Allen Iverson Live

Allen Iverson is back with a new shoe re-release. Without doubt, after The Questions, Allen Iverson’s most well-known shoe has to be The Answer IV. Worn during his 2000-01 MVP season, the classic Reebok’s most enduring image was created in Los Angeles, when following a right-to-left cross and corner jumper at the Staples Center, Iverson stepped over a prone Tyronn Lue on his way to handing the Laker juggernaut their first—and, as it would turn out, only—loss of the postseason.

The best way to describe The Answer IV to someone who’s never seen it is this: a sleek and streamlined update of The Question. The Answer IV utilized similar colorblocking and the same ghilly lacing, but featured a lower cut and a zip-up upper, as well as new tech—full-length DMX as opposed to Hexalite—in the midsole.

“The Answer IV, we really set out to create a lightweight shoe with a great speed graphic,” says Reebok Global VP Todd Krinsky. “So when you look at the Answer IV, it’s got a very strong front-to-back graphic that goes throughout the shoe. We created shoes that have a 3M reflective shot because we were always wondering what a shoe would look like when it was shot, flashes going on in the arena. It’s got a 3D Ultralite bottom so it makes the shoe two or three ounces lighter than a normal rubber shoe—back in the day before there was light everywhere, it was one of the lightest basketball shoes. And then from a fashion perspective we added the zipper, and so kids could wear it laced up when they were playing, and they could zipper it down with jeans when they weren’t playing.”

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Allen Iverson presented the Game Ball at the Celtics-Sixers Game 6 Showdown and  received a heartfelt ovation from the fans. Maybe some good ol’ AI Magic rubbed off, as the Sixers won and forced a Game 7 with the Celtics.

Iverson cupped his hand to his ear and received the loudest ovation of the night. He watched the game from a suite and his eyes watered up when he was shown later in the game on the big screen as the crowd, thousands wearing a No. 3 jersey, went wild and chanted, ”MVP!” Iverson posted on Twitter, ”You can always come home again!!!”

A more revealing moment came during a second-quarter interview with Lisa Salters on ESPN’s telecast.

Asked if he was retired, Iverson told Salters: “I’m not using that word. I wanna play basketball so bad. The way it is right now, I’ve accepted the fact [the NBA] may not happen, but I still want to play basketball. If I can get an opportunity to where it’s gonna make me happy at the end of my career, I’ll take that opportunity.”

Allen Iverson has found his scoring touch again, showcasing to the Chinese fans in the US Legends’ 126-109 victory over the Shanxi Brave Dragons on Wednesday. It is also the most points he had throughout the exhibition team’s two-week China tour.

However, Iverson denied a widely hyped speculation that he is in talks with some CBA clubs for a contract this summer, saying he hasn’t been approached by any of them.

Pundits and some CBA head coaches hinted that Iverson is not physically ready for pro games. But he insisted he remains a superstar, at least “in the CBA”.

Wow, just wow. This brings back good ol’ memories. Remember The Questions? Remember the Reebok commercials featuring AI? We’ll he’s back.

Watch AI show off his handle alongside Swizzy.

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YES!  They’re back.  The iconic Reebok Questions, Allen Iverson’s first signature shoe, will be re-released by Reebok later this month.  The official date will be May 25.

Recently, Allen Iverson was spotted rocking the Reebok Questions—his first signature sneaker—during a tour over in China. So, we were pretty sure that they’d be re-released by Reebok at some point. But, now we can tell you that we know for a fact that Reebok will be putting these out again on May 25. As you can see from the photo above, the Questions will be available in a “White/Red” colorway and feature the honeycomb-style air units and the translucent icy blue sole that we’ve all come to know and love.

The release will be hyped and delivered Reebok Creative Director and Iverson fan, Swizz Beatz.

It’s without doubt that Allen Iverson was one of the most influential figures to ever play in the NBA. After a great career at Georgetown University under the mentorship of John Thompson, AI went on to dominate in the league with a career that makes him arguably the best “little man” to ever play the game. Moreover, his presence in hip hop culture is well-documented through his personal style and signature shoe collection with Reebok. The Question, his most celebrated silhouette, is set for a very hyped comeback fueled by Reebok Creative Director and Iverson fan, Swizz Beatz.

A trendsetter in his own right, Iverson’s collection with Reebok was highlighted by the Question – a shoe that in the 90′s graced everyone’s feet and is still classic to this day. The white/red colorways is set to return this month on May 25th. Featuring a predominately white upper, the honeycomb midsole is set off by red accenting and Reebok branding along the lace holes. The AI logo is perched on the heel. Pricing info is not yet available.

Allen Iverson just finished an exhibition game between the Ducks and a US team of NBA players on Thursday in Shenzhen. The US team won 119-109. Iverson, a former NBA MVP, was asked if he was considering joining the CBA. “Why not?” he said.

