Wednesday’s blizzard put a damper and a delay in the anticipated arrival of the newest Nugget, Allen Iverson. The latest plan, weather permitting, has Iverson taking an afternoon flight to Denver today and if all goes as expected making his Nuggets debut against Sacramento on Friday night.
“He’s eager to get out there,” said Leon Rose, Iverson’s agent. “We can’t control Mother Nature.”
Iverson, 31, was acquired by the Nuggets along with rookie forward Ivan McFarlin on Tuesday. The seven-time all-star spent part of Wednesday doing interviews with Philadelphia media, as well as ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, a former 76ers beat writer, and ex-Georgetown coach John Thompson, Iverson’s former college coach who is now with Turner Sports.
Following are excerpt highlights from his interviews with The Philadelphia Inquirer, Smith and Thompson, on:
Playing with Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony:
“It will make it a lot easier on me. I’ll make it a lot easier on him. I never played with somebody as great as he is. The fact that me and him will be on the court at the same time is going to mean a lot of problems for defenses.”
Asking the Sixers for a trade:
“I didn’t actually go in there asking for a trade. I went in and discussed my displeasure with the style we were playing. Whatever style we were playing, it was a losing style. We weren’t playing winning basketball. I went in there and said if we continue to play this style, I didn’t want to be a part of it.”
Leaving Philadelphia, where he had spent his entire career:
“I don’t think it had to end this way. But this is the way it did end. I thought the organization did what was best for them, and the trade was best for me. I just wish them well. I hope they get everything they thought they could get out of this trade.”
His mood since learning of the trade:
“I just know that I’m going to a good situation. I’m ecstatic.”
The best thing about being with Denver:
“(Playing with Anthony) has to be the top reason, but just the squad in general, the guys that they have on the team already. I’m just looking forward to playing with Marcus (Camby), who is a friend of mine. They got J.R. Smith, Earl Boykins, (Eduardo) Najera, Nene. They got some people. We can do some things.”
His infamous “practice” comments:
“It’s just blown all out of proportion. That was a day I wish honestly never happened. I didn’t mean it like ‘I don’t care about practice’ or anything like that, I’m just saying we are having a press conference and all you all want to talk about is practice. … I couldn’t have accomplished the things in my career if I didn’t practice, and the worst part about that whole thing is when a kid comes up to me and says, ‘Allen, I don’t like practice, either,’ I’ve got to straighten that kid right then.”
Whether he is a thug:
“A thug? Man, I’m 31 years old and a husband with four kids, I hope I’m no thug. … I’m not going to be the same as I was when I’ve made so many bad mistakes. If I’m not getting older and more mature at 31, then something’s wrong.”
