Newsgroup: it.sport.americani
Titolo: Iverson con i Sixers per altri 6 anni

           PHILADELPHIA -- No matter where
           Allen Iverson goes or how many
           defenders he baffles, the critics are
           always in close pursuit. They say he's
           cocky, selfish, too enamored of old
           friends from a troubled past. 
           Ready or not, Iverson signed a
           six-year, $70.9 million contract
           extension with the Philadelphia
           76ers on Tuesday that gave him
           much more than a raise. Flashing a
           smile to team president Pat Croce,
           this enigmatic 23-year-old took on
           the pressure of becoming one of the
           top young stars in the NBA's
           post-Jordan era. 
           "I want to win the most
           championships," Iverson said. "And I
           want to be the best player." 
           The job began as soon as Iverson
           finished signing his name. Iverson
           will get the maximum for a player
           entering his third season in the
           league, Croce said. He will get $9
           million next season with annual
           raises of $1.1 million that add up to
           $14.6 million in the final year of the
           contract. 
           "I didn't want to wait until the end of
           the year and then decide whether to
           play for a contender," Iverson said. "I
           never wanted to take the easy way
           out. I've been here through the bad
           times, I want to be here through the
           good. I pretty much knew what time
           it was." 
           It is the largest contract ever
           guaranteed by the Sixers, hurtling
           Iverson past the likes of Julius
           Erving, Wilt Chamberlain and
           Charles Barkley. 
           "There were no snags on our part,"
           Croce said. "I know Allen, and I know
           he's a winner. I know he's a good
           guy. That smile can break you down
           like his crossover." 
           Agent David Falk said Iverson wanted
           to stay in Philadelphia all along, but
           he got a final push from his mother
           and former Georgetown coach John
           Thompson to stay with the Sixers. 
           "They took their best player and they
           didn't get into the game of a
           negotiation," Falk said. "Allen
           reciprocated and said, `Thanks. I
           want to be here, and enough's
           enough.' " 
           Iverson's chance to strike it
           super-rich with a $100 million
           contract -- like those signed by Kevin
           Garnett, Antonio McDyess and
           Shawn Kemp -- was wiped out by the
           lockout. According to the NBA's new
           collective bargaining agreement, a
           player with up to six years experience
           can receive as much as 25 percent of
           his team's salary cap, beginning at a
           maximum of $9 million. 
           His 1998-99 salary of $3.5 million is
           prorated for a 50-game schedule,
           reducing it to $2.2 million -- a loss of
           more than $1.3 million due to the
           lockout. 
           "I just wanted to make enough money
           to take care of my family," Iverson
           said. "The money that's out there for
           me right now is enough for me to do
           so. If the Sixers were going to give me
           $100 million, I would be a fool not to
           take it. I have a family and I want to
           know how my future's going to look
           financially. But it's not all about
           money all the time." 
           Iverson is feared for his speed and
           crossover dribble, yet criticized for
           ongoing legal problems and judged
           on his appearance and choice of
           friends. Along with incredible skill
           and competitiveness, he brings a
           street-kid look to the court with his
           braids, jewelry and tattoos running
           up and down each arm. Barkley once
           called him Allen "Me, Myself and
           Iverson." 
           Two weeks ago, legal problems
           haunted Iverson again.
           Mercedes-Benz Credit Corp. sued
           Iverson for more than $28,500 in
           unpaid lease payments on three
           late-model cars. The suit also asks for
           the return of the cars and for the
           total buyout amount, about
           $300,000, on the 24-month lease
           vehicles. 
           "I didn't know until the article came
           out," Iverson said. "It was something
           that my accountant was supposed to
           handle." 
           Falk said Iverson's lawyers were
           "putting the final wrinkles on that."
           Though Croce was willing to let his
           championship hopes rest with
           Iverson, he still worries about him. 
           "He's young, and I know he's giving of
           himself and of his riches to his
           friends and family to a fault," Croce
           said. "So I always worry about him,
           because he's not someone who will
           say no." 
           If Iverson had waited until July 1, he
           could have negotiated with any team
           for a seven-year contract worth more
           than $86 million. But he said he
           wants to stay in Philadelphia, despite
           his past grievances with coach Larry
           Brown. 
           "I just had to mature," Iverson said. "I
           realized that he was a great coach
           when I looked at his resume. It was
           important for me to put my pride
           aside and listen to what was said to
           me as a positive. 
           "I was just young, I had to do a lot of
           growing up." 
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Ottima mossa.Penso che i Sixers siano ad un free agent di sostanza
dallo smuovere le acque nella lega.Forse riusciamo già a fare i
playoffs questa stagione anche se so che sarà molto ma molto
difficile.
Hoop rules 
            Doc
De Marco Johnson De Marco Johnson De Marco Johnson
Go Sixers

 dallo smuovere le acque nella lega.
Secondo me sono ad un Iverson di troppo dal farlo, ma questo mi sembra
di averlo già detto.
Ai posteri l'ardua sentenza.

 di averlo già detto.
ROTFL
Completamente daccordo
Alla prossima
--
 Hanamichi Sakuragi, mercenario della squadra dei Falchi
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