Burning Question

Q. What's Allen Iverson wearing on his right arm?

A. Rest assured, that tube-sock thing drawing attention on Iverson's arm is not some sort of bizarre tattoo. It's a sleeve specially made to protect Iverson from aggravating the chronic bursitis in his elbow. The outside of the sleeve is a tubular elastic bandage called a Compressogrip, which helps control swelling. It also holds in place a flexible plastic case containing a cushioning material called Orthogel, which fits around Iverson's elbow and protects it when he dives to the floor for a loose ball.

The sleeve seems to be the answer for the Answer. Since donning it for the first time, in mid-January, Iverson has been scoring more than 37 points per game, an increase of about 10 from his pre-sleeve average. More important for Iverson, he hasn't experienced any bursitis flare-ups. "I've gone through a variety of elbow pads with him this season, but we've finally found something that works," says Sixers trainer Lenny Currier. "As you can tell from his hair, Allen's a meticulous person, and the pad needs to fit just right."