Yesterday Allen Iverson arrived in Istanbul, Turkey to start his international basketball career. The 35 year old guard promised the fans to give them "something they haven't seen before." Iverson is the biggest acquisition of Turkey, as he signed a $4 million, two year deal with Besiktas. Upon his arrival, he was greeted by dozens of basketball fans who are ready to see Iverson's style of play.
Iverson went overseas due to the fact that no NBA team offered him a decent enough contract. Not even his hometown 76ers would give him a deal, most likely because the drafting of Evan Turner. Going to Turkey was a way for Iverson to re tune his skills. After injuries and changes of teams throughout recent years, Iverson says that Turkey is a way of getting his career back on track. This is a good route for some players to go, as it has been proven to work. Current NBA player Josh Childress of the Phoenix Suns, went to Greece for a year or so, but has now returned. He is a key player to the Suns rotation, and has improved his defense vastly.
Allen Iverson is known for his great ball handling, flashy moves, and speed. All of those attributes have slowed down throughout the years, as he is one of the only players in the league who plays through most injuries. His body seemed to be worn down in the past year, but going to Turkey may act as a way to recreate his game. His hope is to return to the NBA to finish out his career. In order to be successful in the NBA again Iverson will have to become more of a point guard, rather then a scoring point guard. Iverson is good for a high number of assists per game, but his turnovers are up there as well. As long as the Philadelphia native can work on his decision making, then he can recreate his career, and give the fans a new "Answer".
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