Allen Iverson has never been a sympathetic figure.
His bold style of play, his in-your-face attitude and appearance, and his immaturity rubbed a lot of hoops fans the wrong way. Some people think of him as a thug, and looking at his track record you can understand why some people feel that way.
We all remember his “practice” rant, which came to symbolize the NBA’s “me first” mentality.
For almost two full seasons, Iverson played here for the Nuggets. It was an experiment that didn’t work, but he handled himself with class while he was here, and he influenced teammates with his toughness.
Now Iverson is in deep trouble. His marriage is on the rocks and reports are circulating out of Philadelphia that he has major problems with gambling and alcohol.
A lot of people around the NBA who care about A.I. are really worried. Check out what the about A.I. in a blog by The Post’s Chris Dempsey.
Some of you might be tempted to say, “serves him right, just another high-priced star athlete who screwed up his on his own dream.”
But I can’t help but feel sympathy for one of the NBA’s most exciting players of the recent era. It seems like he’s had to fight his demons from the very beginning of his life, and now that his basketball career is ending, the demons are winning.
Nobody was more fearless than Iverson when it came to taking the ball to the hoop. He ranks as one of the toughest players in NBA history. But is he tough enough to win this battle?
Whether you like or dislike Iverson, do yourself a favor and read.
Trivia time
What coach did Iverson play college basketball for? (Answer below)
Polling
Tuesday’s “Lunch Special” poll asked readers which of the state’s Division I men’s basketball programs will be the next to advance to the NCAA Tournament. The Northern Colorado Bears, who lost Tuesday night in the Big Sky Conference semifinals, got nearly 51 percent of the vote. Coach Jeff Bzdelik’s Colorado Buffaloes got 31 percent of the vote.
Quotable
“It’s not a race to get him ready for opening day. He’s feeling better, but we can’t get those days back that we already marked off the calendar. We want him healthy for the season.” — Rockies pitching coach Bob Apodaca,
Blog spot
Adrian Dater, the Avalanche beat writer for The Post, writes that was a “prime example of a team that doesn’t have that deep down, rock-solid confidence in itself yet.”
In case you missed it
Marion Jones is back. The disgraced Olympic sprinter has signed with the WNBA’s Tulsa Shock.
Jones was America’s sweetheart at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney but admitted two years ago that she had taken a designer steroid known as the “clear.” She was stripped of her medals, including three golds.
She also spent about six months in a Texas federal prison for lying about doping and her role in a check-fraud scam.
“She made some ill-advised decisions in the past, but everyone deserves a second chance to excel at something they love,” Shock president Steve Swetoha told The Associated Press today.
Trivia answer
Iverson played for John Thompson at Georgetown, a man considered a central figure in Iverson’s success.
Patrick Saunders: 303-954-1720 or psaunders@denverpost.com Hungry for more? .
