless you are David Kahn. He was free-wheeling all over the draft. Trade away your cow and tractor? He’ll do that, too. 

The problems are still piling up for Allen Iverson.  After splitting from the Philadelphia 76ers and divorcing wife Tawanna Iverson, you couldn't blame AI for acting a little out of character.  Reports hit the gossip pages suggesting that Iverson had something of a drinking problem and that his gambling behavior had resulted in his being banned from several casinos.  The purchase of a $4.5 million house seemed to confirm the split from Tawanna, and since then we've heard very little from the former NBA MVP.

Things aren't going well for Allen Iverson right now.  Two of the major elements of his life over the past ten years, the Philadelphia 76ers and wife Tawanna Iverson, have called things off with the diminutive guard in the past couple of weeks.  While Stephen A. Smith claims the former MVP has turned to gambling and alcohol to drown his sorrows, AI had enough cash left over to drop a cool $4.5 million on a pad in an ultra-rich suburb of Atlanta, his summer hometown.

Things just keep getting worse for Allen Iverson.  AI has struggled on the court, moved through multiple teams and recently left the 76ers to tend to his unwell daughter Messiah in Atlanta.  Well, it turns out that the same day that he parted ways with Philly he also began the process of splitting from his wife.  Tawanna Iverson, who has been married to Allen for eight years, filed for divorce in the Fulton County Superior Court Tuesday, stating that their marriage was "irretrievably broken".  Tawanna is also seeking temporary and permanent custody of their five children, who range in age from 17 months to 15 years.

Could the breakdown of his marriage have contributed to Iverson's decision to call it quits on the season?  Will the stress of parting from the mother of his kids ultimately lead to his retirement from the NBA?  Let us know what you think by leaving a comment below.

Tough to hear, but it is time. The stars, for anyone 26 years or older, drafted from the 1990s are fading away. Let’s use the present to say our goodbyes.   Father time usually corresponds with age and decline in play. This is it. We have been following these guys since middle school. Some of you guys must have been following them since elementary days. Do not feel old. Age is merely a number. Longevity in anything is actually a state of mind, but not in sports. For anyone living under a rock, Macho Man just died. With that said, let's appreciate these players while they are still alive.

Derrick Rose is officially the youngest NBA MVP for anyone living in a cave kicking it with John Rambo. He earned it at 22 years old. Leading the team to the number one record is a tall order for anyone. The 2010-2011 season is historic mainly because of this. Basketball fans witnessed something amazing that we will not see again from any 22 year old NBA player. It was fun to see all of the games on DirecTV. Chicago’s offense and the opposing team’s defensive game plans truly revolved around the Poohdini of the Hardwood.

This is the most ridiculous thing I heard coming out from these arguments. Discrediting Derrick Rose is one thing, but to completely dismiss the award just because people do not agree with your assessments is another. This is flat out stupid. Why did people pick out this year to bring this up again? This was echoed with Steve Nash’s awards and probably with Allen Iverson’s. Is this what it has come down to?

You wouldn't believe the number of inky abominations etched into the pelts of pro ballers.  I'd originally planned a simple list of the league's ten worst tats, but when my dishonourable mention section hit double digits I realised I'd need to expand the scope of the project a little.  Even when I elongated the list to twenty-five terrible tattoos, I still found that I had to exclude some real atrocities.  In the end it took a full fifty spots to showcase the shittiest skin art in the L.

"I'm as clean as the Board of Health man."Iverson denied playing any role in a 2009 bar fight at the South Beach Pizza Bar nightclub inside the Fisher Building. He said he hired bodyguards, including a pre-Detroit Police Chief Ralph Godbee, to stay out of trouble."I get sued for stuff I don't got nothing to do with. I ain't involved with. Ain't nobody never said ... I touched them," Iverson, 36, said. "I don't do nothing to nobody, buddy."Lattimer had a quick reply."The head honcho ain't supposed to," he said. Iverson: "Yeah, I ain't no damn mob boss. I don't live my life like that. I got five kids. I don't put that on their head. That's a fairytale that y'all living in …"

76ers' Allen Iverson is being sued for $2.4 million after supposedly hiring, with business manager Gary Moore, a security team to attack four people at a Hampton nightclub last year.

The ABA announced today that Ann Iverson (Allen's mom) will be the owner and chairwoman of a new ABA franchise in Richmond, VA.

"Richmond is a great basketball city and will be a great ABA city. We are pleased to be back there," ABA CEO Joe Newman said.

With Rajon Rondo locked in as the Celtics point guard and Ray Allen as the shooting guard, Iverson’s role would likely be as a scorer off the bench. In Detroit and Memphis, he created issues because he demanded to start.  “I think that is so overplayed,’’ Moore said. “He said it on more than one occasion. And I’ve always known that. I think it was taken out of context. Allen would accept any role. Anything he can do to help a ball team is what he will be able to do.’

