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Running out of Answers Posted: Thursday July 11, 2002 4:36 PMUpdated: Thursday July 11, 2002 6:46 PM
With the news Thursday afternoon that Philadelphia 76ers guard Allen Iverson will be arrested and charged for multiple offenses in connection with an incident last week, CNNSI.com asked Sports Illustrated senior writer Jack McCallum what ramifications this could have for the team and its mercurial star. CNNSI.com: What does it mean for the NBA to have one of its biggest superstars arrested? Jack McCallum: It's a particularly disastrous public relations blow, because Iverson is obviously one of the new stars the league is hanging its hat on. Iverson's coming of age in the 2001 Finals was supposedly one of the great "turnaround" stories in recent NBA history. Obviously, this turns it around the other way. CNNSI.com: How will the NBA react? What about potential punishment? McCallum: The league's first reaction is certainly going to be, "We'll let the normal legal channels handle this." I think NBA officials probably will stay out of it for fear of alienating the players' union or going somewhere they are not supposed to go. Its first reaction will be to let the law handle it, and I think the commissioner will be very, very, very wary of straying into any kind of extra-punishment territory. CNNSI.com: Given Iverson's love-hate relationship with Larry Brown, might the Sixers use this as an opportunity to unload the former MVP? McCallum: Despite all that happened at the end of the season, I never thought the Sixers would trade Iverson, simply because they'd be too bad without him. This puts another light on it. The Sixers' history has been that they've traded so many good players who have come back to haunt them, but I still think they absolutely would have to get a really good deal for him. The sad thing is, despite Iverson's troubles, there probably are only three or four players in the league who are as good as he is. CNNSI.com: As tumultuous as his time in Philadelphia has been, does there come a point when management says enough is enough? McCallum: Obviously if the charges are really, really, really serious, the Sixers have a problem. But I don't know. Something inside of me says they're going to be reluctant to dump him. I don't think that they'd take nothing for the guy. Remember, the year before last, they were in the NBA Finals. Certainly it's not my decision to say whether he's worthwhile or not. All I can say is that unless this turns into a real, real criminal thing -- then they have to wonder who else is going to take him? -- I think the Sixers will be wary -- though they will definitely try -- of just getting rid of him. They'd have to get something for him. The way the Eastern Conference is these days, they're no further from getting back to the Finals than the Nets were a year ago. So it's a disastrous P.R. blow, no doubt, but unless they know how the thing is going to turn out, I think they will stay away from feeling like they have to get rid of him immediately. Sports Illustrated senior writer Jack McCallum covers the NBA for the magazine and is a regular contributor to CNNSI.com. |
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