The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports:
A week after the Philadelphia 76ers’ Allen Iverson announced he was leaving basketball for the rest of the season to be with his sick 4-year-old daughter, the star’s wife filed for divorce in Fulton County Superior Court.
In the divorce petition filed on Tuesday, Tawanna Iverson said her 8 ½-year-long marriage to the guard was “irretrievably broken.” In the petition, Tawanna Iverson asked for temporary and permanent custody of their five children as well as child support and alimony.
She did not ask for a specific dollar amount.
The children range in ages from 17 months to 15 years.
QUICK REACTION FROM INSIDEHOOPS.COM
This is just not Allen Iverson’s year.
In basketball, he hurt his own reputation by making it clear to the world that he’s more focused on his own individual basketball game than he is on being a part of a team, resulting in barely any squads wanting to sign him even though he was clearly more talented than the majority of free agents who were available at the time.
Of course, Iverson was always an individual force on a court. A scorer, who didn’t typically set teammates up do to any sort of special play-making ability, but certainly made their lives easier simply by drawing so much defensive attention. He was also a one-man wrecking crew who could drop 30 on anybody. He also dragged a 76ers squad into the finals that had no business making it that far. He did amazing things on a basketball court.
But, at this point in his career, his refusal to even consider coming off any team’s bench was a bad look.
The Grizzlies-Iverson experiment didn’t go well, and the team has looked very good since it ended.
He was OK on the 76ers but didn’t really help them. They’re not hot without him, though, so that’s not really on him.
But now, actual sad personal stuff: His daughter reportedly has health issues. And now his wife is calling it quits, seemingly at a rough time.
Regardless of his refusal to accept that he’s best used as a supporting scorer and no longer a foundation to build a team around, I have to root for Iverson in his off-court issues clearing up.
And as for Iverson the basketball player, it would be cool to see him latch onto a team next season, actually help them, and go out on a positive note.
— Jeff
