Iverson Says Pistons Lied to Him

According to Gary Moore, the Detroit Pistons weren’t exactly truthful with his client last season: ”He went there, and he couldn’t really trust what people had told him,’ said Gary Moore, Iverson’s business manager and grade-school football coach. ‘People in Detroit weren’t very truthful with him.’ According to Moore, Iverson had been told that he would be the leader of the team when he arrived, and that was not what played out. The players were upset that the front office had traded away Chauncey Billups, Moore said. Iverson was persona non grata before he even showed up. ‘Allen couldn’t do anything about that,’ Moore said. ‘When you lie to him, that affects him.”‘

What effect did last season have on him?

"One thing is for sure," Iverson said. "I'm going to do whatever the coach wants me to do."

Sound familiar? Well, this is what he said when he was traded to the Pistons last year, and it seems almost laughable now. So why should anyone trust what he had to say at Thursday's press conference at FedExForum, where his script -- such a familiar script -- rang hollow to his harshest critics?

Detroit was not a pleasant experience for anyone involved. Not for the fans, who watched the Pistons go 39-43 before getting clobbered by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs. Not for first-year coach Michael Curry, who lost his job. And not for Iverson, who missed the last month of the regular season and the playoffs with an apparent back injury.

Or, at least, that was his excuse. Others accused him of quitting on the team because he was upset about his role, having been relegated to the bench. And Iverson later conceded as much, saying he would "rather retire" than come off the bench. Was this doing whatever the coach wanted him to do?

Nothing clicked with the Pistons. With Iverson on the court, their offense often degenerated into 1-on-5 sets, and Curry could never figure out how to incorporate him. In 54 games, Iverson averaged a career-low 17.4 points on 41.6 percent shooting, 4.9 assists and 3.1 rebounds.

"He went there, and he couldn't really trust what people had told him," said Gary Moore, Iverson's business manager and grade-school football coach. "People in Detroit weren't very truthful with him."

According to Moore, Iverson had been told that he would be the leader of the team when he arrived, and that was not what played out. The players were upset that the front office had traded away Chauncey Billups, Moore said. Iverson was persona non grata before he even showed up.

"Allen couldn't do anything about that," Moore said. "When you lie to him, that affects him."

Either way, his reputation took a huge hit as a result of the Detroit disaster and his value on the free agent market plummeted. Though Iverson flirted with the Charlotte Hornets and the Miami Heat, the Grizzlies were the only team to offer a contract -- and a modest one, at that. His $3.5 million deal is pocket change compared to the $21 million he made last season.

Moore said Iverson's meeting with Grizzlies officials in Atlanta last week was important.

"They were up front with him," Moore said. "When he sat down and met with them eye-to-eye, he said, 'I was just lied to, and it almost destroyed my career. What do you guys want from me? If you want me to just come here and sell tickets, you've got the wrong guy. If I come here, I want to win.'"

In many ways, this was a marriage of convenience, despite all the nice things being said by the Grizzlies and by Iverson. The Grizzlies desperately needed a dose of star power, and Iverson was out of options.

Fans can only hope the honeymoon lasts.