Getty Images fileDays after reporting that Allen Iverson has an alcohol problem, the Philadelphia Inquirer's Stephen A. Smith says in a column Monday that the Sixers guard also has gambling issues.
Smith writes, "If numerous NBA sources are telling the truth — and there's no reason to believe they'd do otherwise in a situation of this magnitude -- — will either drink himself into oblivion or gamble his life away."
The column is a plea for Iverson's confidantes to "stand up and be counted, to provide some semblance of tough love — by any means necessary." Smith says alcohol and gambling have put Iverson's "once-promising career in tatters." He adds that Iverson has been banished from casinos in Detroit and Atlantic City, N.J.
These are bad times for Iverson, who won't play the rest of the season as his four-year-old daughter suffers from an undisclosed illness. Last week, his wife of eight years, Tawanna, filed for divorce, and she's seeking custody of their five children, as well as child support and alimony payments.
Iverson started the season with the Grizzlies, but he was unhappy with his playing time in Memphis and played only three games with the team. After a brief retirement, he rejoined the Sixers, the team that drafted him in 1996 and allowed him to become a star. In 28 games this season, the 11-time All-Star averaged 13.8 points and four assists.
Jeremy Lin hit a free throw with 4.9 seconds left to overcome a dreadful second half and lift the New York Knicks to their fifth straight victory, 100-98, over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.
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