Grizzlies, Iverson part ways after only 3 games
Posted Nov 16, 2009 7:11 PM
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MEMPHIS, Tenn. -The Allen Iverson experiment with the Memphis Grizzlies is over.
Memphis announced Monday that the team has ended its one-year contract with the 10-time All-Star and former league MVP in what it called a mutual agreement. Iverson began an indefinite leave of absence on Nov. 7 to deal with a personal issue after playing only three games with the Grizzlies, all in California.
"Because of personal matters that forced him to leave the team on November 7, Allen will step away from the game at this time, allowing him to focus on those matters," general manager Chris Wallace said in a statement. "As a result, we will be ending our contractual agreement with Allen, which will allow both parties to move forward. We wish Allen the best."
The Grizzlies will waive Iverson but the team had not done that as of Monday night.
Iverson's agent, Leon Rose, did not immediately return a message left by The Associated Press on his cell phone. Iverson, who announced he was headed to Memphis on his Twitter account, hasn't posted any updates there since Nov. 2 when he played his first game with the Grizzlies.
Memphis owner Michael Heisley told the AP last week he would be happy to trade Iverson to another team if a better deal came along.
Few NBA teams had shown interest in the 34-year-old guard before Memphis signed him to a one-year, incentive-laden contract on Sept. 10. Memphis fans greeted the biggest star ever to play for the Grizzlies with a big crowd for his introductory news conference and eagerly bought up his No. 3 jersey, though he wound up never playing a game on the team's home court.
Iverson didn't help himself much during his short stint with his fourth NBA team. He missed the preseason with a partially torn left hamstring and didn't debut with the Grizzlies until Nov. 2 at Sacramento.
Immediately, Iverson began talking about his distaste for coming off the bench and being on a rebuilding team filled with youth from Rudy Gay and O.J. Mayo to recent draft picks Hasheem Thabeet and DeMarre Carroll.
The four-time NBA scoring champ became the 16th player in league history to score 24,000 points in his career in his second game against Golden State. He played against the Lakers in Los Angeles, where he also met with Heisley before being given permission to take an indefinite leave.
But the Grizzlies got tired of waiting for Iverson to decide what to do next.
They signed point guard Jamaal Tinsley on Saturday for some much-needed help with the Grizzlies struggling at 2-8 this season.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
2009-11-16 19:09:19

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RPTuckhom
10:40PM Nov 18 2009 
Will be good to see the moron midget and his cute little arm sleeve out of the game. He'll be in jail or trouble within the year. He's a little punk!
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RPTuckhom
7:24AM Nov 17 2009 
Sounds like you're as clueless as AI. He's not good enough to start is why he's on the bench! Don't think anyone else will want this cancer on their team. He never could play any defense and by the way, that's part of the game too. The unique Iverson, as you refer to him, is not being disrespected fool, he's being ushered out of the game because people get tired of a self-centered moron in a team sport!
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RPTuckhom
7:17AM Nov 17 2009 
Good to see this moron out of the game. He can take his cute little arm sleeve with him. Don't know who's more stupid, him or Terrell Owens, they both think the same way! Neither knows anything about being a team player or how to fit in because it's all about themselves, not the team. This moron said a few years back when they put a salary cap in the game that even though he couldn't make more than 15 million a year, he'd just play for the love of the game. That statement pretty much said how clueless he is! He'll be in trouble with the law within 6 months, as he's nothing but a street thug who can play basketball. Good to see him go!
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SLSpeights2009
1:17AM Nov 17 2009 
YEAH-WE NEED ALL THE HELP WE CAN GET!!!!!!!!!!!!
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SuburbanStunna
12:17AM Nov 17 2009 
Allen Iverson did nothing but cause problems in Detroit! I'd told my husband that I would have fired him when he missed the Christmas holiday practices without excuse. The management team of the Grizzlies found out why there wasn't much interest in him, you can't sacifice the morale of the whole team for one player who thinks he doesn't have to follow the rules.
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CLarrydarl
11:13PM Nov 16 2009 
Allen Iverson was a great player, a Hall of Famer. To put him on the bench on a very bad team before he is through was not the right way to go. It disrespected the game as well as the unique Iverson. They shouldn't then have signed him if they weren't going to start him. Iverson had been a legend and will always be so, when one looks at the game's history - and I have never been a '76'er fan.
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BruceKins
6:35PM Nov 16 2009 
no philly doesnt need him, what are you talking about, granted he made his millions there, but he ruined the chemistry there and im still a sixer fan from florida
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MJASON3
6:30PM Nov 16 2009 
A.I. needs to come back to Philly,cuz he needs Philly and Philly needs him!
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DLipshutz
6:28PM Nov 16 2009 
Putting aside the non-basketball issues, which isn't easy, he's one of the best basketball players I've ever watched. I'm a Philly fan and he was worth the price of admission by himself.
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