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Emphasis on good times for Iverson in his return to Philly

By Chris Tomasson, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published March 19, 2008 at 7:42 p.m.

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PHILADELPHIA - When Allen Iverson stepped on the court for warm-ups, the first thing he did was kiss the "S" on the "Sixers" logo at center court.

Before Iverson trotted out for the jump ball, he ran down to the Philadelphia bench and gave 76ers coach Maurice Cheeks a hug.

Iverson wasted no time making amends Wednesday in his first trip to Philadelphia since being traded to the Nuggets in December 2006.

"I want to make this day a positive point in my life," Iverson said shortly after his arrival. "I want to make it a day I'll always remember."

The fans sure helped. Iverson got a lengthy ovation before scoring 32 points in the Nuggets' 115-113 loss.

Iverson's troubles in his 10-plus seasons with the 76ers have been well-chronicled. He missed practices and clashed with coaches.

The ending was ugly. The team sent Iverson home two weeks before he was traded, and, until Wednesday, he hadn't spoken with Cheeks since the deal.

"Looking back on it, I wish I didn't react the way I did," Iverson said of his exit. "Somebody lives their life in one place for so long, and goes through so many things there and not really wanting to leave and feel like you were forced out, it was tough for me to deal with.

"People can talk about how ugly things went toward the end, but I think when you have a marriage and you get a divorce, it's not peaches and cream in the end. You're not the same way you were when you got married. But, as time goes on, I still have kids with the organization."

But Iverson said it was time to "move on" by greeting Cheeks, with whom he once was very close. He said the book "doesn't have to have a sad ending."

"Everyone was excited when he came over," Cheeks said. "I got to watch him (receive his ovation) and got a little touched by it and realized I had to coach the game."

Iverson had his own odd moment, being in the visiting locker room for the first time.

"That's a locker room I never wanted to end up in," said Iverson, who had wanted to play his entire career for Philadelphia.

But plenty else seemed familiar.

"Just seeing the ball boys and seeing the security, a lot of familiar faces," Iverson said. "Walking in here, it don't seem like nothing changed. . . . It even smells the same."

But it smelled a lot sweeter than when he left.

Comments

  • March 20, 2008

    8:38 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Kslayer writes:

    Sounds like AI is wishing he would have never left. Can we get Andre Miller back?

  • March 20, 2008

    9 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    kmeissner writes:

    We don't want Andre Miller back. A.I. also said he is now a better person now that he's in Denver if you read the story on MSN.com. He said he regrets some of the things he did in Philly, but he needed a change of scenery to really make the difference.

    He has said time and time again that he enjoys playing here and he wants to work out a deal so he can finish his NBA career here in Denver.

    Although having Miller and A.I. would be great!!!!

  • March 20, 2008

    7:41 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    JasonM writes:

    Denver...you folks can have Andre Miller back and let AI go back to Philly where he belongs. That ovation that the Philly crowd gave him lastnight was amazing and he deserved every bit of it. Its more then obvious how much they miss that guy. And that crowd is bananas, the crowds aren't like that in Denver.

    I agree that Miller (a consistant PG) and Iverson would have been great on this team together. But they had to give him up in order to get AI....to bad Philly couldn't have made any decent trades to improve that team when Iverson was there, maybe he would have never left.