Source: China Daily

But apparently, Iverson needs to work at his fitness:

Brendan Suhr, the visiting US team’s head coach, said the 36-year-old, dubbed ”The Answer”,needs more practice to prepare for competition in the CBA.

“He has not played for a year against anyone with that ability, so he’s not that good right now,”Suhr said of Iverson’s current status after leading the US squad to a 119-109 over the Ducks inthe team’s third game in Shenzhen on Thursday.

“It’s very hard (for him) to all of the sudden play against tremendous competition like the Ducks presented. I think he’s going to get better and when he makes shots he will get more confident.

But Marbury is an example:

However, a lot of sweat and pain could make a big difference, as Marbury has shown.

To get ready for his time in the CBA, Marbury said he got into the best shape of his career witha tough training regimen last summer.

The Ducks’ head coach, Min Lulei, believes Iverson could make an impact here as well, as longas he takes the China adventure as seriously as his countryman.

Allen Iverson is on the NBA legends promotions tour in China alongside former greats, such as Stephon Marbury, Shawn Kemp, Clyde Drexler, and Dennis Rodman. Here’s the game highlight A.I. in Shenzhen’s game on 3rd May, 2012

Allen Iverson scored 27 points and also had a number of nice pass. A.I.’s team won 119-109 over Marbury’s team which is the Champion of CBA this year. A.I.’s team has won for three straight game in this China tour.

Some encouraging comments from Stephon Marbury on Allen Iverson’s possible stint in China:

Courtesy of SLAMOnline:

Allen Iverson is in China for a two-week promotional basketball tour — something billed as the NBA Legends Tour (alongside Iverson will be Dennis Rodman, Clyde Drexler, Shawn Kemp and Stephon Marbury) — but Marbury thinks his former NBA rival would do very well if he stuck around for a while. (After all, Starbury would know.)

FromNiubball: “Shorty after getting on the ground from the U.S. yesterday morning, he fielded questions from Chinese reporters and when when asked if he’d consider playing in the CBA next season, he replied: ‘Why not?’ Iverson has been out of professional basketball since January 2011, when he left Turkish outfit Besiktas after he injured his right calf muscle. This is not the first time Iverson has been linked with a move to the CBA: He flirted with the idea of playing in China in the summer/fall of 2010 and had several serious offers, including a reported $4 million contract from Foshan. Iverson ended up declining Foshan and all other teams, and signed a two-year deal with Bestikas shortly after in October. At this point, there is no indication as to which teams Iverson would be open towards joining. [...] But maybe more importantly, Iverson has a valuable ally in his Chinese corner this time, Stephon Marbury. Fresh off of leading the Beijing Shougang Ducks to their first ever CBA championship, Marbury has grown into a bonefied superstar in China and has been called a hero of Beijing by the city’s millions of inhabitants. Due to a CBA rule that limits both the regular season and Finals MVP award to Chinese players, popular Chinese basketball website, hoopCHINA, has lead a campaign to build Marbury a bronze statue that will commemorate his season in Beijing, a project that has garnered the support of more than 1 million people in China. [...] Marbury, who will play against Iverson for the Legends Tour’s first thee games, returned to Beijing yesterday after a short trip to the United States and was immediately supportive of Iverson joining up with a Chinese team next season. ‘I think [Iverson] will be rejuvenated if he played in China,’ Marbury said on his Sina Weibo account (Chinese Twitter). ‘He would love the fans here if he played basketball here. I hope he can feel the love when he plays here in the coming games.’”

Do you think Allen Iverson should follow Stephon Marbury’s footsteps and play in China?

After Stephon Marbury’s success in winning the Chinese Basketball League, news has been floating around that Allen Iverson is hoping to play in China.  Could this be true?  It certainly sounds likely as Allen Iverson is currently in Shanghai on a two-week promotional basketball tour, where he will team up with other NBA stars including Dennis Rodman, Clyde Drexler, Shawn Kemp to play against three Chinese Basketball Association teams in seven games. The first leg is in Cixi, Zhejiang province on April 28, and the showdown is between the US Legends versus Beijing Ducks (Stephon Marbury’s championship team).

China Daily Reports:

Following in his arch rival Stephon Marbury’s foot steps, former NBA superstar Allen Iverson is seriously considering joining the Chinese basketball market.

Iverson confirmed on Friday that he will seek to talk with some Chinese basketball clubs and hopes that there is an opportunity for him to play in the country, according to Modern Express.

Iverson arrived in Shanghai on Friday for a two-week promotional basketball tour, where he will team up with other NBA stars including Dennis Rodman, Clyde Drexler, Shawn Kemp to play against three Chinese Basketball Association teams in seven games. The first leg is in Cixi, Zhejiang province on April 28, and the showdown is between the US Legends versus Beijing Ducks.

