Former Philadelphia 76ers superstar and legend turned cautionary tale, Allen Iverson, has struggled mightily to land an American gig over the last few years. Despite his incessant and somewhat heart wrenching pleas for an NBA team to give him a shot in any capacity, no franchise has been willing to bite since his last stint with the Sixers in early 2010.
That inability to find a domestic job led Iverson overseas for a brief but mostly unsuccessful experience in Turkey with Besiktas. Unfortunately, because of injuries and a myriad of other factors, the former MVP just couldn’t make his overseas arrangement work.
Now he’s back home, reportedly in desperate need of a cash infusion, looking for work in the U.S. So far, no NBA teams have expressed any real interest in Iverson’s services; though to be fair, there have been some whispers that if he participated in D-League games he could possibly change some minds. Chances are, however, that a run with the D-League would only reaffirm what most already know – Iverson’s professional basketball playing days are done.
So game over, right? Not exactly.
According to CBS Sports, a top level indoor soccer team may be interesting in acquiring Iverson’s services. Per a Rochester Lancer’s press release, the man who singlehandedly changed NBA culture during his time in the Association may be just the piece that the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) has been looking for:
"Allen Iverson is one of the premier athletes of our time," said Rich Randall, Vice President of the Rochester Lancers. "With his athleticism and competitive hunger, I think he can be a great fit with our team and fans as we make an important playoff push, while also driving interest to an exciting, growing sport."
The terms of the deal are pretty simple: the Lancers will pay Iverson $20,000 per game to play in the final two games of their season. They’re also offering him $5,000 per goal scored, as well as win and merchandise bonuses.
Bottom line: Iverson could make a pretty impressive chunk of change for largely no work.
This is clearly a publicity stunt by a no name team in a no name league, but when judges are garnishing your wages to pay your jewelry bills, you’re probably not in a position to turn down easy money.
Should Iverson do this? Absolutely. Money is green regardless of where it comes from. Will he? That remains to be seen.
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