Multiple NBA sources say Allen Iverson is facing alcohol and gambling issues that have derailed his career and threaten his post-basketball well-being, Stephen A. Smith of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported in a column published Monday.
Iverson's gambling problem is serious enough that he has been banished from casinos in Detroit and Atlantic City, N.J., according to Smith.
The report comes as Iverson is dealing with significant personal problems. He posted four messages Monday night on his Twitter account, acknowledging he was going through "some very tough times."
"To my fans: You all know that my life isn't perfect. I am going through some very tough times right now, like I am sure that we all do from time to time," Iverson wrote. "However, I will stand tall like always with 'rhino' thick skin."
Iverson's wife, Tawana, filed for divorce March 4, the same day the 76ers announced the All-Star guard would not return for the rest of the season. In the divorce filing, made in Fulton County Superior Court in Atlanta, Tawana Iverson said the couple's 8½-year marriage is "irretrievably broken" and sought full custody of the family's five children, child support and alimony.
Iverson, who played 25 games for the Sixers this season, returned to Atlanta in February to be with his family and deal with an undisclosed illness affecting his 4-year-old daughter, Messiah.
Smith, who has covered Iverson closely for years, wrote in Monday's column that Iverson needs someone with "the ideal combination of compassion and toughness" in his life.
And former Temple coach John Chaney said that person is John Thompson, Iverson's former college coach at Georgetown.
"[Thompson] is the one guy who'll have a chance of slowing this train wreck down, who could wrap his arms around Iverson and have an impact, because clearly it has not been done," Chaney said, according to Smith. "But there's still this one question: Will [Iverson] listen?"
Allen Iverson said on Twitter it hurt to hear stories about his personal life that he says aren't true.
"Even though I have become used to hearing people say things about me that aren't true, it still hurts," Iverson wrote. "I encourage you to continue your ongoing support and I want you to trust that this is another obstacle in my life that, with God's help I will overcome."
Iverson started the season with the Memphis Grizzlies but only played three games, amid disagreements over playing time, before announcing a short-lived retirement.
He signed with the 76ers as a free agent in December, making a tearful return to the city where he spent his first 10½ seasons, won four scoring titles, earned the 2000-01 MVP award and led the Sixers to the 2001 NBA Finals.
Iverson was traded to the Denver Nuggets in 2006 and played for the Nuggets through 2008, when he was dealt to the Detroit Pistons.
Associated Press
Its a sad story when it comes to AI. If his career is over, which it seems like it is, this will be one of the strangest endings to an incredible career. It seems like in the last 2 or 3 years Iverson has dealt with all type of issues that have nothing to do with basketball. He just seems distracted by everything else but playing the game. I hope AI can figure it out and get back on track.
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