Here now, AI …

Has Larry Brown said ‘no’ to the Sixers job yet?

Com’n Larry! Bring your carpetbaggin self back to Philly!

It’s only fitting that I’m coincidentally drinking out of my 1999 Sixers NBA playoffs souvenir cup that I got at Iverson’s first home playoff game (33pts, 10 steals) against the Orlando Magic (and yes, the wife thinks I’m a dork for holding on to all these plastic souvenir cups).  My buddy Kevin & I had seats about 10-15 rows up behind Allen Iverson’s mom (just high enough that we could see over her friggin sign).   The game was a party from tip-off.  Post game celebration consisted of Kevin shaking Warren Sapp’s hand, me shaking owner Ed Snider’s hand, me watching Kevin play drunk one-on-one basketball in a Chili’s parking lot, us passing out from tequila shots during late-night RBI baseball play.

Ahhh, the memories.

Sunday, Feb. 14, 2010

Cowboys Stadium

You can watch the NBA’s most popular players play street-style basketball for 3 quarters until a few guys decide they wanna win (meaning, some defense is played). Oh, you thought the NBA All-Star game was a display of the best players of 2009-2010 season?  Errrnnnnt!  Wrong!

Check out the starting lineups and you’ll know why:

EAST:

Dwayne Wade, Miami Heat

Allen Iverson, Philadelphia 76ers —> hmmmmm

Lebron James, Cleveland Cavaliers

Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics

Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic

WEST:

Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns

Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers

Carmelo Anthony, Denver Nuggets

Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs

Amar’e Stoudemire, Phoenix Suns

Wow, Allen Iverson is an All-Star STARTER for 2010!!!  Are you kidding me?!?!?!  Now being a Sixers fan, it’s awlays nice when a Sixer reps Philly at the All-Star festivities … but when it’s a very undeserving creep like AI … well, it’s not so nice.  Iverson is obviously not the player he once was –lightning quick, can get to the basket on anyone.  Those days are past.  Add that with the fact he’s not the most fan-friendly (doesn’t show on time to fan appreciation day in philly) and team-friendly (“we’re talking about practice, man“) … and it’s truely baffling how he gets a spot, nevertheless, a starting spot on this year’s All-Star squad.  Unbelievable.

So how does this happen?  The NBA All-Star voting is a fan-based system.  Fans vote as much as they want over the internet.  So that leads to the next question … who the hell is sitting at their computer and clicking on Allen Iverson’s button?!.  Seriously, who are these people?  Obviously not hardcore NBA junkies like Bill Simmons.  Obviously not people with an ounce of let-me-reward-a-guy-that’s-busted-his-butt-for-the-first-half-of-the-season fairness.  Nope, these idiots decide to reward Iverson for giving the shaft to Memphis Grizzly fans earlier this season.  Well, I guess those Grizzly fans that were silly enough to purchase an Iverson Grizzly jersey can now sport it on All-Star Sunday –woo-hoo!

Sad really.  I guess guys like Joe Johnson of Atlanta and Rajon Rondo of Boston will still get on the East squad as bench players.  But some guy is gonna get left off completely who deserves to be there. And I agree with Charles Barkley:

I personally think he should decline to play.   The Sixers are not playing well and he has not played well. . . . I hope this don’t go over the wrong way in Philly, but this guy has not played well.

Maybe AI can show a drop of integrity and start the game for the fans … and after the first whistle … sit down for Rondo or Johnson.  But knowing AI … he’s gonna have to be dragged out of the game.