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iverson
mayo
gay
randolph
gasol
would be sick
but AI will never know his role and shut his mouth long enough for that to happen. shame. cause that lineup could go places. if he was more cooperative he wouldnt be on the bench forever.
Iverson's act shows he's no Ginobili
Mike Monroe
Tony Parker and Tim Duncan were out for the Spurs' game against the Toronto Raptors on Monday night, but when it came time for the opening tip, Manu Ginobili was in his customary spot the past two seasons: on the bench, awaiting opportunity to impose his will on the game.
Ginobili's will produced 36 points, eight assists, four blocks and an important victory for the Spurs.
Ginobili is the best player since John Havlicek to willingly accept a bench role. Havlicek never started for the great Celtics teams of the 1960s and '70s, but his role was the template for the league's Sixth Man Award.
Havlicek is in the Hall of Fame, and if the totality of Ginobili's career, NBA and international, is considered, he will be enshrined someday.
Allen Iverson is headed to the Hall, too, but when it comes to acceptance of roles, he and Ginobili are alpha and omega.
The Answer, on personal leave from Memphis to attend to family problems, has become a series of questions.
• Will he retire out of sheer spite?
• Wasn't he told before he signed that there was a strong likelihood he would be asked to come off the bench?
• Is he trying to force a trade, a la Stephen Jackson?
• Why did he sign with the Grizzlies in the first place, and for a relatively paltry $3.1 million?
Iverson is among the most compe ive players ever, and this is the crux of the problem the Grizzlies face. He's been an MVP and led the league in scoring. He feels en led to a spot in the starting lineup.
Rasheed Wallace, Iverson's former Pistons teammate who is coming off the bench for the Celtics, told the Boston Herald a great player has to first accept the decline in his abilities before accepting a bench role.
When Iverson looks in the mirror, he still sees a player capable of dominating games.
Michael Finley is a former All-Star and a volume shooter who has adapted to a lesser role with the Spurs. He feels A.I.'s pain but wonders about his response to being asked to play behind young Mike Conley.
“A.I. is a future Hall of Fame player and a former MVP,” Finley said. “For him to go to a bench role is difficult. That being said, from the outside, looking in, I thought he knew the situations he was getting into. But when that ball goes up, that compe ive instinct takes over, especially when your team's not winning.”
Rationalizing his pique, Iverson asked anyone questioning his anger to check his résumé.
“His résumé says he's put in a pretty good NBA career,” Finley said. “For him to take less of a role on a team with young guys who haven't even established themselves in the league is a hit to his ego.”
Iverson earned his ego, and over his career, he earned maximum NBA money, including $20.8 million last season. His ego went on a bad trip last summer when none of the NBA's le contenders offered a former MVP a free-agent deal.
Then the Grizzlies made their offer, and Iverson said he would go help Memphis win.
Finley didn't buy it, then or now.
“I personally think he made an emotional decision, out of anger, when no teams were trying to pick him up when I think he is still capable of doing some good things for some teams,” Finley said. “At the time, that was the best offer, and I think he just took it. Once he got there, he might have realized he didn't make a wise decision.”
Here's the real question about The Answer: What were the Grizzlies thinking when they added Iverson and ball monopolizer Zach Randolph to a young roster that already featured volume shooters O.J. Mayo and Rudy Gay?
Iverson always has been a box-office draw. Owner Michael Heisley needed an attendance boost but forgot Sports Marketing Rule No. 1 in team sports: Nothing sells like a winner.
iverson
mayo
gay
randolph
gasol
would be sick
but AI will never know his role and shut his mouth long enough for that to happen. shame. cause that lineup could go places. if he was more cooperative he wouldnt be on the bench forever.
AI is a damn loser now, has been for years IMO. He used to be one of my fave players in this league, but the last few years he just has shut that down and shown what he truly is (A Me first player and will do what it takes to win). He will not go to a contender and come off the bench for a le, he will instead want to be the man and just ruin his career or whats left of it.
Holy crap, Monroe. Havlicek was a starter by the time of the Celtics 68 and 69 championships.
What a mess.
I so wish AI would go away...and that he'd take Shaq with him.
To be fair, AI is in a completely different situation from Ginobili's.
AI is the one who put himself in that situation. If he doesn't like it, that's all on him.
It's just hilarious to make such a comparison. Ginobili should be compared to super sixthmen like Kevin McHale, Tony Kukoc, who are the key parts of dynasty teams.
AI is more like Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, Jerry Stackhouse...those kind of players.
We're talking about a back-up. A back-up. Not a starter, a back-up. A back-up is a back-up. I mean, really guys, come on here! We're talking about a BACK-UP. A. Back. Up. A back-up.
To be fair, AI knew what he was getting into when he signed his deal with Memphis.
In all likelihood, they told him he'd be coming off the bench, and in his mind he heard "I'll start the season coming off the bench, but I'm so damn good they will have to make me a starter sooner than later."
And when it didn't happen he took his ball and went home.
I think Finley hits the nail on the head here. AI never was interested in helping anyone or anything but his stat line. Once it became clear that Lionel Hollins wasn't going to be pushed around, AI bolted.
I don't think he's coming back either.
Did you just call AI an underachieving loser?
Yes if you defined super star without a ring as an underachieving loser.
I don't think Tony Kukoc deserves to be with Manu, much less Mchale and Havlicek.
Gino & AI's names should not be in the same sentence.
Manu >>>> Kukoc
Im not too sure about this comparison but I think point is made, Ginobili (who would easily be the starter for at least half of the NBA teams) accepts a role off the bench without causing any real distraction. True Pro!
No, but Vince Carter is a seldom motivated waste of talent, T-Mac has never won a playoff series (last year don't count since he was a spectator), and Stackhouse had his moments, but never really carried a team the way a true superstar does. AI is a former scoring champ and MVP who is more along the lines of a Charles Barkley or Karl Malone as far as a superstar without a ring, but I would most compare him to Patrick Ewing in that respect since Ewing did not want to keep playing unless he was the starter and became a barely sought after journeyman at the end of his career. I like AI, and would not consider him an underachieving loser, but he is out of his mind to think he can sign with a new team, miss the pre-season and the first couple of games and then automatically get to start. He whines like an old man complaining about the music kids listen to these days.
Iverson is loser. He will not play for memphis again, I hope he won't play at all in the league anymore. He is done.
It's a shame, really. He could've really done a lot of good for his self and his legacy, as far as perception, if he'd not let his ego prevent him from doing what McAdoo and other greats did towards the end of his career; there's no shame in being a big-time 6th-Man on a championship caliber team.. just ask Manu.
If the guy just had the ability to see himself for who and what he is as a basketball player, he'd realize the 6th-Man role was an absolute perfect fit for his skill set and the best way to utilize it; as far as championship aspirations.
Damn, Allen..
You coulda' been a contenda'..
Manu Ginobili is a man of high integrity and character, with a passion for his team and winning that is obvious. His resume is so impressive that few NBA players will ever come near in their career accomplishments. So it's probably unfair comparing him to many others players in the first place.
Finley, the ultimate robber of minutes talking about playing time.
Dunno if i trust Memphis Lakers either, Aggie. The team that took Kwame Brown for Gasol then used the money to sign Zac Randolph.
You've got to believe tho that his playing time was discussed and i concur with what you think AIs thought process was.
Monroe actually gets paid for this kind of insight?Iverson's act shows he's no Ginobili
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