Allen Iverson will not return to play for the 76ers for the remainder of the season.  President and GM Ed Stefanski said on the Sixers website:    “After discussing the situation with Allen, we have come to the conclusion that he will not return to the Sixers for the remainder of the season, as he no longer wishes to be a distraction to the organization and teammates that he loves very deeply…It has been very difficult for Allen and the team to maintain any consistency as he tries to balance his career with his personal life.”

The reason Iverson is not coming back is because his daughter has an illness (undisclosed) and he feels he needs to be with her.  I think this is an obvious decision for Iverson. His daughter and his family should come before his career and he should be with them while they are going through this tough time.  It was also very respectful to the Sixers organization that Iverson decided to just leave for the season and not keep everyone waiting in suspense for his return. Iverson has had a rough few years, going from team to team, but it seems he will be settled in Philadelphia and has a good place on the team.  He was voted an All-Star starter this year, though he didn’t play because of his daughter, and will hopefully be voted in next year too.

Allen will return next season, so don’t worry.  His career isn’t over yet.  He can still play and should be back with the Sixers for the entire 2010-2011 season. Let’s just pray for his family and hope that his daughter gets through this tough time.