"Damn, I want to come back, but they don’t want me" - Allen Iverson on the times he considered making an NBA return

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After spending a few years away from the game, Allen Iverson revealed that there were times when he felt the eagerness to lace up and compete at the highest level once again. Admittedly, “The Answer” had the burning desire to make an epic NBA comeback, a feeling he initially thought would never hit him.

Despite his undeniable skills and pedigree, Iverson eventually realized that no NBA team was willing to offer him a spot on their roster. For Iverson, it was as if teams were hesitant to take a chance on the aging superstar, raising concerns about his ability to adapt to the constantly evolving style of play in the league and, more importantly, the stigma of his attitude as a player.

According to Iverson, there was indeed the itch to return to the NBA. However, the disheartening fact that nobody was interested in signing him outweighed his passion to play again.

“Damn, I want to come back, but they don’t want me. And I don’t want to play for somebody who doesn’t want me,” Iverson told Sports Illustrated in 2017.

“The Answer” didn’t want to hear the answer to his question

Iverson played his final NBA game in 2010 as a returnee for the Philadelphia 76ers. He was already 34 years old at the time, and the explosiveness he once possessed was no longer there. However, A.I.’s aptitude for scoring never faded, as he still averaged 14 points per outing in his last 25 games in the league.

After the 2009-10 season, Iverson and the Sixers came to terms that it would be best to part ways. At the time, “The Answer” knew he still had something left in the tank. However, he grappled with the idea of taking a back seat and continuing to play in the NBA as a role player.

Iverson believed in his abilities and yearned to showcase them as the team’s star player, refusing to simply blend in like other aging NBA veterans. This inner conflict reflected Iverson’s unwavering commitment to staying true to himself and undying his passion for the game. On the other hand, it also spoke volumes about his selfish mentality.

Deep down, AI knew that if he had just accepted the role of a bench player, he could’ve played for a couple more seasons in the NBA. However, Iverson let his ego win and chose to play overseas as a celebrated superstar.

“I stood on the fact that I would never—and I know this might be selfish in some ways—be just another player on the team. I felt I had to make an impact, win or lose. I had to be the guy who actually led the team to the victory. I couldn’t be the used-to-be,” Iverson reflected.

Iverson needed a breather from the media

For the better part of his legendary NBA career, Iverson faced relentless scrutiny as the media often focused on his rebellious image, his outspoken nature, and his unconventional approach on and off the court. While it has become common for A.I. to be constantly under the media’s watchful eye throughout his prime years, he didn’t expect to be stuck in the same situation even during his post-NBA career.

The constant attention unsurprisingly took a toll on Iverson, who longed for a sense of privacy and freedom from the harsh judgment he has been receiving to this day. Apart from struggling to fight Father Time and mediocrity, the four-time NBA scoring champ also found himself battling to get away from the media.

“I wanted to get as far out of the limelight as possible,” Iverson confided. “I was mentally drained. I got tired of 10 questions, nine negative. Ten questions, eight personal. I got worn down. It felt like people were ripping my body apart, pulling every which way.”

Iverson says it all started in Detroit

If only Iverson could turn back the hands of time, he would surely redo some of his past decisions. It’s safe to say that one of those would be the time he joined the Detroit Pistons towards the tail-end of his career.

As per “The Answer,” it was in Detroit where his NBA career went through a downward spiral. Iverson was hurt by how then-Pistons head coach Michael Curry broke his promise to never disrespect him by making him a bench player.

“When he [Curry] told me that, that’s when I felt that this was the worst career move I’d ever made and it was the worst year of my career… I’d never been on a team where a coach told me the guys gave up on me,” Iverson once opened up. “You know what I mean? And I kept this under wraps the whole time … because I didn’t want to bad-mouth any of those guys.”

“For [the coach] to tell me these things and for him to go back on his word like that, it was the hardest and the roughest season I’ve ever had,” he added.

In conclusion, nobody knows if Iverson would have maintained a starting role if he never signed with the Pistons. However, we can now be sure that at one point, “The Answer” considered making an NBA return.