Hoops Haven

Yo Adrien! A.I is back! ……………..The Philadelphia 76ers and “The Answer” Allen Iverson have come to an agreement with the 10 time All Star to play with the team for the rest of the season. It’s a comeback of epic proportions for Iverson who has definitely had some trials and tribulations in the last two seasons with the Pistons and Grizzlies. Philadelphia is probably the one team in the entire league that is a possible fit since he still has a tremendous fan base and both the team needs Iverson just as much as Iverson needs the Sixers.  The story was first reported on Yahoo’s Ball Don’t Lie.

Recent reports have stated that the former league MVP is in dire straights financially. It’s hard to believe that a player which earned an average of $40 million per season, including endorsements, for 14 seasons, can go broke. Supposedly Iverson has a large entourage of friends and family which he supports as well as his well documented high stakes poker games, most notably at last season’s NCAA Final Four. This is probably the last stop on the A.I. Express since he has worn out his welcome in a number of NBA cities. The Grizzlies were the only team to have any real interest this offseason. Everyone gets a second(or third, or fourth) chance nowadays, and A.I. is no different. Taking an example from Pedro Martinez with the Phillies, Iverson will play for below the league veteran minimum(approx $650,000), in hopes of re-establishing himself and earning one more multi year free agent contract, most likely with another NBA team.

Allen played for the Sixers for more than a decade, carrying a team who was in desperate need of an identity after the departure of NBA Hall of Famer and Philly legend in his own right, Charles Barkley, in 1993. They definitely got that identity and then some when they drafted Iverson #1 overall in ‘96. The City of Brotherly Love instantly accepted his immense talent and his confident demeanor. He was the face of the franchise, taking his teammates all the way to the NBA Finals in ‘01, which consequentially was the same year that he won his only MVP. Iverson as recently as 2 seasons ago in Denver averaged 27+ ppg. Then came the trade to Detroit, where he had disagreements with the coaching staff on coming off of the bench. After which the Grizzlies signed the 4 time scoring champion in a deal which lasted only 3 games.

I applaud the Sixers for taking a chance on a former native son. In the end, once he is retired, he will always be remembered as a Sixer. His jersey will hand from the First Union Center, as his trademark #3 will forever join Wilt Chamberlain, Hal Greer, Billy Cunningham, Dr. J, and Charles Barkley as All Time 76ers.

Here is my favorite Allen Iverson press conference:

We all know that Michael Jordan is at least in the conversation as the Greatest NBA Player of All Time. While some opinions argue Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, or Jerry West should get the nod as the GOAT, Jordan unquestionably is the player that took the league to the great heights that we witness today. Jerry West’s silhouette will be forever known as the NBA logo, shouldn’t MJ be forever immortalized as well?

In two of the other “major” sports, jersey numbers have been retired to remember that sports’ milestone players. Major League Baseball has made sure that no other player wears the number 42, besides the great Jackie Robinson, who helped to break baseball’s color barrier. Likewise, the NHL has retired the number 99, in honor of the “Great One” Wayne Gretzky.

The issue has always been a topic of conversation but has really taken off recently with Lebron James informing all of us he will be changing his jersey number from #23 to his Olympic #6, in honor of “His Airness.” Jordan has not only has been one of the game’s greatest players, but has been the inspiration and role model to many of the game’s current players and fans around the world. He, more than any other player, has been the face of the NBA for more than 25 years.

The Miami Heat apparently agree with James since they, under Pat Riley’s insistence, retired and hung Jordan’s #23 jersey from their rafters back in 2003. Riley argues,” Number 23 needs to hang in the air, kind of like Jordan did in all those epic flights to the rim.” It’s ironic to say the least that Riley is one of MJ’s biggest supporters considering that many of Jordan’s high flying exploits were at the expense of many of Riley’s teams like the Lakers, Knicks, and Heat.

The opposite, and more negative end of the argument, is that while Jordan was a great player on the court, his en-devours into his now legendary high stakes poker games, gambling on golf matches, and infidelities in his marriage are not exactly someone the league should honor. Another logical argument is that Jordan is just one of many NBA superstars of his generation and hasn’t changed the game in any way or had any historical significance like Jackie Robinson and issues with race. Also, if the number would be retired, what about the other 12 players who currently wear the number on NBA rosters, immediately switch to another or wait till they retire?

In my opinion, Jordan’s positives greatly outnumber the negatives. MJ was the total package, Hall of Fame player, media darling, and worldwide ambassador of the sport. I can’t think of any other NBA player that I would want to represent the sport. Tell us what you think?

Brandon Jennings is playing with a chip on his shoulder. He’s out to prove all of his critics were wrong when he was criticized for skipping a collegiate career and playing in Europe before entering the NBA Draft. He already was doing just that before last night’s record breaking night when he scored 55 points, 29 of them in the third quarter, in a win over the Golden State Warriors.

Before last night, Jennings had to be the early favorite for the NBA’s Rookie of the Year Award with averages of 20.7 ppg and 4.9 assists. He definitely will get more votes after breaking the Bucks franchise record for points by a rookie. formerly held by Kareem Abdul Jabbar, then known as Lew Alcindor. He also became only the 3rd Bucks player to top the century mark joining Jabbar and teammate Michael Redd, who hit for 57 points in ‘06.

His 55 points were also the 3rd highest rookie scoring game in NBA history. Wilt Chamberlain scored 58 points back in 1960, followed by Earl Monroe’s 56 points in 1968. His 29 points in the 3rd quarter was only 3 short of another NBA record for points in a quarter(33), set by George Gervin and Carmelo Anthony.

Jennings also added 5 assists and 5 rebounds to go along with his offensive explosion. Opposing coach Don Nelson called Jennings effort, “Probably the best rookie performance I’ve ever witnessed in 30-some years of coaching.” The win helped the Bucks improve to 5-2, which is their best start since ‘05, the last time they made the post-season.

Check out some video footage of “Young Money’s” 55 points: