More from RealGM
 Philadelphia 76ers WiretapSixers LinksNews Archive
NBA News
Iverson's Thumbs DownFrom the get-go, he set the tone of the trip. On the first day of the Olympic basketball team's training camp, Allen Iverson donned a red-white-and-blue do-rag and signaled to the basketball-viewing world that international competition was now going to be cool. Now, Team USA is going to have to be cool without him and finish the job he helped start. Before last night's semifinals at the Olympic qualifying tournament, the United States announced that Iverson would miss the rest of the tournament with a sprained right thumb. With all this talent, this group of NBA All-Stars should be able to get on without Iverson. But it's hard to over-estimate the impact the guard has made in this tournament. Before getting injured Thursday night, Iverson led Team USA in minutes (22.9) and points (14.3). He also was able to transform what could have been a disruptive reunion with head USA coach Larry Brown into the NBA's summer feel good story. "Allen's been great," Brown said earlier this week. "He's done absolutely everything we've asked him to do." Iverson was not available before last night's gold-medal game. Though a CT scan taken earlier in the day was negative, the injury is of some concern because it is a re-occurring problem. Iverson has suffered at total of five injuries to thumbs on both hands during his seven NBA seasons, partly because his style of play is so aggressive. Philadelphia 76ers, General Basketball Read the Full Story Discuss Send Feedback Buy Tickets Sixers likely to wait till next year to woo ArgentineThe story had been rumored on the Internet. There had been a mild buzz in the course of the early games in the Olympic qualifying tournament. But it took until nearly the end of the second round before a source would confirm that the 76ers had negotiated with the agent for Andres Nocioni, a starting forward for Argentina. Those discussions began in June, but ended because the 6-6 Nocioni is under contract to Tau Ceramica in the Spanish professional league. His agreement with that team includes a large buyout clause. The source indicated that the Sixers might revisit the situation before the 2004-05 NBA season. Nocioni leads Argentina with a 13.4 scoring average and .559 floor percentage in eight games in the tournament. He leads the tournament in three-point percentage at .591, knocking down 13 of 22 attempts. Read the Full Story Discuss Send Feedback Buy Tickets Stephen A. Smith: Unleash 'Dog'? Iverson's willingTraining camp is nearly upon Allen Iverson, and he's happy about it. Happy that the time of year when two-a-day practices are common has arrived. That tutelage ad nauseum is expected. That expectations and accountability will be placed on his shoulders. But Iverson is happy, most of all, because he's not alone. A "Big Dog" arrived in Philadelphia on July 23. One with a career average of 21.1 points per game, a jump shot that goes in under pressure, an arsenal that the Sixers' front line has been lacking since Charles Barkley left town. "Billy King did his job this summer," said Iverson, fresh off another terrific performance in the Olympic qualifying tournament and a lopsided victory over Puerto Rico on Thursday night. "I can't ask for him to do his job any better than he did. "B.K. got a legitimate, proven second-scoring option. I'm being as real as I can be when I say this: 'I haven't been this happy heading into a season in a long, long time.' " Read the Full Story Discuss Send Feedback Buy Tickets Sixers Aug 2003 Archive
|
