Iverson, who won four NBA scoring titles and an MVP in his 10 seasons-plus with the Sixers, made it through three games, then asked for permission to go home to Atlanta to attend to a personal matter. It didn't take long for word to spread that he might be contemplating retiring.
What we do know is, Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley ran out of patience. Heisley initially told the Memphis Commercial Appeal yesterday that it was time for a decision. He said he told Iverson's agent, Leon Rose, the Grizzlies would not deal with the uncertainty beyond this week.
Iverson had been away from the team for 10 days. His Grizzlies era included three games, a 12.3 scoring average and 3.7 assists in 22.3 minutes.
Originally, Heisley told the Commercial Appeal that he would be treating the situation like a "personal leave."
"But either he's retiring or coming back to play," Heisley told the newspaper before terminating the contract. "I'm not upset with Allen. We'll be happy to accommodate Allen. If he retires, then he retires. If he wants to come back, we'll gladly accept him back. But I have personally made it clear that there's going to have to be a decision made."
Consider it done.
What we do know is, Iverson abhors coming off the bench. He made that clear last season with the Detroit Pistons. He was sending the same tired message to the Grizzlies.
Memphis coach Lionel Hollins, a onetime Sixers guard who won a championship with the Portland Trail Blazers, views the situation as "strange."
"He got hurt in training camp, so I hadn't even had a chance to fit him in," Hollins said. "But I do know that every issue was addressed before we ever started. Our owner told him he was being brought in to mentor the young guards, to come off the bench. He didn't blink.
