Iverson Taking Another Leave From Sixers, May Not Return

Sports News - February 23rd, 2010 - Written By John Ritter

While the Philadelphia 76ers are in California, point guard Allen Iverson is back home to care for his ailing daughter.

Iverson will miss at least three more games to deal with the health predicament his family discovered of their 4-year old daughter in early February. Team president Ed Stefanski told the Associated Press that it is a "very serious issue".

But back at home base, there is a growing concern that Iverson may never return to the club. Head coach Eddie Jordan reportedly briefed his team Monday that the Sixers are considering terminating his contract before he rejoins the club.

Iverson will have been out for at least eight games since joining the team in December, and team officials are apparently frustrated by his in-and-out status. Iverson's appearance this season has been spotty.

He started the year on the free agent list before being picked up by the Memphis Grizzlies. But after only three games, Iverson took an indefinite leave, and was eventually cut loose.

An injury to point guard Louis Williams gave Philadelphia the opportunity to give Iverson a comeback tour after spending his first 11 seasons with the city. But he missed a four-game stretch in mid-December, and then another five-game stretch from Feb. 3-9.

He returned to the team for a Feb. 16 game against the Miami Heat, but admitted he wasn't totally committed to the cause.

"It was tough to leave her and my wife and kids," Iverson told the Associated Press before the game. "But I do have a commitment and an obligation to be with my team and to do my job. But it is rough. I think this is the only thing I do in life where for a couple hours during the game I don't think about nothing but [basketball]."

Iverson, nor the team, have told the media what his daughter's specific ailment is.

"In my heart, I wanted to be there," he told the AP. "I wanted my daughter and my kids to see me be there. I wanted my wife to have the opportunity to see something like that. I just think the bigger responsibility was to be with my daughter at that time."

Iverson's contract was for $650,000, and he is averaging 13.8 points and four rebounds for the 10th-place Sixers, who aren't listed as a candidate to win the Eastern Conference, according to the NBA Betting Lines found at the online sportsbook Bodog.