One employee from the organizing committee of the tour revealed that the eagerness of the former NBA’s Most Valuable Player in 2001 and four-time scoring champion is inspired by the tremendous success of his old foe Stephon Marbury, who led the Ducks to their first-ever CBA title last season.

It makes Iverson’s possible stay – a long-term one – in China more intriguing as the 37-year-old was spotted wearing a Chinese sports brand T-Shirt – Qiaodan – at a dinner party on Friday night.

Drafted as the No 1 pick by the Philadelphia 76ers in 1996, Iverson played 14 years in the NBA, averaging 26.7 points. He was deemed as one of the best shooting guards in the league’s history. He played for the club of Beşiktaş Milangaz in Turkey in the 2009-10 season.

Allen Iverson has declared his desire to return to the NBA.  He wants to keep his passport at home and play in the USA.  He has made an open plea to any team that will take on the services of a 36-year old former NBA MVP.

“Just give me a training camp,” he said. “Maybe I’ve rubbed people the wrong way as far as saying the things I’ve said in my life and in my career. But if any team needs me to help try and win a championship in any capacity, I’m waiting.”

“It was one of the greatest experiences I’ve ever had in my life,” he said. “They were great to me. They embraced me like I would never think. Everything was great as far as that experiment.”

Allen Iverson will attempt to rehabilitate his troublesome right calf without surgery after being examined Monday by noted surgeon James Andrews. Andrews diagnosed the injury as a calcium deposit with additional secondary bleeding.

“It’s tricky because of the location,” Andrews said. “So we’re going to try to treat it without surgery.” In a statement provided by Iverson’s manager, Gary Moore, Andrews said Iverson probably won’t be able to return for “six to eight weeks or more.”

“At this point it is certainly more important to get [Iverson's] calf healed and asymptomatic than it is to try to play with continued pain, ” Andrews wrote.

The injury prompted Iverson to leave his current team, Besiktas of the Turkish League, to return to the United States for treatment. Iverson signed with Besiktas after failing to receive an offer from a single NBA team.

Allen Iverson is to have surgery with Dr. Andrews today as it was posted on his twitter site:

“Dr. James Andrews will perform a procedure tomorrow that should correct a problem in my leg that has been bothering me for some time now. I understand that this procedure is quite complicated because of where the lesion is located in my leg. I feel like I am in the hands of the very best in Dr. Andrews and with the help of the Good Lord, this problem will be corrected at I can go back to Turkey and help my team just in time for the playoffs.”

Please send your prayers to Allen and hope his surgery is successful and that he returns back in action soon.

Here’s Allen Iverson’s latest tweet on his injury situation – screencap included:

An MRI has revealed a lesion that is in my right leg and pressing against the bone. I am coming home for further examinations and possibly surgery. I have never said anything about retirement nor have I said goodbye to the game of basketball. I love this game! That is why I went all the way to Turkey to continue playing and once I get past this, my plan is to continue playing at the highest level possible. So don’t put me in my rocking chair just yet. Hold on, I’ll be back! Stay tuned.

People around the web have been analyzing his tweet, specifically on his mention of playing “at the highest level possible”.  Surely, that would be the NBA.  Does he mean to return to the NBA after his surgery?  At this point, this is just speculation. This author thinks that he should return to Sixers.

This is sad news coming out of Turkey: Allen Iverson plans to have a lesion removed from his right leg in the United States and intends to rejoin his Turkish team in time for the playoffs.  This after speculation from Turkish media that Allen Iverson was set to retire.  Gary Moore, Iverson’s longtime manager, said Iverson told him Wednesday that he doesn’t plan to retire because of the painful condition.

Moore said Iverson has a lesion that is pressing up against the bones of his leg and requires surgery in the U.S.

“It has to be removed and tested to see if it’s benign or not,” Moore said by phone. “Once that’s removed, Allen is going to look to rehabilitate his leg because the doctors tell him he’ll be out four to six weeks, He’s hoping to be able to play in the playoffs.”

Besiktas spokesman Kursat Kaplan said Wednesday the team would assess Iverson’s future after another MRI this week.

Moore had no timetable for Iverson’s surgery, only that that it was “soon.”

“People need to know that Allen is and always has been a fighter,” Moore said. “He’s got a battle ahead of him.”

Moore said Iverson “totally disputes” reports out of Turkey that he was set to retire.

The 11-time NBA All-Star has said he’s happy with his new career in Turkey, though his start has been mixed since playing his first game in November.

Iverson, the NBA’s Most Valuable Player in 2001, agreed to a $4 million, two-year deal with Besiktas after no NBA team offered him a contract. Moore said Iverson last played Saturday.

“This is the most pain he’s ever felt from any injury he’s had,” Moore said. “He’s been in tremendous agony.”

