Allen Iverson Live

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”.

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.

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.