Iverson Relents, Signs With Grizzlies

Sports Betting News - September 9th, 2009 - Written by John

The Memphis Grizzlies have spent the last two seasons shifting and shuffling. Adjusting and evolving; allocating all of the young talent they can acquire to finally build a team worthy of competing in the NBA.

Wednesday, they agreed to bring in what many believe is a complete counter to that effort.

On Twitter, it was announced that Allen Iverson has finally conceded his off-season quest for a top paycheck, signing at one year, $3.5 million deal with the Grizzlies that will certainly put him at the center of a backcourt controversy.

"God Chose Memphis as the place that I will continue my career," the guard wrote on his blog.

The Grizzlies have spent the last three years building their team full of youth, drafting point guard Mike Conley and center Hasheem Thabeet, while trading for Rudy Gay and Zach Randolph in a span of three years. Gay is penciled in as the starter at Iverson's position and all four players will need touches as the season begins. Regardless, owner Michael Heisley and GM Chris Wallace insisted on NBA.com that Iverson, who is 34, would be a good fit for the team and that the signing is not a publicity stunt.

"He told us he was very interested in playing with the young team we've assembled," Heisley told NBA.com. "He thought he could help us win and he was looking forward to helping the young players, and helping them to develop. Frankly, I'm ecstatic to have him."

Iverson's bank account will see a giant dip in deposits after a rocky 2008, showing that his career might be on it's last leg. He earned $21 million despite career lows with the Denver Nuggets and Detroit Pistons, only scoring 17.5 points a game last year and 18 in 2007. His prior low was 22, when he was a rising star in his second season with the Philadelphia 76ers and he followed it up with at least 28 PPG in six of the next ten years.

His declining performance and aging back problems, however, caused teams to shy away from the future Hall of Famer and potential interest from Charlotte, New York and Miami slowly dwindled.

Memphis was his only real option and Iverson decided to take the money and deal with the consequences later. He has been adamant that he does not like to come off the bench and insists he will compete for a starting job.

"I feel that they are committed to developing a winner and I know that I can help them to accomplish that," he added on Twitter. "I feel that I can trust them."

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