Former NBA MVP Allen Iverson was in the house Wednesday night (May 23) for Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals series between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics.

Iverson received a standing ovation and a rousing applause from the crowd when he walked onto the court at the Wells Fargo Center and delivered the game ball to NBA referee Joey Crawford before the big showdown between the Sixers and the Celtics.

The 11-time All-Star and four-time scoring champ — who was the 1997 NBA Rookie of the Year and helped guide the Sixers to the 2001 NBA Finals — watched his former team defeat the Celtics (82 to 75) from a suite with NBA legend Julius Erving (aka Dr. J), and he spoke to the press and said that he isn’t ready to consider himself a retired NBA player.

“I’m not using that word [retirement] … I wanna play basketball so bad. The way it is right now, I’ve accepted the fact [the NBA] may not happen, but I still want to play basketball. If I can get an opportunity to where it’s gonna make me happy at the end of my career, I’ll take that opportunity. But I just love to play and I want to have another opportunity to play on the professional level.

Do you think Allen Iverson will ever play in the NBA again?

According to a popular Inquirer Sports Columnist, basketball player Allen Iverson “needs more than a prayer.” Citing his alcohol problems and issues with gambling, sports writer and TV personality Stephen A. Smith gave a pretty detailed account on what’s really going on in AI’s troubled life:

Allen Iverson is in trouble, folks, deep trouble. The combination of alcohol and gambling – and a once-promising career in tatters because of the first two – won’t culminate in anything short of disaster if help does not arrive in short order. 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 – Iverson will either drink himself into oblivion or gamble his life away. Moore, ever the protector, would never admit as much, of course. But that’s part of the problem, isn’t it?

Iverson’s wife, Tawanna, having hired some high-powered Atlanta attorney and filed for a divorce last week, does not help matters. Nor does it help that she’s already separated from her husband, with custody of their five kids and seeking both alimony and child support. When you consider Iverson’s well-known penchant for alcohol and his banishment from casinos in Detroit and Atlantic City, if disgust and sadness don’t come to mind, at least one question does: Where is Pat Croce when you need him? Or Iverson’s coach at Georgetown, John Thompson?

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Damn AI! You gotta get your sh*t together man…

Basketball player Allen Iverson‘s wife Tawanna filed for divorce against the Philadelphia 76ers star to end their 8 and a half year marriage this past Tuesday (Mar 2), not too long after the 34-year-old NBA champ announced he would be taking a leave from the game of basketball to tend to his sick daughter.

In the petition, Tawanna asks for temporary and permanent custody of their five children, aged 17 months to 15-years-old, as well as child support and alimony, though she did not ask for a specific dollar amount. AI and his family have lived in north Atlanta since last August, according to papers in the court filing, which also noted that the family of 7 claimed homes in Rochester, MI; Englewood (Denver), CO; and Villanova, PA.

A little over a week prior to the day the divorce petition was filed, Allen and the 76ers announced that he would be leaving the team indefinitely for “personal matters.” He later confirmed via his Twitter that he wanted to stay at home in Atlanta to be with his 4-year-old daughter Messiah, who had an undisclosed illness.

“I need to be there to hold my little girl’s hand and encourage her to get better. I wanted her to wake up every morning and see her Daddy’s face, at least until she got better. Through God’s Strength, She Will Keep Getting Better!”

Before the announcement was made, Iverson had already missed five games with the Sixers, along the big 2010 All-Star Game in Texas, so that he could be with his family. And shortly after the papers for the divorce were filed, Iverson’s team said that he would not be returning at all this season:

“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,” 76ers general manager Ed Stefanski said. “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.”

Wow. Just last week Allen Iverson released a statement announcing his retirement and a few days later Sixers Coach Eddie Jordan denied rumors of Iverson making a comeback to the Philadelphia franchise. But now things have changed.

In a surprising turn of events, Allen Iverson has re-signed as an official player of the Philadelphia 76ers. The NBA star signed a 1 year deal with $1.3 million dollars earlier this week. In a press conference Thursday afternoon (Dec 3), the teary eyed and noticeably emotional 34-year-old guard talked about the progression of his career and how happy he is to be back in Philly as a 76er. His first game is Monday and they’ll be playing against the Denver Nuggets.

“I have a love for them and they love me and it’s evident,” Iverson said. “When I had the opportunity to come back here [voice cracking]. I couldn’t turn it down.” Iverson remained emotional for much of his 35-minute press conference in which he was joined by Sixers president and general manager Ed Stefanski.

Stefanski said that Iverson is expected to make his debut in Monday’s game at the Wachovia Center against one of Iverson’s former teams, the Denver Nuggets. According to Stefanski, Iverson wasn’t guaranteed any minutes or a starting spot, but . . . “We brought him here to play basketball,” Stefanski said after the press conference.

Iverson, who complained about coming off the bench in his last two stops in Detroit and Memphis, insinuated that he would be content with any role with the Sixers. “All I told him [Stefanski] was give me an assignment and I will help you win basketball games,” Iverson said.

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Continue reading for the video (waterworks show up about halfway through – 2:05)

(Photos: Getty Images) After a losing two previous games, the Sixers decided it’s time to claim their spot in the playoffs. Gaining lead way (2-1) the Sixers bust the Pistons by a 20-point victory (95-75). Andre Miller scored 21 points, Samuel Dalembert racked 22 points and 16 rebounds for Philadelphia. Richard Hamilton scored 23 points and TayShaun Prince had 18 points. Without these two, Detroit would’ve had a 30-point blowout loss. Look for the game breaker Sunday night.

Game 4 is Sunday @ 7 on TNT