[外電] Grizzlies Team Report

看板IVERSON作者Paraguay (巴拉圭)時間16年前 (2009/09/19 17:40)推噓0(0推 0噓 1→)

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Source: http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/team/memphis-grizzlies/teamreport 縮網址: http://0rz.tw/RjDTZ ********************************************************************* Grizzlies Team Report (灰熊隊快報) Updated: September 18, 2009, 11:40 PM EDT ********************************************************************* Getting Inside Allen Iverson loves basketball so much that at age 34, he's willing to play for one of the NBA's worst teams on a one-year contract. Iverson, a 10-time All-Star who's the 16th-leading scorer in NBA history, will open his 14th season in the league playing for the Memphis Grizzlies. He has averaged 27.1 points, 6.2 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 2.22 steals with the Philadelphia 76ers, the Denver Nuggets and the Detroit Pistons. But he feels he has a point to prove after his trade from the Nuggets to the Pistons went sour. "This year for me is so personal," Iverson said. "It's basically going to be my rookie season again. It hurts, but I turn the TV on, I read the paper, I listen to some of the things people say about me having the season that I had last year and me losing a step, things like that. They're trying to put me in a rocking chair already." Iverson is joining a team coming off three consecutive seasons of winning no more than 24 games. They haven't earned a playoff berth since 2006 and are 0-12 in playoff games. A back injury ended Iverson's season with Detroit last April 3. He played in 57 games for the Pistons and averaged 17.4 points and 4.9 assists. "It was a bad fit," Iverson said of his time with the Pistons after stints with Denver and Philadelphia. "I wouldn't say it's personal, but it's a game I'm definitely looking forward to." Iverson won't wait long. The Grizzlies open the regular season against Detroit on Oct. 28 in FedExForum. One reason Iverson doesn't mind coming to Memphis is he has always been a crowd favorite in FedExForum. "The fans had a lot to do with my decision," Iverson said. "I used to tell my wife all the time that I see a lot of my jerseys when I've come here. I've told her they like the way I play. It's great to come to a place where you're wanted." Notes and Quotes Allen Iverson said he will battle for a starting spot. He didn't sign to immediately be relegated to the bench. "I care about going to training camp and fighting for a job," Iverson said. "If I get beat out then start that guy who plays the best. And if it helps the team win for me to come off the bench, then so be it. It's not something that I want to do but if that's going to help us win basketball games then that's the right thing to do." Currently, Iverson is in Europe for an eight-day Reebok promotional tour. His stops include Italy, Poland and Spain before returning to Memphis on Sept. 25. The Grizzlies' media day is Sept. 28, and training camp practices begin the next day in Birmingham, Ala. --Why train in Birmingham? Because head coach Lionel Hollins wanted to, with the camp opening Sept. 29 at the Bill Battle Coliseum on the campus of Birmingham-Southern College. The camp ends Oct. 5. The week-long camp, which includes two-a-day practices, ends Oct. 5. "We are very grateful to Birmingham-Southern College for welcoming our team to the city of Birmingham," Hollins said. "Many NBA teams hold training camp away from their home cities, and Birmingham will give our team a chance to bond and focus on the upcoming season." This will also mark Hollins' first training camp as head coach. It is just the third time since moving from Vancouver in 2001 that the team has hosted training camp outside of Memphis. The Grizzlies held training camp in Malaga, Spain (2007) and Barcelona, Spain (2003) as part of the NBA Europe Live Tour. Memphis has just two players -- Rudy Gay and Mike Conley -- who were with the team two years ago. The Grizzlies have eight new players on their 15-man roster for this season. Conley, who might lose his starting job to Iverson, welcomes him with open arms. "Hopefully he's going to take us over the edge," Conley said. "He's a guy most teams would love to have. It's huge... He's going to make me a better player." Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley said it was a no-brainer to sign Iverson. "If somebody says I can get Kobe Bryant, what am I supposed to say, 'No, I've got a three-year plan?'" Heisley said. "Allen wants to help us win. I want to win. He said, 'I don't see this as a one-year thing.' He said, 'If I'm happy and you're happy, I'd like to know I can come back.' "I hope Memphis likes him. I really hope they respond to him. I think he's going to be outstanding." The Grizzlies are already experiencing increased merchandise and box-office sales as a result of signing Iverson. The team store in FedExForum quickly sold out of Iverson's No. 3 jersey, and is now filling several orders. Fans interested in Iverson also accounted for the Grizzlies selling hundreds of additional season-ticket packages. Iverson said he felt his signing wasn't about selling tickets. "I know they sold me on being committed to winning," Iverson said. "If they wanted to get me here to come in here to sell tickets, I don't know. That's not what they told me. But at least we'll have people to play in front of," he said. NBA commissioner David Stern gave Iverson's signing a thumbs-up. "I think they (the Grizzlies) got lucky," Stern said. "A bona-fide star and future Hall of Famer who still has lots of game left is going to prove to be a significant and helpful addition to the Grizzlies. "Given the way the team is constructed -- with it being a young team -- this is a chance for them to get better and get veteran leadership. It'll be very good for the team and good for the community." QUOTE TO NOTE: "There's a million rumors about who Allen Iverson the person is. And I'm pretty sure if it's not a million, it's two million or more." -- New Grizzlies G Allen Iverson. ********************************************************************* -- Only the strong survive- Iverson ⊕ ═█┘ ⊕ ●╱ 　　　Ｗ ● ●︵ ● ●)) ３╯ <３\ /３⊕ ／３﹚ ３ \\ />⊕ >/ ⊕ ╲> >> ========= http://www.wretch.cc/blog/AWEI3 ========= -- ※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc) ◆ From: 58.114.86.230