The makeover of the Los Angeles Clippers may include a former scoring champion.

The team is in "very serious" talks with Allen Iverson on a contract, the Los Angeles Times reported on Monday. ESPN.com's Marc Stein reported on Sunday that Memphis Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley, while still hopeful of signing Iverson, regards the Miami Heat as the "odds-on favorite" to land the former MVP. The Charlotte Bobcats were also reported to have interest.

Iverson is a 10-time All-Star who has led the league in scoring four times. He has averaged 23.5 points and 5.4 assists per game over his 13 seasons but posted a career low 17.4 ppg average last season.

A bad back limited Iverson to 57 games last season between the Denver Nuggets and Detroit Pistons. He was also embroiled in controversy when he bristled at coming off the bench for Detroit.

The Clippers may be prepared to offer their full mid-level exception of $5.8 million on a one-year contract. The Grizzlies are reportedly willing to offer something in the same neighborhood, but the Heat are thought to be interested in paying him less than half of that figure.

The Clippers drafted Blake Griffin with the first overall pick in this year's NBA draft. They also traded forward Zach Randolph to the Grizzlies for swingman Quentin Richardson.

I am not a legal expert, how many times do I have to say it?

I have MANY years of experience in trying to appreciate steaming piles of dogshit.

If I am one of the 3 Clipper fans.

If I am one of the 3 Clipper fans.

I have MANY years of experience in trying to appreciate steaming piles of dogshit.

PHILADELPHIA -- Unwanted by the NBA, Allen Iverson is considering playing in China.
Gary Moore, Iverson's personal manager, says Iverson has not been contacted by any NBA team with training camps set to open in less than two weeks. Moore says there is "legitimate interest" between Iverson and a team in China to work out a deal. Moore did not know the team's name.

Moore says a Chinese team first approached the 35-year-old Iverson last month.

Iverson is 17th on the NBA's career scoring list with 24,368 points over a 14-year career with Philadelphia, Denver, Detroit and Memphis. He won the MVP in 2001 when he led the Sixers to the finals.

Iverson's agent, Leon Rose, did not immediately return messages for comment on Monday.

I am not a legal expert, how many times do I have to say it?

Allen Iverson is poised for a revival -- in the Middle East.

Iverson, after short-lived stints with the Memphis Grizzlies and Philadelphia 76ers last season, is closing in on a contract to play with the Turkish team Besiktas Cola Turka.

The one-season deal could net Iverson as much as $2 million, Yahoo! Sports has reported, citing unnamed sources.

"We are in very serious negotiations with [Besiktas]," Iverson's manager Gary Moore told Yahoo! Sports. "Istanbul is beautiful from everything we've learned. It's not that far from the U.S., and the competition is good, which makes it all attractive.

"Allen wants to play basketball."

Besiktas coach Burak Biyiktay confirmed that the Istanbul-based club has offered Iverson a one-year contract, telling The Associated Press that the former NBA MVP would bring a "new vision to the team."

"Iverson is a great trademark and would be the biggest name to come to Turkey," Biyiktay said.

One hangup in the agreement over the weekend had been Iverson's insistence on a limit for what the team can fine him, the Yahoo! Sports report says.

Iverson sought a cap of less than 1 percent of a $1.5 million salary for each fine, the report said, citing a European source. Iverson on Monday was sent a contract Besiktas was hoping to get signed by the end of the week.

But the deal was expected to take as long as 10 days to be completed, Yahoo! Sports reported.

Besiktas is among the top teams in Turkey's first division, which starts play this weekend.

But Besiktas has run into problems financially, Yahoo! Sports reported, citing Eurobasket.com. The team has recently been sued by American player Lonnie Baxter and his agent to recover salary and fees, according to the report.

Iverson had been negotiating with a team in China. Moore told The Associated Press those talks aren't dead, but Turkey may be the best option with Besiktas about to start its season. Moore said he has yet to hear from an NBA team.

"He wants to play there again, hopefully," Moore said.

Iverson played three games for Memphis last season before he returned for a second stint with the 76ers. He averaged 13.9 points for the Sixers before he took a leave of absence in March because of family issues.

In his prime, Iverson boasted top-selling jerseys and sneakers and was a global superstar. His popularity never waned even as his production dipped -- Iverson was voted an Eastern Conference All-Star starter last season. Iverson would be a drawing card overseas, ranking 17th on the NBA's career scoring list with 24,368 points over a 14-year career with Philadelphia, Denver, Detroit and Memphis. He won the MVP in 2001 when he led the Sixers to the NBA Finals.

Iverson was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1996 draft and spent his first 10 seasons in Philadelphia. He was a four-time scoring champion, averaged 26.7 points and never won a championship.

He was hobbled by an arthritic left knee and constantly needed it drained last season. Iverson also famously clashed with his coaches, notably Larry Brown, but returned to Philadelphia humbled, reserved and more accepting of team play.

Moore said last month Iverson is healthy and works out in Atlanta prepping for a comeback.

I am not a legal expert, how many times do I have to say it?