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: It’s sad. Really, it is.

Allen Iverson should have done this years ago. Instead of swallowing his pride and ego and playing a role for a contender, Iverson had to be ‘The Guy’.

He had to have shots. He had to have touches. He had to be option one. And he ran himself right out the NBA because he acted like 2009 was 1999.

The Philadelphia 76ers traded him. Same with the Denver Nuggets. The Detroit Pistons let him quit. The Memphis Grizzlies released him. And the 76ers allowed him to disappear after re-signing him.

This whirlwind of mediocrity could have been avoided if Iverson did  what he’s doing now: re-invent himself as a second-unit game-changer.

Once upon a time, this would have worked. ‘The Greatest Little Man Ever’ coming off the bench for a contender and lighting up reserves.

The San Antonio Spurs, Boston Celtics, and other contenders would have had interest. Best of all, the end of Iverson’s career would have been spent playing meaningful basketball in May and June.

But he wouldn’t do it. He wouldn’t put the collective before himself. Fair or not, right or wrong, he validated some of the accusations of being a selfish player.

Now Iverson’s people are reduced to begging. And it may be too late to rekindle what may have been.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

“I just want to do whatever an organization wants me to do,” Iverson said. “Everybody made a big thing about me not wanting to come off the bench, but I said that at that point because it never happened to me in my life and it was something new to me, and obviously I didn’t know how to handle it. But to be back on the biggest stage is my whole thing and I feel like I have a couple more years left in my career and I want to play. I sat through and watched the whole season and it was tough for me. Now I just try to do what I have to do to be physically and mentally able to get back on the stage.”

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HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: It's hard to take Allen Iverson at his word. It's hard to believe he'd play a role.

Iverson refused to come off the bench and play behind Rip Hamilton, a long-time cog for some strong Detroit Pistons teams. Motown quickly became a fiasco.

Iverson, despite missing training camp with leg ailments, threw a fit when Memphis Grizzlies Coach Lionel Hollins didn't start him. The club released him one week into the 2009-10 season.

Iverson had an up-and-down second-stint with the Philadelphia 76ers. His run in Turkey was cut short by injuries. In both stops, there were reports of personal issues that have not been resolved.

So there's little or no evidence to suggest Iverson could handle being a reserve, could handle fluctuating minutes, could handle getting a few shots per night. Then there's his baggage.

Of course, one of the NBA's greatest little men deserved better. Iverson refused to transition gracefully. He refused to sign with a contender, say San Antonio or Boston, and become a second unit game-changer.

Instead, it was all about Iverson –even when his career was fading. His stubbornness, that intangible that once made him great, will likely cost Iverson a chance to show us he has changed.

--Oly Sandor.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

Beşiktaş Cola Turka, briefly known as the team employing Allen Iverson (remember him?), has reportedly agreed to terms with another, perhaps more reliable American NBA baller. Turkey-based sports news outlet NTV Spor announced today that Deron Williams of the New Jersey Nets will joining the TBL club for the 2011-12 with an out clause, should the NBA lockout end. Williams stands to earn some $16 million with Mikhail Prokhorov’s team, should a season be played.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: It was Europe or nothing. Europe won.

NBA owners have locked-out the players, so Deron Williams could ply his trade overseas or sit and wait for the dispute to be settled.

Not surprisingly, the star point-guard picked Europe, specifically Besiktas Cola of Turkey. Of course, this is the same club Allen Iverson recently suited up for.

Williams sees Europe as an opportunity to keep in shape, earn a salary, and play competitive basketball. If there’s an NBA season, he can opt-out and return to America.

There’s an obvious risk: injury. Williams could hurt himself while in Turkey, which would impact his career and earning power in the NBA.

Now Williams will get insurance for financial protection, but this doesn’t help the New Jersey Nets, the club that mortgaged their future to acquire him, in case of an injury.

Nevertheless, heading to Europe is Williams’ right, especially in this current environment of a lockout.

--Oly Sandor.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

"Just give me a training camp," he said. "Maybe I've rubbed people the wrong way as far as saying the things I've said in my life and in my career. But if any team needs me to help try and win a championship in any capacity, I'm waiting."

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Allen Iverson is like the boxer who hung on past his prime.

Currently, Iverson is out the NBA and plying his trade in Turkey before injury ended his overseas experiment prematurely. While Europe is good, the NBA is better. And Iverson is positioning himself to get a training camp invite.

Here’s the problem: Iverson, if healthy and focused, won’t play a role.

