Allen Iverson Live

Bad news is that Allen Iverson is still out of action due to a knee injury.  He sat out the game against the clippers, where the Sixers lost in overtime.

Sixers coach Eddie Jordan made the announcement before Saturday’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers, saying Iverson will not return until Philadelphia’s game against Portland on Dec. 28 at the earliest.

“Rest is the best thing for him, for about a week now,” Jordan said. “He feels confident that he’ll feel great the rest of the year.”

The Sixers received good news with guard Lou Williams returning to the lineup after missing 12 games with a broken jaw. Williams was hurt in a Nov. 24 game against Washington and had surgery the next morning. He was expected to miss at least eight weeks.

With Williams back, Jordan will have to address the issue of playing time when Iverson returns.

“I need to buy a nice $100 bottle of wine to sort that out,” he said. “That would be some thought process, a good thought process. We have some good, skilled guards and it’s just a matter of how does it fit.”

Some bad news for Allen Iverson and Sixers’ fans.

Allen Iverson has arthritis in the left knee and will not play for the Philadelphia 76ers at Boston on Friday night.

Iverson had an MRI on Thursday after he needed the knee drained twice this week. The Sixers listed Iverson as probable for Saturday’s game against the Clippers.

According to this Yahoo sports columnist, both the Grizzlies and Clippers are no longer pursuing AI.

Don’t expect Allen Iverson to wear a Memphis Grizzlies uniform next season. His chances of suiting up for the Los Angeles Clippers don’t look too good, either.

Two sources with knowledge of the Grizzlies’ plans said Thursday that any negotiations between the team and Iverson were “dead.” Memphis offered Iverson a one-year, $5 million contract with the stipulation that he would likely need to come off the bench. The Grizzlies, however, have not spoken to Iverson or his management team since early July, and neither side appears to have any interest in restarting talks.

“Why would a future Hall of Famer come off the bench for a team that won’t make the playoffs?” said one Western Conference executive.

That makes sense, I can’t see AI willing to go to a team whereby they stipulate that he would need to come off the bench.

Much like the Grizzlies, the Clippers were intrigued by Iverson’s ability to sell tickets, as well as his talent. One agent who had spoken to Clippers officials in recent days said the team was distancing itself from Iverson after acquiring point guard Sebastian Telfair(notes) from the Minnesota Timberwolves and is possibly weighing an offer to free-agent guard Ramon Sessions(notes) – though one NBA source cautioned there was still “some life” in talks between the two sides.

Clippers second-year guard Eric Gordon(notes) stands to be among the most impacted should the team sign Iverson, but he’s kept an open mind (at least publicly) about the possibility he and A.I. could become teammates.

“Iverson is a Hall of Famer,” Gordon said at the Team USA minicamp. “But everyone is talking about how he is a different guy in the locker room and on the court. A.I.’s a big personality. Dude is a warrior. You can always learn from that and take that as an advantage for any of his teammates.

“We almost play the same position, but I’m not too worried about it. Things happen all the time. You just got to adjust.”

It sounds like AI’s options are running low.  The two biggest potential teams would be the Miami Heat and the Charlotte Bobcats.  Miami would be a best chance for AI to make a final play-offs/finals run, whereas the Charlotte Bobcats would reunite him with Larry Brown, the coach he has had the most success with.  What do you think?

NY Daily News states that Clippers owner Donald Sterling wants Allen Iverson

“It’s out of our control,” complained one Clipper executive this past week. “This is owner-driven.”

Apparently, Sterling has noted that Clippers tickets are moving as slowly as L.A. traffic. He sees Iverson as a box-office draw, even in a bench role following a disastrous season in Detroit that ended with him being sent home for the playoffs.

It seems that the stage is being set for Iverson’s arrival.

“I LOVE AI,” Clipper guard Baron Davis chimed in on his Twitter page. “He is TOP 50 … he would be a great vet for our young guys to learn from.”

What do you think of this potential trade?  Does the owner simply want AI just to sell tickets?

Could Allen Iverson soon be feeding the ball to overall No. 1 draft choice Blake Griffin on the L.A. Clippers?

The Los Angeles Times, citing “a source close to Iverson who was not authorized to speak publicly about the negotiations” said talks between the team and the free-agent guard are “very serious.”

Iverson, 34, reportedly has also drawn interest from the Miami Heat, the Times said. Reports out of Florida indicate the Heat are offering only $2 million on a one-year deal, substantially less than the $5.8 million midlevel exception Iverson is seeking.