Allen Iverson won't return to the 76ers this season after taking a leave from the team to spend time with his ill daughter last month. According to media reports, Iverson's personal responsibilities will prevent him from getting back on the court, and he will be released.
"After discussing the situation with Allen, we have come to the conclusion that he will not return to the Sixers for the remainder of the season, as he no longer wishes to be a distraction to the organization and teammates that he loves very deeply," GM Ed Stefanski said in a statement. "It has been very difficult for Allen and the team to maintain any consistency as he tries to balance his career with his personal life."
Iverson, who re-signed with the Sixers in December as a free agent, has not played since Feb. 20 to take care of his 4-year-old daughter Messiah. Her condition has not been disclosed.
"I do have a commitment and an obligation to be with my team and to do my job," Iverson said on Feb. 15. "But it is rough."
Iverson averaged 13.9 points in 25 games but showed a new side to his game.
"Before it was like, give him the ball, everybody spread out and let him do his thing,'' Sixers center Samuel Dalembert said. "Now, he's like, you have to run this, you have to get him involved. He was still learning the offense. There were a couple of games where it was a struggle offensively, but other games he got the feel for it. You got the flash of A.I.''
Time will tell if Iverson plays another game in the NBA.
