Allen Iverson turns down D-League offer, acknowledges he derailed his own career
Allen Iverson is still interested in playing basketball, but he doesn’t want to prove himself at the lower levels in order to be given another shot in the NBA. Iverson recently received an offer to play for the Texas Legends, the D-League affiliate of the Dallas Mavericks who are co-owned by Mavs president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson.
On Tuesday morning, the 37-year-old announced on his Twitter account that he has decided to turn down the offer and thanked Nelson for the opportunity.
I thank Donnie and Dallas for the consideration and while I think the D-League is a great opportunity, it is not the route for me.
— Allen Iverson (@alleniverson) January 29, 2013
Perhaps more surprisingly, Iverson then went on to acknowledge that his own mistakes shortened his career and expressed his desire to return to the NBA.
I realize my actions contributed to my early departure from the NBA, should God provide me another opportunity I will give it my all
— Allen Iverson (@alleniverson) January 29, 2013
My dream has always been to complete my legacy in the NBA
— Allen Iverson (@alleniverson) January 29, 2013
While I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of a team taking a shot on Iverson and signing him to some sort of non-guaranteed contract, it seems highly unlikely. Iverson said last year that he has accepted his NBA career may be over, as he has not played since 2010. The longer he is out of the game, the older he gets and the more difficult a comeback becomes. The former Georgetown star was once one of the greatest players in the league, but it feels like that was decades ago. A D-League offer is probably the best he is going to get.
