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Iverson no longer The Answer in Philadelphia
by Marc Narducci / December 12, 2006

Mo Cheeks did his best to sidestep the issue, but just like his 76ers team, the frustrated coach was unsuccessful. His team is losing games, losing fans and pretty soon will be losing the franchise player, Allen Iverson. And Cheeks is losing his patience, with the endless questions about his former best player.

Iverson demanded a trade from this stumbling franchise and the Sixers have obliged, except for the fact that he hasn’t been dealt just yet. That has left Cheeks hearing questions he has no intention of answering about the man they call The Answer.

“We have to work with the players we have and not worry about what could happen or might happen and can’t worry about anything else,” Cheeks told a throng of reporters on Monday night.

Normally a December Monday night game between the Portland Trail Blazers and 76ers would draw scant interest. In fact, few actually bothered to attend the game, but there were seven mini-cams and hordes of reporters to hear what Cheeks had to say during his pre-game media session

Cheeks realized the media wasn’t there to inquire about how he would defend Zach Randolph, who by the way beat the Sixers with a game-winning layup in an 81-79 triumph. Right now in Philadelphia and through plenty of locales around the NBA, it’s all-Iverson, all the time.

Nothing else seems to matter. Not surprisingly, the Sixers have fielded calls from plenty of interested trading partners. Most will no doubt attempt to give 50-cents on the dollar in exchange.

Once it’s done, Iverson will feel like a free man, not to mention one who might have a chance to play in the postseason after being denied that privilege two of the previous three seasons. The Sixers will be freed of their biggest headache, a superstar who required unending maintenance.

Throughout his 11 seasons in Philadelphia, which included six trips to the playoffs and one appearance in the NBA Finals, Iverson was a total contradiction in terms. Nobody played harder on the court, but nobody disdained practice, and ignored team rules and authority more either.

Too many people in the organization backed down to him. Jim O’Brien, one of the few head coaches who insisted that Iverson attend practice and actually pay attention to defense, was fired after one season. Interim coach Chris Ford also stood up to Iverson and he never made it past the interim stage.

Iverson was a leading scorer, but never a true leader. His teammates, coaches, and the front office were intimidated by his talent and forceful personality. That personality spilled out on the court, where he never could grasp the idea of being a team player. Yes, for one season, 2000-2001, it worked, where Iverson scored (31.1 ppg) and his teammates were content to rebound and play defense.

That only lasted one season and after the Sixers were extinguished by the Los Angeles Lakers in five games during the NBA Finals, the team and, quite frankly, Iverson were never the same. Still among the most popular players in the world and a true drawing card, Iverson’s star even faded in the box office category in Philadelphia. Last year, the Sixers averaged 17,573 per game, their lowest attendance since the 1997-98 season.

In all fairness, if they weren’t near capacity with him, the empty seats will multiply much more quickly in his absence.

When Cheeks, a former Sixers star point guard and assistant coach was hired, Iverson came to the press conference, beaming. He mentioned that if somebody couldn’t play for Mo Cheeks, then something was terribly wrong.

In less than a year and a half, Iverson couldn’t play for Cheeks, couldn’t adhere to simple team rules, such as reporting to practice on time and actually participating. Cheeks and Iverson butted heads, just as Larry Brown and Iverson and several others did with the former face of the Sixers franchise. It’s no coincidence that the Sixers have had six head coaches during Iverson’s tenure.

Iverson complained that he never had the supporting cast and now he will get his chance to prove himself. And the Sixes will get to retool, possibly to make a serious run at the Greg Oden sweepstakes. One thing is for sure, things won’t be the same without Iverson and that is both good and bad.

“It’s going to be a huge adjustment,” said Sixers sharpshooter Kyle Korver. “Every single aspect of everything changes.”

This was a change that was long overdue. The Sixers had long ago gone as far as they could with Iverson. Iverson finally requested a trade last week, but in all honestly, he has wanted out for quite some time. Now the team said it would grant him his wish, and pay him not to play until a trade is consummated.

This is not the way a superstar is supposed to exit. Yet, nothing really went according to form with the Sixers and Iverson, which is why this messy divorce seems fitting for such a dysfunctional relationship.

Marc Narducci covers the NBA for the Philadelphia Inquirer and is a regular contributor to HoopsHype.com

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