He won’t come off the bench. He won’t serve as a reserve. And he won’t defer. It’s not in his nature. Instead, he’ll demand minutes. He’ll demand touches. And he’ll demand to start.

Like with the Detroit Pistons. And like with the Memphis Grizzlies.

This is, after all, Iverson. The combo guard is stuck in a time warp, believing he still resembles the player who won the regular season MVP a decade ago. This perception clashes with the reality that Iverson is no longer The Answer.         

He deserved a better ending. One of the game’s greatest little men of all time should be celebrated, not hanging on too long. 

Iverson has nobody to blame but himself for his current fate, though.

--Oly Sandor.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

As we’ve written here, keeping Chauncey Billups around is a no-brainer. He’s better than any point guard the Knicks could have gotten on the free-agent market with whatever cap money they’d have produced by buying him out _ an estimated $8 million, but under the soon-to-be-moot old labor agreement.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Picking up the option on Chauncey Billups’ contract was the prudent move.

Sure, he gives the New York Knicks a steady hand at point guard. And sure, he’ll be better with an off-season to get healthy and a full training camp.

However, this wasn’t about 2012. It was about July 1st, 2012. That’s when Chris Paul and Deron Wiliams, two of the NBA’s top point guards, become free agents.

Both would be open to signing a lucrative contract with the big market Knicks –if the numbers fit according to the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, which will hopefully be worked out soon.

So Billups is simply keeping the point guard seat warm for Paul or Williams. For now, he’ll do. There is, however, a fear he’s getting older and slowing down.

Of course, that’s what people were saying when Billups got sent to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for Allen Iverson. Soon, he rediscovered his game and was an MVP candidate.

The difference is time. It’s starting to catch Billups. Thankfully, for the Knicks, he should be good for another year.

--Oly Sandor.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

With a belief the injured Allen Iverson won't return this season, Besiktas of Turkey tried and failed to sign Sundiata Gaines, sources say.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Is this his final answer?

Reports indicate Allen ‘The Answer’ Iverson won’t return to his Turkish club team this season because of a leg injury. Of course, next year has to be in doubt, too.

However, the real issue is whether Iverson retires or keeps trudging along, seeking a job overseas as a way to land one final audition with an NBA team.

The last few years have been tough on Iverson. There was his messy divorce with the Philadelphia 76ers; he and Carmelo Anthony never met expectations with the Denver Nuggets; Detroit and Memphis was a disaster; and his reunion with the 76ers was mixed.

Before getting injured, Iverson was having a mediocre season with a somewhat competitive Turkish squad.

Perhaps Iverson is at fault for the way his career is ending. But one of the greatest little men to ever play basketball deserves better than this.

--Oly Sandor.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment boxes below.

Allen Iverson: An MRI has revealed a legion that is in my right leg and pressing against the bone. I am coming home for further examinations and possibly surgery. I have never said anything about retirement.

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Hoops Vibe’s Very Quick Call: It should not end like this. Allen Iverson, the greatest little man to ever play basketball, deserves better.

Far better, in fact.

Iverson has left the Turkish club he had been playing for to have a legion removed on his leg. He will be in the United States indefinitely.

He insists this is not the end of the line, though. Like a heavyweight boxer holding on for a final payday, he wants to return. After all, there is another year and $2 million dollars waiting for him in Turkey.

However, Iverson’s last few situations have not ended well. He was run out of Detroit; he quit on Memphis after three games; and had to leave Philadelphia for personal reasons.

And now his body gave out on him while playing for a mediocre European squad.

Perhaps Iverson should it call a day and retire. Perhaps he was never meant to have a happy ending.

-Oly Sandor.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

Celtics fans may get the chance to see how well Shaquille O'Neal's hyperbole or ego mix with a bench role. The Celtics, [a] source said, have told O'Neal that he has to come off the bench next season, and that O'Neal said he could accept a reserve role for the first time in his career.

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HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: Clarity is the key.

Credit the Boston Celtics for telling Shaquille O'Neal - one of the NBA's top 50 players of all time - that he would play a role for the green-and-white.

O'Neal also deserves credit -if he signs with the Celtics and comes off the bench. After all, how many aging superstars have killed their careers by making unrealistic demands?

Last I checked, Allen Iverson and Stephon Marbury are out the league because they had to start. Tracy McGrady's career is almost over, in part, because he doesn't want to become a reserve.

Signing with the Celtics will prolong O'Neal's career and give him a chance at a fifth NBA Title. All he had to do was swallow his ego.

--Oly Sandor.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

The truth is, I deserve it. Despite the objectivity exercised while disseminating the news, it's impossible to be completely impartial about someone you've known for 14 years and are incredibly fond of despite the innumerable mistakes he's made. 

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