Allen Iverson was the center of attention Tuesday at a press conference regarding his relationship with head coach Larry Brown, and his future with the Philadelphia 76ers. Iverson sat down and told the media that no matter what the rumors were, that he wanted to remain a 76er for the rest of his career. Iverson also told the media until last week when Brown made some snide comments about Iverson’s “non-team attitude” he never had a problem with Brown.
The controversy between Brown and Iverson has gone on for many years now. It’s just a matter of winning and losing. If the Sixers were going to get to the finals every year then this wouldn’t even be an issue. Everybody thought that the two had worked out their problems last season, because there wasn’t any controversy about the Sixers winning. The problems came right back this season, with a first-round exit from the postseason. Who in their right mind would criticize last season’s MVP anyway?
If your team doesn’t win, then attitudes will change – and quickly. This was a sub-par season for the defending Eastern Conference Champions. Although Iverson was the NBA’s scoring leader once again this season, his team did not perform the same as one season ago. Throughout the season, ‘the Answer’ was criticized quite often for his shot selection and lack of commitment to his job on the team. Iverson sometimes failed show up to practice and gave unacceptable excuses. Brown felt like this was not the way his superstar franchise player should be acting throughout the season and probably contributed to the comments Brown made after the season’s end.
“The issues are things he (Iverson) has control over and he’ll have a problem with me if he doesn’t take care of it,” Brown stated in a recent press release.
It is clear that the Sixers need help in many positions on their team. They lack outside shooting and a consistent inside presence. Iverson does put up numbers in the scoring column, but often has to take half of his team’s shots to do so. If the Sixers want to get back to winning the weak Eastern Conference, they’ll definitely have to make some changes in the off-season. To the dismay of many Sixers, and Iverson fans, ‘the Answer’ could be the first to go.