He kept communicating with his agent, Leon Rose, hoping to know the specific details of the trade, but Rose told Allen Iverson that he had little information about this trade.
"Did you get any information from Billy King?"
"He said he was sending me to prison," Iverson replied.
"Prison? Is he crazy? What prison?"
"I don’t know, maybe... Minnesota? It’s very cold there. But teaming up with Kevin would be a good choice."
Iverson was still thinking about becoming teammates with Kevin Garnett, as the two had a good relationship and similar temperaments.
After experiencing a brief glory in the 2003-2004 season, the Timberwolves quickly collapsed with the aging of Sprewell and Cassell. Now they are facing the possible loss of Kevin Garnett.
So, it’s possible the Timberwolves might take a gamble with a trade.
"It’s unlikely to be Minnesota, but according to some speculation, you might be sent to Las Vegas."
"What? Las Vegas! Shit..." Iverson cursed under his breath and immediately realized what Billy King meant by prison.
That’s Ah Gan’s team!
Iverson had long heard about Ah Gan’s strict team management, and in 1996, during his rookie season, the game against Ah Gan left a deep psychological shadow.
To such an extent that among all the veteran stars, Ah Gan was not Iverson’s favorite, nor did he want to be friends with Ah Gan, but Ah Gan was absolutely the one he feared and respected the most, very, very much respected.
So much so that during the 2003 All-Star Game, when Gan Guoyang appeared in the locker room, the usually defiant Iverson, who looked down on everyone with a blank expression, surprisingly became submissive and sat respectfully not far from Gan Guoyang, listening to him speak.
After that, Gan Guoyang never deliberately suppressed Iverson in games, including the 2003 playoffs, when Glory easily defeated the 76ers, marking the beginning of the Philadelphia 76ers’ collapse.
Afterwards, the 76ers tried to trade for Chris Weber to form a star combo with Iverson inside and out, hoping to revive their glory.
It is known that the year he was traded to Philadelphia, Weber was only 31, which should have been the peak for an inside player.
Unfortunately, Weber had already had his knee and athletic ability ruined by injuries. His combo with Iverson was just a flash in the pan, producing some good games but ultimately failing to achieve championship-level competitiveness.
In Iverson’s subconscious, losing to Glory and Gan Guoyang in the 2003 playoffs was a watershed moment in his career.
From that time on, ambitions, MVPs, and superhero things were just external packaging for Iverson.
When needed, he put on this packaging and made it look good. Coupled with his remaining talent and abilities, he could still attract a large number of fans and spectators.
But underneath this skin, the true champion’s heart had been hollowed out, emptied by alcohol, women, countless US Dollars to spend, and the brothers who once fought and died with him.
According to Iverson’s expectations, he would continue to hang around in Philadelphia for a few more years until retirement, get his jersey retired, and finally be called a Philadelphia legend.
As for money? It must be said that Reebok had foresight, giving Iverson a lifetime contract that allowed him to keep getting paid until he died without worrying about spending all his money at once.
Also, Iverson thought there would be no problem signing another multi-million-dollar contract, so he didn’t have to worry about money.
Enjoy today, while still young, not wasting all the time on basketball. Have fun, enjoy life, and make up for the hard days of youth, especially those unbearable years in prison.
And now? Well, now they’re sending me to prison again!
Although it’s not a real prison, it houses the strictest prison warden in the league.
Everyone has heard about Isaiah Riddle. After retiring, this guy started giving talks and participating in interview programs everywhere.
The story he tells most often is about when he was traded to the Trail Blazers and before his first training session, Ah Gan threatened him in the car.
Since then, Riddle was still an asshole, but he rarely missed training, especially with the Trail Blazers, it was basically a miracle.
Nowadays, Riddle keeps saying, "Ah Gan saved my career. Without him, I might have spent my later life in prison. Now, I can tell my championship stories on TV, guide more people, and help lost fellow Black Americans stuck in crime become self-disciplined and responsible for their lives."
Buschet, Riddle later indulged in the same drinking, gambling, whoring, but after winning a championship with Ah Gan and appearing in some interviews, everything got whitewashed?
Iverson respected Ah Gan, but he didn’t want to be his teammate; that’s a completely different matter.
But at this point, everything was out of Iverson’s hands, and he quickly received a call from Billy King.
"Allen, the trade request has been submitted and will soon be approved. You’re being sent to Las Vegas. Congratulations, you have a chance to win a championship with Ah Gan."
"Shit! You must be joking with me, going to Las Vegas... It’s a good place... but I don’t want to play with Ah Gan!"
"Why? No one wouldn’t want to play with Ah Gan. No one wouldn’t want to coach Ah Gan, it’s common sense."