If you hate Laurence, then don't listen - don't comment. When he co-hosts the B&B show, take that day off ... listen to an old podcast of a Bernstein solo show and jerk off all day.

Report: Allen Iverson agrees to deal

Allen Iverson has agreed in principle on a two-year, $4 million contract with the Turkish pro team Besiktas, Yahoo! Sports reported, citing sources.

Iverson is expected to sign the deal this week and report to the Turkish first division club next week, according to the report.

The deal would allow Iverson, an 11-time NBA All-Star, to opt out after the first season, but does not include an NBA escape clause, according to the report.

On Monday, Besiktas executive board member Seref Yalcin told the Anatolia news agency that he will travel to the United States to discuss terms of a possible deal with Iverson.

Yalcin said he would discuss "a variety of details" with Iverson later this week. He said issues included schools in Istanbul for Iverson's children.

Yalcin said "I think this transfer will take place."

Iverson, 35, is 17th on the NBA's career scoring list with 24,368 points over a 14-year career, averaging 26.7 points per game. He won the MVP in 2001 when he led the Philadelphia 76ers to the Finals.

Iverson played in only three games with the Memphis Grizzlies last season before leaving the team to attend to personal problems. He returned later in the season with the Sixers, who drafted him No. 1 overall out of Georgetown in 1996, but took a leave of absence from the team in March and did not return.

I am not a legal expert, how many times do I have to say it?

rpb is wrong. Phil McCracken is useful.

RPB is right. You suck.

I can understand the Clippers, Grizzlies, and Bobcats trying to sign him because they are just basketball retarded, but WTF are the Heat thinking? Dwayne Wade is your guy to jack up tough shots, why would you bring in Iverson?

You know why those first three teams are. The draw at the gate, especially in Memphis but also in Bobcatland. I personally hope the Heat sign him. I'll watch every game just to catch allen taking Wade and Bron's shots. Just like when the Celtics picked up Stephon Marbury.

I am not a legal expert, how many times do I have to say it?

Dwayne Wade is your guy to jack up tough shots, why would you bring in Iverson?

I am not a legal expert, how many times do I have to say it?

After rereading my post from a year ago, I just realized that OKC is now going to hate me.

Allen Iverson eyeing NBA comeback

PHILADELPHIA -- Allen Iverson wants to keep his passport at home.

Ten years after he ruled the NBA as the cornrow-wearing, ink-stained MVP who led the Philadelphia 76ers to the Finals, Iverson has his eyes on a comeback. He is determined to end a career possibly destined for the Hall of Fame in the NBA, not in some faraway country where brief YouTube clips are the only way to stay updated on the four-time scoring champion.

That's not a lot of basketball for an aging veteran.

So what gives Iverson confidence he can still play anywhere near his former elite level next season?

"It's me," he said, laughing. "That's what gives me confidence. I know what I can do. Everybody in the world knows what I can do. Everybody knows what I can do on the basketball court."

Every fan knows how the 25-year-old Iverson could dazzle on the court. Like in the 2001 NBA Finals, when he buried a jumper over Tyronn Lue, then highstepped over the fallen Los Angeles Lakers defender in Game 1. The iconic moment ranked slightly behind his rookie year crossover vs. Michael Jordan as the most memorable of his 14-year career.

Iverson's added few plays to that list the past few years. He played for four teams in his last two NBA seasons, then left the Turkish club Besiktas with a leg injury.

A painful calcium mass developed on his right calf and he returned home opting for rest instead of surgery. Iverson's manager, Gary Moore, said Iverson has yet to receive the green light from Dr. James Andrews to resume contact drills. Iverson was not expected to get cleared until mid-July.

"Just give me a training camp," he said. "Maybe I've rubbed people the wrong way as far as saying the things I've said in my life and in my career. But if any team needs me to help try and win a championship in any capacity, I'm waiting."

He might have a long wait. Throw in a possible work stoppage with NBA owners and players far apart on a new labor deal, and Iverson might again be forced to look outside the NBA for a team. He signed a $4 million, two-year contract with Besiktas. But Iverson, who also has played for Denver, Detroit and Memphis, made it clear in a phone interview late Wednesday night, his first priority is the NBA.

"If that doesn't happen, I just want to play basketball, so I've got to weigh my options and do what's best for me and my career," he said. "If that doesn't happen, I don't want to not play basketball. I don't have any more years to be wasting."

Iverson has been dogged by rumors of personal problems -- his wife filed for divorce and a daughter battled serious health problems -- but he said his life these days is great.

All that's missing is basketball.

"The only thing that I give a damn about is that the people that care about me know that I'm all right," he said. "All I want is my real fans to know I'm fine, my wife is fine, my kids are fine. I'm fine and I'm looking forward to getting back on a team and being productive like I have been my whole career."

Iverson insisted he enjoyed his stay in Turkey.

"It was one of the greatest experiences I've ever had in my life," he said. "They were great to me. They embraced me like I would never think. Everything was great as far as that experiment."

I am not a legal expert, how many times do I have to say it?

I am not a legal expert, how many times do I have to say it?

