NBA star Allen Iverson has bounced from talented wild child to respected elder statesman during his 20 years on the public stage.
But with the announcement that his wife of eight years, Tawanna Iverson, is filing for divorce at the same time that his family is troubled by a mystery illness that has afflicted his daughter Messiah, the basketball star's personal and public lives seems to be careening out of control.
Iverson, 34, one of the most electrifying yet troubled NBA players of recent memory and a surefire Hall of Fame talent, announced recently that he would not be returning to the Philadelphia Sixers.Iverson had taken a paid leave of absence from the tea after disclosing his daughter's illness.
At the same time, however, numerous reports of Iverson sightings in bars and casinos during his absence from the team drew criticism.
For years, Iverson has cited the presence of his wife as a stabilizing force in his life. If that's true, it's hard to imagine what trouble he would have found without her influence.
Unfortunately, he may get that opportunity sooner rather than later, since she filed for divorce in Georgia, saying their union was "irretrievably broken" and that she wants custody of their five children.
Iverson, who hails from Virginia, burst on the national sports scene as a high school star, winning adulation for his ball-handling and scoring skills, as well as scorn for finding off-court trouble. A fight with racial overtones at a bowling alley sent him to jail for four months in the early 1990s.
Iverson attended Georgetown University for two years and enjoyed a 14-year NBA career, underscored by soaring highs, such as four scoring titles, all-star appearances and millions in earnings. He also had dramatic lows, including numerous battles with coaches, a terrorist threat charge and other legal woes.
It might be time for friends or mentors (former Georgetown coach John Thompson comes to mind) to get in Iverson's ear and try to get him on the right path.
His basketball career might be over at the age of 34, but productive off-court years are before him if he can get straight.
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By: OOOZZZZZ on 3/05/2010 12:11PM
Doesn't there seem to be a pattern developing here in the NBA?
Allen Iverson is about to retire from the NBA game, earned multi-millions throughout his stellar all-star pro career and at this very moment, on the very day that the Philly Sixers released him, the wife files for divorce, saying their union was "irretrievably broken" and that she wants custody of their five children.
Exerpt from a news story:
"In court documents, Tawanna termed her 8 1/2 year long marriage as “irretrievably broken.” In the petition filed Tuesday, she asked for temporary and permanent custody of their five children as well as child support and alimony. No specific dollar amount is listed. She also asks for an equitable division of marital assets and that Allen Iverson pay all attorney fees".
The family has lived in north Atlanta since August, but also has homes outside Detroit, two in Colorado and one in Villanova. The Daily News reported in December that Iverson's six bedroom, seven bathroom house in Villanova had been on the market since July 2007. The house was first listed at $6.3 million, but the asking price has since been slashed to $3.25 million".
The high school sweethearts from Virginia married in August 2001
http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/sixerville/Tawanna_Iverson_files_for_divorce.html
Why is the marriage "irretrievably broken" now, at this very moment? What had Allen Iversn done now that he hasn't done when he was the man ballin' & being the NBA tattooed, corn rowed, thuggish "bad boy" (maybe on and off the court) while raking in the multi-millions (on & off the court) while at the same time building a lavish & "for the rest of their lives" financially secured life for his family?
Allen wasn't home the majority of the time during the years when he was fully employed and now that he has grown up; matured mentally and beginning to settle down while basking in the sunset of his career and nearing retirement, after 8 short years, the wife wants a divorce?
She hung around with Allen since high school, throughout all his troubles, trails & tribulations, since high school, through college and the pros and she stayed with him through all his shiggity and now that the sun has set on his long and prosperous pro career, the money coffers are full and Allen is set pending retirement, now it's "goddam Allen"?
As Richard Pryor used to say: "she ain't told 'nary joke" and while Tawanna continued to sit back, skinnin' & grinnin' while ridin' the Allen Iverson gravy train lifestyle of the rich & famous, dropping babies along the way, now she wants to get off the Amtrak train without Allen and takes the spoils?
And Shaq's wife is doing the same. Shaq is also nearing retirement and she has already filed for divorce in California instead on Florida because she wants the full 50% of the riches but prior to that when Shaq checked his financial books, he found out that his wife was "investing" ie, stealing millions of his hard earned money away from him without his knowledge and SHE wants the divorce!!
Oh, the things that makes you go Hmmmmmmmm.......?
Also, Tawanna Iverson, wife of 8 years is filing for divorce at the same time his family is troubled by a mystery illness that has afflicted their daughter Messiah.
At the time that the Iverson's daughter Missiah needs both of their parents to be together, their full love, togetherness, support and utmost attention paid directly to their daughter with love and family, WTF??
And Mrs. Tawanna Iverson can't claim sainthood herself. Didn't she herself end up in jail herself years ago for some domestic or some other illegial ish that she was involved in?
What is this all about? "I'm witch cha when the bank is fully open and I'm gettin' mine but now that the ride is over, I'm walkin and takin' the bank with me!!
What's up and don't say that it's probably aALL about him cheating?? I ain't buyin' it.
I smell a little conspiracy going on.
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By: LadyJNewYork on 3/05/2010 12:48PM
Maybe she's "TIRED", and has reached her "ENOUGH", a person can only take so much. Maybe she has "outgrown" him and wants to move on from him. She probably has had alot to deal with over the years and finally she wants "OUT", her "enough" limit has been reached and she's tired. Why do women stay, "i don't know"...no one ever will!
