The idea of trading away Allen Iverson had lingered in Billy King’s mind for three years. After losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2001 NBA Finals, he was still hopeful. However, as the team’s performance became increasingly disappointing in the following two years, Billy King entertained the thought of starting over, but he continuously suppressed his inner voice.
However, during the 2006-2007 season, "It’s time," Billy King vaguely told himself as he listened to his heart. "The Allen Iverson era for the 76ers is coming to an end."
———— Excerpt from the 2015 biography, "Not a Game: The Incredible Rise and Unthinkable Fall Of Allen Iverson".
Since Larry-Brown left the Philadelphia 76ers, Billy King had gained control over the team and the power to harness the chaotic force of Iverson.
Billy King had once worked as an assistant coach under Larry-Brown and was considered Brown’s direct disciple. Brown believed King could master the powerful yet chaotic force of Iverson, but Billy King himself did not think so.
After Brown left the 76ers, Iverson’s off-court behavior and on-court performance became increasingly unruly, with various recklessness off the court, and though brave on the court, he couldn’t lead the team to victory.
Importantly, Iverson was a very charismatic player with great rapport with the fans. Philadelphia fans loved him, and young people around the world admired him. The 76ers relied on him to sell tickets and maintain attendance rates.
As general manager, King not only had to consider performance but also box office appeal.
Thus, when facing Iverson, this Philadelphia basketball hero, King often made compromises, tolerated him, indulged him, and met all Iverson’s unreasonable requests, merely hoping he could play in the games.
For instance, Iverson often didn’t go home after games but went to nightclubs with friends, staying out until the next morning, sleeping in the club until nighttime, then waking up to go to the arena, change into his uniform, and score 30 points in a game.
This might sound cool, but it was a disaster for team management. Billy King not only had to endure Iverson’s tardiness but also sometimes had to lie, telling Iverson’s wife that he was already at team practice and preparing for the game.
Sometimes, the situation reversed; when Billy King asked Iverson where he was, Iverson would lie, saying, "I’m with my wife." Everyone kept deceiving each other just because Iverson didn’t want to "waste" his time on the team, feeling that attending games on time every night and giving fans a great show was enough.
Billy King also felt the same; as long as Iverson could play and deliver performances that satisfied the fans, he could tolerate it.
But in April 2006, during the Philadelphia 76ers’ final regular-season game, the team organized a "Fan Night" to thank the fans for their support throughout the season. Iverson was once again late, arriving only after the game had started and refusing to change into his uniform to play, which finally made Billy King erupt.
He yelled at Iverson, unleashing a torrent of berating, leaving Iverson a bit startled. Iverson apologized to Billy King, yet he hadn’t realized the severity of the situation at that time.
Billy King had already decided to trade Iverson; he wanted to remove this toxin from the 76ers and rebuild the team.
During the summer off-season, the 76ers nearly sent Iverson to the Nuggets, and later during the draft, they almost reached a deal with the Cavaliers to swap Iverson for Arenas, but ultimately the deal fell through.
Within the Cavaliers, there were two factions fighting for dominance, with Arenas’ group gaining the upper hand, resulting in Arenas staying in Cleveland. Iverson dragged on until the start of the new season, still playing for the 76ers and entering his eleventh season.
Iverson had no idea Billy King was negotiating to trade him; he never imagined he would leave Philadelphia. Everyone called him "the son of Philadelphia," and he had deep ties with this place. His 76ers #3 jersey was the best-selling jersey in the league, and he thought he could play in Philadelphia until his retirement, doing as he pleased.
In the new season, the Philadelphia 76ers changed coaches again, this time hiring former 76ers legendary guard, Morris Cheeks.
But Iverson didn’t care about Cheeks’ glorious past with the 76ers or his championships. Whoever tried to control him too much would become a target of his displeasure.
As early as the preseason training camp, the two had an argument, a situation Billy King watched unfold. In his heart, the voice kept telling him that he needed to trade this old king away.
Not only had his performance declined, but his off-court conduct was poor, and young people no longer looked up to Iverson with reverence but disdain; he was not a good role model.
In a game against the Bulls in late November, facing a not particularly strong Chicago Bulls, the 76ers played terribly, trailing by as much as 27 points at the largest deficit.
Confronted with such a dismal scene, Iverson didn’t fight hard on the court or strive to make points to salvage some dignity. Instead, he told the coach he wasn’t feeling well, then left the court without looking back, never returning to the game.
In the end, the 76ers suffered a crushing defeat to the Bulls, a game that became the straw that broke Billy King’s inner balance as he decided to trade Iverson and had a post-game talk with him in his office.
Iverson didn’t know why Billy King wanted to talk with him and was indifferent towards leaving the court during the fourth quarter. He simply felt upset, and with the game at that point, staying on the court was a humiliation; leaving seemed better.