Thomas Wolfe wrote a book called You Can't Go Home Again in which the main character, an author, becomes famous for basically exposing the dirty secrets of his home town. The town then ostracized him, making it virtually impossible for him to ever go back home.
While he didn't write a tell all book about the team that drafted him, Allen Iverson received the same result when he all but burned every bridge to Philadelphia with a messy ending to a storied 10 year career there.
But, in life, nothing is ever certain or set in stone and what seemed like an impossibility back in 2006 when Iverson was traded to the Denver Nuggets is now a reality; Allen Iverson is a 76er once more.
A.I. Signed a one year, non guaranteed contract with Philadelphia Wednesday that returns him to the site of his glory years but the Answer that is coming back is a far different man than the one that left.
In a press conference Thursday, a tearful Iverson truly seemed overwhelmed and overjoyed to be back in Philly.
"Coming back home, all I could think about was the people who made me who I am," said Iverson, "I always thought it was strange having another uniform," Iverson said. "I couldn't feel comfortable with another uniform."
And this time around, Allen Iverson doesn't appear to be the attention starved child of years past but just a humbled man looking to do the thing that he loves to do, play basketball.
"I want to fit in. I want to be a part of any success we have," Iverson said. "I just want to be one of the guys. I don't need a whole bunch of praise. I don't need a whole lot of accolades. I just want to play basketball."
Time will tell whether this reunion tour will be a success or not, but A.I. has been given a rare chance to close his career out with a dignity and grace that seemed impossible a week ago in front of an audience that truly respects and loves him.
Can anyone ask for a better ending to a story than that?
