Former Philadelphia 76ers basketball player Allen Iverson wipes his eyes during a news conference where he announced his retirement. Source: AP
ALLEN Iverson, who last played an NBA game in 2010, officially retired on Wednesday, saying he had lost his desire to play.
Iverson will always be associated with the Philadelphia 76ers, the team that selected him with the first overall pick of the 1996 NBA draft.
He was the NBA's Rookie of the Year in 1996-97 and Most Valuable Player in 2000-01 - having led the 76ers to the NBA Finals that season.
"I gave everything I had to basketball," Iverson said. "The passion is still there, the desire (to play) is just not."
Former Philadelphia 76ers' star Allen Iverson reacts during an NBA basketball game. Source: AP
Iverson also played for Denver, Detroit and Memphis in a sometimes controversial career that spanned 14 years.
He rejoined Philadelphia in December 2009 and played 25 more games with them before personal issues forced him to the sideline. The 11-time All-Star had well publicised run-ins with coaches and management.
During the 2002 playoffs he made headlines with a press conference rant about his training habits repeating "We're talking about practice, not the game, about practice."
However, the 38-year-old Iverson said he had no regrets.
"Would I change anything? No," he said.
"My career was up and down at times. I made a lot of mistakes, a lot of things I'm not proud of ... I can't take any of it back."
31 Oct, 2013
-
Source: http://www.news.com.au/sport/basketball/former-nba-mvp-allen-iverson-retires-from-professional-basketball/story-fndkzqrr-1226750155358?from=public_rss
--
Manage subscription | Powered by rssforward.com
