Los Angeles - Memphis Grizzlies guard Allen Iverson, unhappy with his role as a bench player, has been given permission to leave the team to deal with a personal issue, a newspaper reported. Iverson, a 10-time All-Star signed as a free agent during the off season, met with Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley in Los Angeles after a 114-98 loss to the Lakers, the Memphis Commercial Appeal reported Saturday.
According to the report, Iverson again met with Heisley Saturday morning before leaving for Atlanta, where he lives in the off season.
The four-time scoring champion missed nearly all of the pre-season and the first three games of the regular season with a partial tear of his hamstring. Upon his return, he has come off the bench, something Iverson balked at last season in Detroit.
After Monday's loss in Sacramento, Iverson said, "I had a problem with my butt sitting on that bench for so long."
Heisley called Iverson's comments "inappropriate," backing coach Lionel Hollins.
After Friday's loss, Iverson said, "I'm not trying to figure out how to contribute to no team. I contribute to a team by just playing."
Iverson, 34, is averaging 12.3 points and 3.7 assists in 22.3 minutes per game. In 13 seasons, he has averaged 27 points and 41.4 minutes, ranking sixth and fourth, respectively, in NBA history.
The 2001 NBA most valuable player, Iverson spent 10-plus seasons with Philadelphia but has played for three teams in the past year. Early last season, he was traded from Denver to Detroit, where he endured the worst season of his career.
