![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1767594497_632_poster-fallback.png\"\/)
<\/p>\n
Drafted No. 1 overall in 1996 by the Philadelphia 76ers, Iverson became one of basketball\u2019s most influential figures. Over 16 seasons in the NBA, he starred not only in Philadelphia but also with the Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons and Memphis Grizzlies, before returning to the 76ers to play his final NBA game on February 20, 2010 against Derrick Rose.<\/p>\n
He finished his career averaging 26.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 6.2 assists, winning the 2001 MVP, earning 11 All-Star selections, being named Rookie of the Year in 1997, and having his No. 3 jersey retired in Philadelphia – achievements that cemented his place in the Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n
Though his NBA career had ended, Iverson was not ready to walk away from the game. Later in 2010, he signed a two-year, $4 million contract with Turkish powerhouse Be\u015fikta\u015f, a move that reignited his passion for basketball outside the United States. It was during this European chapter that the possibility of Iverson playing in Australia emerged.<\/p>\n
POWER RANKINGS – Title race shake-up after big injury blow; finals dark horse you can\u2019t sleep on<\/a><\/p>\n Allen Iverson played 11 games for Besiktas, averaging 11.6 points, 1.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists before heading back to the United State for calf surgery.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n The connection came through Rodney Overby, a former Sydney Kings announcer who had built a relationship with Iverson during his time commentating on the 76ers in the 1990s. <\/p>\n Overby recalled meeting Iverson in Philadelphia and developing a friendship that lasted well beyond his NBA days.<\/p>\n In a 2010 interview with the Daily Telegraph<\/a>, Overby explained how the idea of Iverson joining the Kings began to take shape.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m from Philadelphia, where he played, and I started commentating there. Because of the 76ers, we had something in common. I met him at TGI Fridays – a place he used to hang out – and from there the relationship grew,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n At the time, the biggest obstacle was financial. Iverson\u2019s $4 million salary in Turkey dwarfed the NBL\u2019s salary structure, with the league operating under a $1 million team salary cap. Yet Overby believed it wasn\u2019t impossible.<\/p>\n \u201cIf people put their heads together and get serious, we could make it happen. I don\u2019t know about the $4 million price tag, but with sponsorship we could give him a comfortable pay packet.\u201d<\/p>\n Then-Sydney Kings General Manager Bob Turner was open to exploring the opportunity, even acknowledging the challenges.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll definitely pursue the idea of bringing Iverson to the Kings,\u201d Turner said. <\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s making a lot of money in Turkey and fitting him under the cap would be difficult, but I wouldn\u2019t rule it out. Iverson opened the door.\u201d<\/p>\n The timing made the story even more compelling. The Kings had just returned to the NBL in 2010-11 after a dramatic two-year absence, following the club\u2019s collapse in 2008 due to financial difficulties and unpaid player salaries. <\/p>\n Phoenix down Kings in high-scorer | 01:10<\/p>\n Former coach Brian Goorjian had departed, and the organisation was rebuilding from the ground up. Securing one of the most recognisable players in basketball history would have been a defining moment for the club\u2019s rebirth – and for the league as a whole.<\/p>\n The idea even played out publicly on social media. In an exchange on X (then Twitter), Overby urged Iverson to make the move.<\/p>\n \u201cDude, please come to Australia. You\u2019re going to love the lifestyle, the weather. And instead of just being on the team, you\u2019re going to own it – you might as well own the whole league.\u201d Overby said.<\/p>\n