<p>During Allen Iverson’s(notes) final days in Memphis, the Grizzlies owner should’ve had to sit and listen to A.I.’s voice bellowing in the back of the bus. On his way out of the Staples Center one week ago, on his way out of the NBA, Iverson made sure his bosses could hear him in the front. Lionel Hollins let it go, the way the coaches in Philadelphia once did, too.</p><p>Just let A.I. rip, let him go. Sources say Iverson started to speak louder and louder about how he had played for one dumb bleeping coach in Detroit a year ago, and now had come to play for another dumb bleeping coach in Memphis. He never dared speak this way on the Detroit Pistons’ bus because he feared team president Joe Dumars and respected the championship players on board.</p><p>With Memphis, forget it. The Grizzlies are a joke, signing Iverson for pure box-office reasons, and he made sure everyone – especially Hollins – could hear his frustration. Within 36 hours, Iverson was on “leave,” never to return to Memphis.</p><p>So, yes, Monday evening, Larry Brown made sure to remind management in Charlotte: Hey, A.I. is available now, too. Thanks but no thanks, LB. The Bobcats will take a pass, just as they did with an offer of Philadelphia center Samuel Dalembert(notes) for the two players – Raja Bell(notes) and Vladimir Radmanovic(notes) – it took to pry Stephen Jackson(notes) from the Warriors.</p>
Trending