This is sad news for AI Fans – Let’s hope that AI’s operation is successful and he can return to action soon.

In the latest Beşiktaş Cola Turka match, Allen Iverson posted 11 points and 5 rebounds but narrowly came up short against Galatasaray. With seven seconds left, Beşiktaş got the ball inbounds from the far end of the court and A.I. ran it up, driving right through the lane as he had earlier in the period to beat a four-on-one situation in the lane. Iverson then fed Michael Ignerski for the jam with a second to play … but the big man bounced it off the rim instead. (See video below for some Iverson highlights and Beşiktaş’ sad ending.)

Allen Iverson rare interview about life in Turkey so far.

Two days ago, Allen Iverson finally broke his silence from the media in Turkey.  It was Philadelphia Magazine that cracked Iverson’s no-media embargo.  He was asked about many topics ranging from whether he was playing in Turkey because he is broke from gambling debts and bad investments to why he thought he was not in the NBA.

Here’s some quotes from the man himself:

“Everybody is making a big deal out of the money and making $2 million — what do people want me to do? Sit at home and just watch basketball, or play at the Y.M.C.A.?” Iverson said. “I had to do what I had to do to continue playing basketball.”

It’s true, for the fans it’s a lot better to have A.I. playing than not.  He did what he had to do to continue his career.

He blamed rumors about his gambling for leading to his exit from the Detroit Pistons in 2009. The Detroit News ran a blog post charging that Iverson had been banned from Detroit’s three casinos, then removed it from its site and archives.

Iverson said he thought the word was put out in the N.B.A., through the Pistons’ front office, that he was trouble.

“I think that situation basically destroyed my N.B.A. career,” he said. “I honestly believe that.”

Gambling and drinking rumors have followed Iverson, and he said he did not know why.

“You find out when dealing with people that doesn’t have nowhere near as much money as you, that a lot of people who don’t have that money and can’t fathom it, would never understand,” Iverson said. “If I had that much to lose and I know it, then it’s not a problem for me.”

Iverson continued: “I don’t remember getting any D.U.I.s or going to jail for getting drunk in public. I’ve never been reprimanded or anything, with any team or anything like that, because of any drinking.”

Iverson’s family, which includes five children and wife, Tawanna, which whom he has recently reconciled, is expected to move to Istanbul soon. Tawanna had filed for divorce last spring, but Iverson said the couple was trying to save their marriage.

Allen Iverson’s old teammate Eric Snow says he knows Iverson wants to get back to the NBA. But Iverson says no. He’s done that, had his career there. He’s in a new place now, a city and country that have embraced him. There are millions more fans out there, all over Europe, that he can play for. And that’s what he intends to do, because the truth is, Allen Iverson has nowhere else to go.

In the latest game for the Eagles, Allen Iverson produced 26 points on 9-of-16 overall shooting and dished out five assists and snagged three steals. A.J. Ogilvy, who is playing on another level since the Iverson acquisition, contributed 18 points and eight rebounds. Unfortunately, it was another loss for the Eagles, but great effort from AI nonetheless.

Here are the highlights:

Wow, what a year it has been.  2010 has been a roller-coaster of a year.  From the return of Iverson to the Philadelphia Sixers, the place he was crowned the MVP to his first-ever international stint in Turkey.  Allen Iverson has been through a lot this year and we at Allen Iverson Live have continued to deliver you the latest news.

Thanks to everyone for continuing to visit.  As we grow one year older, we also reflect on everything that AI and this fan site has accomplished.

Happy New Year everyone.   Keep visiting for the latest on AI in 2011!

Update: seems like the story of Allen Iverson wanting to play in Sydney may be fabricated by an Australia paper (Daily Telegraph).  There is no mention of the tweets on Allen Iverson’s official twitter page.

Daily Telegraph (Australia) claimed that Allen Iverson said (on Twitter) that he would like to end his career in Sydney, Australia.

“I am very happy here in Istanbul, but if I don’t return to the NBA I am considering a move to Australia after my two-year contract is up.

“I hear Sydney is a real good city to live in. my boy Rodney O asked me to come over. I am comin!”

This coming after Sydney basketball icon Rodney Overby and the Sydney Kings team in the Australia NBL step up their bid to bring Allen Iverson.

Kings boss Bob Turner is also working on the bid to lure Iverson to Sydney.

“I’ll definitely pursue the idea of bringing Iverson to the Kings,” Turner said.

“He’s making a lot of money playing in Turkey and fitting him under the NBL’s $1 million salary cap is something we’d have to work on, but I wouldn’t rule him out. It was Iverson who opened the door.”

Realistically, this doesn’t seem possible and Allen Iverson has not come out and officially announced it.  It sounds like Allen Iverson has become victim of the Australian media this time.