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By: lwarthem on 3/05/2010 3:39PM
First of all yes Iverson's wife has been there since day one but you know what a person can only take so much. we dont know how he is as a husband and just because she stayed this long doesn't mean she needs to stay the rest of her life. You ever think that she's always wanted a divorce but stayed becasue of their children,,and as far as Shaq's wife what she did was thinking smart trying to protect her family. How come Shaq is referring it to HIS money it's their money. I myself have a bank account that my husband knows anything about it.
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By: Nina on 3/05/2010 1:06PM
Folks shole nuff have a mouthfull to say about others, and they own house ain't even clean.
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By: Phillip on 3/05/2010 1:55PM
Holla
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By: OOOZZZZZ on 3/05/2010 2:21PM
Quote fron LadyJ/NewYork : "Maybe she's "TIRED", and has reached her "ENOUGH",
---------------------------------------------------
Had enough of what?
If that's the case, she should have left years ago and not shock the man with this divorce, especially with a sick child that need both parents?
Seems to me that she is just tryin' to drive the nail (for some reason) in the coffin even deeper, take the money & the kids and live off of his hard earned blood, sweat and tears.
Just because she has 5 kids & a mother does not make her a "mature" women and the real question is, "who has outgrown who and who's playin' who"?
Come on ladies, you know good and doggone well that many wives of professional Black athletes are/were only in it for the MONEY, fame and fortune just the same way that Black women critized the White girl for doing the same exact thing marrying Black ballers.
If you're gonna kick the White girls, kick the sistas too. They're not foolin' nobody.
Why do you think she hung around so long as the long time "girlfriend" and then 8 1/2 year wife? She could have left him at any time prior to this but why didn't she?
If Allen caused her to "Maybe she's "TIRED", and has reached her "ENOUGH", according to you,LadyJNewYork, then she saw the signals way early; (when he went to jail in high school) long before the money, fortune & fame but as usual, she smelled the MONEY and that trumped everything else.
In this case, at one of Allen's lowest points (facing retirement) she wants a divorce and you also know that WITHOUT him and his b-ball skills & fame (as with many pro baller wives), Tawanna would probably be on assistance, flipping burgers at the local burger joint/workin' at the local Wal-Mart back home with daily drama from her current husband/baby daddy (with those 5 kids) who she would not probably leave because there is no multi-millions to be acquired by divorcing him.
Shaq's wife and now Iverson's wife.
Also check out the reality show "Housewives Of Atlanta", a real case study in martial playmanship.
I wonder how many other opportunists er, pro baller wives are out there, plotting the same stragety.
You know that they all talk amoung themselves 9makin' plans) and you know that I am tellin' the truth.
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By: LadyJNewYork on 3/08/2010 1:50PM
Maybe Tawanna's enough has reached it's limit. Tina Turner stayed with Ike Turner for 20 years. Maybe Tawanna has given Allen Iverson the benefit of the doubt over the years, and the last straw (who knows what/why) was the "FINALE."
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By: T on 3/08/2010 8:57PM
Flipping burgers? Wow! I guess you're saying that black women are not capable of taking care of themselves and/or are only smart enough to get a job flipping burgers! Maybe you are referring to your sorry self!
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By: Ellie on 3/05/2010 3:31PM
Maybe she is just tired. We don't live with them but I'm willing to bet that they have BOTH put up with things that we,the nosy public, have no idea about. Some relationships just run their course and just because they are older it doesn't mean that either of them is more mature.
They and their lawyers will figure it all out. And I'm sure she has earned every penny of what she might get;raising 5 kids with a parent gone a lot is no easy feat,even if you have money.
I wish them luck and hope that they can/will keep their details private and will behave in a civilized fashion towards each other. By way of those 5 kids, they are stuck with each other; I hope they can model civility and respect towards each other for their kids.
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By: OOOZZZZZ on 3/05/2010 5:01PM
It seems that the catch phrases "Maybe she is just tired" and "the marriage has run it's course is the overall conclusion for many on this topic as to why she is gettin' this divorce but no one wants to talk about and confront the tried and true possible reality; I am talking about unabashed, unemotinal ORIGINAL INTENT: the years of keeping to yourself, unspoken, unwitten non communial language and deception by that wife to deviously wed & stay stay with this man in order to build a life; finance her "dream" lifestyle in which she would have never had on her own without him and his abilities and through that false sense (unknown by him by steered by her) of "illusional" love, sex, children companionship and devotion, your long term goals are acheievd and now it's time to pick up, take the kids and walk away.
Elle stated that "And I'm sure she has earned every penny of what she might get;raising 5 kids with a parent gone a lot is no easy feat,even if you have money."
Women have multiple children in order to get life long paychecks all the time and raising them practically, as you say "alone" (she had a staff; round the clock paid nannies and maid service: a lot different than being alone) and the birth of those kids are probably based not on real love, but long term financial gain.
Making welfare/mimimun wage hundreds versus making multi-millions. What's the diference? There is no difference.
Decption, no matter the amount, is deception.
And if she were a White woman, many here would gladly entertain this analogy but since she is a sista, she gets a pass since "she is gettin hers"
And y'all know that I am not lying.
I just can' phatom how people do that, year in and year out and look at themselves in the mirror each & everyday.
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