Grizzlies, Iverson off to rocky start
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Allen Iverson(notes) made his debut with the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday, and it went about as expected.
He spent much of the night on the sideline. And he wasn’t happy about it.
(NBAE/Getty)
Nor, it seems, was his rear.
“I had a problem with my butt from sitting on the bench so long,” Iverson said. “That’s the only thing I had a problem with.”
Iverson made his first appearance in an NBA game since April 1, and not much had changed in the seven months in between. The Grizzlies brought him off the bench just like the Detroit Pistons tried to do, and Iverson didn’t like it. Not after watching the Grizzlies lose 127-116 in overtime to the lowly Sacramento Kings. Not after he played just 17 minutes – an effective 17 minutes in which he scored 11 points – and not after seeing his new team fall to 1-3 while he sat idly on the sideline.
Upon signing with the Grizzlies this summer, Iverson said he would have no problem coming off the bench – provided he was given a chance to compete for the starting job. That, however, was then. This is now. Iverson is a tremendous competitor and fiercely proud. Not even missing Memphis’ first three games – along with the entire preseason – with a hamstring injury seems to have tempered his distaste for bench work.
After the game, Iverson had no problem stating matter-of-factly and loudly – just so everyone in the locker room could hear, including starting guards Mike Conley(notes) and O.J. Mayo(notes), who was seated next to him – that the Grizzlies would need to make a change if they continue to lose.
Specifically, they’d need to start him.
“I’m not a reserve basketball player,” Iverson said. “I’ve never been a reserve all my life and I’m not going to start looking at myself as a reserve. That’s something for the media to talk about. It’s only a big issue when the media talks about it. The subject never came up in my career until everything happened in Detroit. No one talked about me being a sub or anything like that until last year.
Comments
Well I love the man regardless. He's too cute to be on the bench. I wanna see his sexy ass runnin up and down that court for AT LEAST 40 minutes.
On top of the that the boy is extra talented and a hard hustler. True, he's one of those peacocks but his skills are pretty much undeniable. I think part of his problem is that he doesn't trust anyone's skills but his own. To me it seems like he thinks that no one is capable of producing the results that he can, thus no one can win a game without him. I think he'd be happier if he could just clone 10 of himself and start his own team. Or maybe he could go back to Philly and settle that score he's had with himself all these years after being bested out of his one good chance for a ring. I don't think homeboy ever reconciled that one with himself. It's been fuckin wit his game ever since...
Wow, that is scary. You truly do know your sports. You are a HUGE Saints fan and you speak about football with sports intelligence and you really undertsand Basketball (with the exception of he is sexy so he she start comment...LOL...I am just fucking with you) but I agree with your Basketball assessment.
For years he has always been the most talented cat on the team and he has incredible confidence in his ability and so this is why he has never developed belief in his teammates.
The other thing is that dude is only 5ft 10 inches. I have seen him several times in person he is not 6ft 1. So he should be a point guard but none of his coaches have had the balls to make him play the position and the right way.
I have madd love for AI but what made him great also hurt him (which is his lack of discipline). I wish that dude well but I think this may be his last year in the league. People are just tired of his bullshit and now he is 34 which is old age in sports. I wish him well!