Iverson plans to retire

NEW YORK – NBA All-Star guard Allen Iverson plans to retire from the league, according to a close friend and basketball analyst.
Stephen A Smith, who worked as a sports journalist for the Philadelphia Inquirer when Iverson played for the Philadelphia 76ers, issued a statement from Iverson on his website (http://stephena.com) on Wednesday.
“I would like to announce my plans to retire from the National Basketball Association,” Iverson was quoted as saying.
“I always thought that when I left the game, it would be because I couldn’t help my team the way that I was accustomed to. However, that is not the case.
“I still have tremendous love for the game, the desire to play and a whole lot left in my tank. I feel strongly that I can still compete at the highest level.”
One of the NBA’s most prolific scorers, the 34-year-old played just three games for the Memphis Grizzlies this season before taking a personal leave of absence earlier this month.
He had previously played with the Philadelphia 76ers for 10 years before joining the Denver Nuggets during the 2006-07 season.
A four-time NBA scoring champion, Iverson has averaged 27 points and 3,7 rebounds in 889 games spread over 13 full seasons in the league for a career total of 24020 points.
– Nampa-AFP