Sources: Legends covet Allen Iverson

By Marc Stein | ESPN.com

DALLAS -- The Texas Legends are lobbying Allen Iverson to try to work his way back to the NBA by playing for the Dallas Mavericks' Development League affiliate, according to D-League sources.

Sources told ESPN.com that the Legends, who are co-owned by Mavericks president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson, ramped up their season-long pursuit of Iverson on Monday, offering him the chance to resurrect his career.

Iverson last played in the NBA in 2009-10 in brief stays with the Memphis Grizzlies and Philadelphia 76ers, but the 37-year-old has resisted opportunities to sign lucrative deals in China because, to date, he's been reluctant to consider playing anywhere besides the NBA.

An injury-filled stint with Besiktas in Turkey in the 2010-11 season lasted only 10 games.

Iverson has likewise resisted the Legends' overtures so far this season -- as well as a similar offer last season -- but sources say that the Legends are trying again now because they've moved back to the top of the list in the D-League's waiver line, meaning they'd have an unobstructed path to signing Iverson if he could be convinced to put his name in the D-League's player pool.

The Legends' pitch to Iverson centers around the fact they've just convinced NBA veterans Delonte West and Rashad McCants to join their team with similar intentions, after the Legends signed another 37-year-old earlier this month -- point guard Mike James -- and wound up putting James in position to earn a 10-day call-up to the Mavericks that turned into a guaranteed contract after James completed his second 10-day deal Sunday.

The Legends, now in their third season, have employed 16 former NBA first-round picks since the team's inception and have already helped big men Sean Williams and Dan Gadzuric, swingman Chris Douglas-Roberts and veteran guard Antonio Daniels make it back to the NBA after stints with the D-League franchise, which plays 25 miles north of the Mavericks in the Dallas suburb of Frisco.

When James officially signs with the Mavericks on Monday for the rest of the season, D-League rules stipulate the Legends will return to the top of the waiver process, which happens when a non-assigned player called up from the D-League spends 21 consecutive days with the NBA team that signed him. The Legends were also at the front of the waiver line Friday to be able to claim West when the 29-year-old, who was released by the Mavericks in November, completed his D-League paperwork.

The Legends and their front-office team of Nelson, former NBA slam-dunk champion Spud Webb and Malcolm Farmer have made a habit of ambitious pursuits since the team's debut season in 2010-11.

Longtime NBA forward Eduardo Najera, in his first season as Legends coach, is the first Mexican-born coach of any team under the NBA's umbrella.

Najera succeeded former NBA Coach of the Year Del Harris. When Harris was hired by the Legends in 2011, he replaced Nancy Lieberman, who became the first female to coach an NBA-affiliated team when she took the job in the Legends' first season in 2010-11. Harris and Lieberman remain part of the Legends' front office.

Nelson also made a hard run at former Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl in the summer of 2011 to succeed Lieberman after Pearl received a show-cause penalty by the NCAA for three years, but Pearl opted to go into broadcasting despite an offer sources pegged at $500,000, roughly five times the annual norm for a D-League coach.

Iverson is an 11-time All-Star and ranks 19th on the NBA's all-time scoring list with 24,368 career points. He was passed on the career scoring charts Sunday night by Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki.

I am not a legal expert, how many times do I have to say it?

Allen Iverson to officially retire

Allen Iverson, an 11-time All-Star who has not played in the NBA since 2010, is prepared to officially announce his retirement in the coming days, SlamOnline.com reports.

According to the report, the 38-year-old Iverson has come to terms with the fact that his playing career is finished. He has not played professionally since 2011 in Turkey.

On his bobblehead night in Philadelphia in March, Iverson indicated he still hoped to return to the NBA. Just two months earlier, he turned down an opportunity to launch a comeback in the NBA Development League.

Iverson also previously rebuffed opportunities to sign lucrative deals in China, instead eyeing a return to the NBA.

Considered one of the best pound-for-pound scorers in NBA history, Iverson -- listed at under 170 pounds for much of his career -- averaged 26.7 points and 6.2 assists during his 14-year career that included stops with the Philadelphia 76ers, Denver Nuggets and Memphis Grizzlies.
"He might be the greatest athlete I've ever seen," Larry Brown, Iverson's coach from 1997-2003 with the 76ers, told Slam. "I don't think there'll be another one like him."

Iverson, a former No. 1 overall pick out of Georgetown, was the 1997 Rookie of the Year, the 2001 MVP, a three-time All-NBA First-Team selection and a four-time scoring champion.

Iverson led the Sixers to the 2001 NBA Finals and is firmly cemented as one of the franchise's all-time greats. He is the franchise leader in 40-point games (76) and 3-pointers (885), and is second behind Hal Greer in points (19,931).

In recent years, Iverson also has made headlines off the court. In December, divorce filings revealed he had serious financial issues.

I am not a legal expert, how many times do I have to say it?

I rarely troll.

Last night on the new Fox Sports Live show, Gary Payton said he was the inspiration behind AI's "Practice" rant. GP said they had a talk and GP explained to AI that the way he stayed healthy was that George Karl allowed him to sit out many practices.