Allen Iverson Live

Allen Iverson has heard a lot of negative comments during his tempestuous career. He wasn’t used to hearing them about his toughness, though. Iverson returned Sunday after missing 16 games with a back injury and scored eight points in 21 minutes of the Detroit Pistons’ 101-97 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.

After the game, he acknowledged being hurt by media reports that he might not play again this season.

“The one thing that everyone has always known about me is that I’m a warrior—the doctors would say I’d be out two-four weeks, and I’d come back in a week,” he said. “So now I have an injury I’ve never had before—one that was bothering me—and people are suddenly questioning my courage. That was hard, but I know positive stories don’t sell.

At 33 years of  age, Iverson is still tough as nails.  Pistons play the league-leading Cavs tonight.  Should be a good one.

MLive: Detroit Pistons guard Allen Iverson says he wants to get back on the floor as soon as possible, with Tuesday’s game at Cleveland his most likely return date.

But he’s not willing to do so if it requires him to be medicated for the pain that he knows he’ll continue to experience in his back.

“That’s what I don’t want to do,” Iverson said of being medicated for the pain. “As bad as I want to get out there on the court, I just want to do what’s right for me. I don’t want to go out there and feel good while I’m out there, and feel awful when the game is over and not heal at all.”

Iverson, who hasn’t played since Feb. 25 at New Orleans, said his conditioning needs a lot of work.

“(Friday) I played 12 minute half court, and I felt like I was going to die,” Iverson said. “I’m just looking forward to getting some run in.”

However, Iverson’s conditioning won’t be as big an issue because he will be coming off the bench now, which Curry said on Saturday will to some degree limit his minutes.

The Detroit Pistons expect to find out how serious Allen Iverson’s back injury is later this week.

Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars said Monday the team will know more about Iverson’s status on Wednesday after he is examined by doctors at Georgetown, where he starred in college.

Iverson will be out for a third straight game Tuesday night when Detroit hosts the Denver Nuggets, marking the return of Chauncey Billups.

Last game, the Pistons, without Iverson in the lineup, beat the defending champs Boston Celtics.