I'm out

"Breaking news: Allen Iverson wants to be traded, and the Sixers want him gone."

This seems like a storyline I've heard. In fact, I've heard it during every NBA offseason for what seems like the last five years. But apparently, this time they're serious. Like they weren't when they tried to ship him after he beat his wife, or when he failed to turn up to practice, or when he was unable to work with Larry Brown (who won a championship a year after being forced out of Philly)?

For the good of basketball, I hope that Iverson can be traded to a team where he can exhibit his rare skills as a lightning fast scoring machine. The early rumblings of a deal to get him on the court with KG in Minnesota would do wonders for both players, who each dream of having capable teammates, and would give hope of repeating successes like that of the Shaq/Wade and Shaq/Kobe combinations. Of course, the loser will be Philadelphia and its hapless sports fans - who can't catch a break when it comes to their teams - as they give up their franchise player and will be left with a potential star like Devin Harris, Randy Foye or Al Jefferson who isn't ready to take over alongside the wilted Chris Webber and Andre Iguodala, who is a perfect third piece in a Phil Jackson triangle offence but who may never be any more.

Let's hope AI can get a deal, and can return to peak form in a new city. But also, let's hope that the Sixers aren't left without a leg to stand on. As shown by tonight's outing, they don't have many other places to turn when Iverson's gone.