Over the past few weeks, I have been inundated with emails, phone calls, and interview requests to discuss my thoughts on my former teammate and good friend Allen Iverson. Most of the media and millions of Iverson fans were all wondering if this would be it for the future Hall of Fame guard. While it is true that Allen had made a preliminary announcement about walking away from the game, I was confident that he wasn’t quite done crossing over opponents in the NBA. Allen hadn’t played a lot of basketball this year due to injuries and the transition to Memphis, but I knew my running mate still had a lot of basketball left in those super-fast legs. He just needed a chance to find a team that would allow him to contribute in the maximum way his skills will allow. Believe it or not, there are many NBA teams that would rather lose and build for the future with younger talent than win with (and pay for) aging stars. That’s just the nature of our league which has been positioned more towards the future than perhaps the here-and-now.

Now that I am a member of the media, I get to review and share opinions about the league, its players, and the overall culture of the game. In this position, I am much more aware of the comments regarding Allen and the status of other players in the league than during my time as an active player.Trust me, I have either heard it all or read it all these past few weeks. There had been talk that “Allen has to come off of the bench if he wants to remain in the NBA”. I even hear people comment that Allen is “no longer a feature player and that he just has to lose his ego and accept a lesser role”. Still others comment that “Allen should move to the point guard position and leave the scoring to others” ( though his natural position and success has been at scoring guard position).

I recently accepted some radio interview requests to share my thoughts on Allen and his future. My relationship with him has always been different than most people who have had to view him from the position as an outsider. I don’t have to watch the news or read an online blog about Allen. I know many of his thoughts about the game and his abilities as a current player in this league. I know firsthand what Allen has done as player in this league and I know what Allen will do now that he has decided to remain in the NBA.

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Listen to Audio Interviews with Eric Snow on A.I. retirement & return to the NBA.

• 104.3 The Fan Eric Snow Talks with Mike & Scott Denver | Listen Now!!! 

• Mike Missanelli Show - ESPN Philadelphia

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• NBA Today Podcast | Ryen Russillo discusses Allen Iverson

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Hey Guys,

You know it’s that time again and NBA games are in full swing. I am expecting an NBA season that features wide open basketball with a myriad of teams vying to knock off the defending champion, Los Angeles Lakers.

Below are my preseason picks? Let me know what you think and then send me yours.

Share your opinion on my Facebook Fan Page and at Eric-Snow.com

The Six DIVISION winners:

• EAST – ATLANTIC – Boston Celtics
• EAST – CENTRAL – Cleveland Cavaliers
• EAST – SOUTHEAST –Orlando Magic
• WEST – NORTHWEST – Denver Nuggets
• WEST – PACIFIC – Los Angeles Lakers
• WEST – SOUTHWEST – San Antonio Spurs
• EASTERN CONFERENCE WINNER Boston Celtics
• WESTERN CONFERENCE WINNER Los Angeles Lakers
• NBA FINALS WINNER Boston Celtics

AWARDS:

• Defensive Player of the Year Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic)
• Sixth Man of the Year Jamal Crawford (Atlanta Hawks)
• Rookie of the Year Blake Griffin (Los Angeles Clippers)
• Most Improved Lou Williams (Philadelphia 76ers)
• Coach of the Year Flip Saunders (Washington Wizards)
• Most Valuable Player LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers)�

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Eric Snow sits down with Lou Williams (Sixers) to discuss the state of the Sixers, having a new coach, and his goals for the upcoming season. (*courtesy NBA TV)

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With the start of college football, and more recently, the NFL season, I guess we can say that summer is officially over. Say hello to the fall and the cooler weather, along with the start of school and the end of vacation. Such is the way of the world. All of us are back from Labor Day breaks and are about to embark upon the final months of 2009. Are you ready? Because I am.

I ended the summer with some fun activities. I did two interviews for NBATV. The first was with young Sixers point guard Lou Williams. Lou hails from the Atlanta, Georgia area, and I visited with him while he was conducting his annual community basketball camp.

Lou is an emerging star and is expected to have a break-out season. If he can continue his growth as a floor leader, the Sixers will turn over the team to him along with their other star, small forward Andre Iguodala.

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My second interview was even more exciting, as I caught up with my former Sixers back court teammate Allen Iverson. The future Hall of Fame guard was in Atlanta training for the upcoming NBA season (his 14th), and he took some time away from our private workout sessions to discuss some of his thoughts about his career and impending contract with the Memphis Grizzlies (which he signed on September 10th).

Unfortunately, I don’t have the entire Iverson interview for you to review yet. We are waiting for the full release. But this is Allen Iverson. Even if it is only a little snippet, you can believe that each second you view will be memorable. Allen has always been one of the most charismatic figures to ever put on an NBA jersey.

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You will also enjoy the interview with Lou Williams. He is a budding star, and listening to him telling his story in his own words gives anyone a reason to root for him. I hope you enjoy.

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Eric & DeShawn Snow appear on the Trinity Broadcast Network sharing thoughts on life, faith, and family.

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I could not help but be totally dumbfounded about all of the chatter (much of it negative) surrounding former NFL Star Michael Vick and his desire to return to the NFL. I must admit, I am shocked at the fact that so many people have been so personally vindictive or have publicly shared feelings of hatred regarding his conviction. It’s as if people won’t let this go or allow Vick to get on with his life.

 

After Vick’s recent release from prison, although he had become fully free from all of his legal obligations, the discussion about his fate became even more venomous. It seems as if everybody from radio talk show hosts to the local paper boy are questioning his sincerity and feelings of remorse, and whether he truly has paid his dues for his obviously poor choices in life.

 

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I found the 2009 NBA Draft to be very interesting and definitely reflective of the change in NBA rules as it relates to player-to-player contact.  In years past, the first objective for an emerging team was to draft a high-scoring player, especially a post player.  But I saw this draft overall as being unusually top-heavy in combo-type point and scoring guards.  I think the types of players that teams drafted may be a byproduct of the “no touch” rules for the defense.  Such rule changes affecting how defensive players make contact with the offensive players mean that lead guards can have a much bigger impact on the game than in previous eras.

 

I have seen and played against the quick and explosive players like Allen Iverson, Rajon Rondo, Tony Parker, and Steve Nash, who are usually adept at leaving defenders in their tracks with their sheer speed.  There are also the power lead guards like Baron Davis, Andre Miller, Jason Kidd, and Chauncey Billups, who use their strength to gain their advantage on most occasions.  But now I am seeing a new wave of combo floor generals emerge, and I think it is reflective in large part of the draft. 

 

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After just hearing about the world losing Michael Jackson, all I could say about the news of Steve McNair’s untimely passing was, “Wow!”

 

I feel like I lost a close friend even though we had only met one time. I remember Steve as a great guy and an individual who was very thoughtful and generous. I send my prayers out to his family.

 

I remember speaking to my college classmates and other rookie players in the 1995 NBA draft about Steve.  Here was this exciting quarterback from a small Black college down south.  He was sort of a long shot, and like many of us, he too was hoping to make it in the pros.  Steve was so spectacular in college, and many of us were already fans.  I think we all were sort of hoping that he would get a chance to show what he could do in the NFL.

 

I hope his legacy can be just as thrilling and encouraging as he was to me when I watched him play, and even more so when I met him.  I thought Steve was a great guy and a great player.  Steve was all of those words that commentators use so often to describe the toughest competitor on a team.  He was a Warrior, a Leader, a Fighter, and a Soldier.  I will remember him for the good that he brought to the game of football and all of the people he touched in charity.  Steve will be missed.

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