Can't spell Philadelphia without A.I.

In an unlikely reunion, Allen Iverson has officially signed with the Philadelphia 76ers. After playing for the Sixers for 10 years, his tenure ended in 2006 with him feuding with former head coach Maurice Cheeks and refusing to play the fourth quarter of his final game against the Bulls. And now, he's back after a brief "retirement" following a three game stint with the Memphis Grizzlies.

With guard Lou Williams out with a broken jaw and rookie Jrue Holiday the only other capable point guard, Iverson has been guaranteed a starting spot. Apparently, when coach Eddie Jordan told Iverson he would like for him to start, Iverson was "like a kid on Christmas." I'm sure if he had been told he wasn't starting he would have acted like a kid on X-Mas who didn't get a PSP, or whatever it is the kids want these days.

So, is this really a basketball move or a business move? Team president Ed Stefanski insists that it's not simply to improve Philly's poor tickets sales this season, but I think it's pretty obvious that it is a move to get the city excited for the team again. The Sixers have lost seven straight games and look to be on their way to a loss to 'Stache's OKC Thunder as I write this. Apparently it has the city buzzing, as people have been calling into radio stations to talk about the signing. Whatever the motivation is for this move, I can't say I blame the Sixers for giving it a try. It's not a huge risk financially, and I'm guessing that the transition will be easy for Iverson due to the nostalgia. And let's face it, the Sixers aren't contending for shit this year, so they might as well have done it in hopes of getting a return from ticket and jersey sales. And if it actually does help the team, great.

The last remaining question is whether Iverson's isolation style of play will fit in with coach Eddie Jordan's Princeton offense, which puts an emphasis on ball movement. The Sixers' marquee player Andre Iguodala has even brought up this very issue when questioned about Iverson prior to the signing. Will Eddie Jordan move forward with his offense or try to adapt to Iverson's style? Despite his reputation to dominate the ball, Iverson does have a career average of 6.2 assists per game, so maybe he can find a way to fit in. But you also have to take into account that he has averaged 41.4 minutes per game over his career, which inflates his stats. It will be interesting to see how it plays out. I just hope that this can lead to Iverson ending his career on a respectable note, because it has definitely been rough for him since arriving in Detroit, even if it is largely his own stubbornness that got him there.