<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Even though he was in his 30s, he was still one of the best guards in the Eastern Conference, and in the league, when he was traded out West. And he was angry about being dealt, when he'd done things the right way in his own mind, and he couldn't understand why he'd been treated so cavalierly. More than 17 years later, Maurice Cheeks is over it. Mostly. "As I moved on in my career, I obviously realized that organizations trade for a reason," the 76ers coach said yesterday. "I guess I remembered being 32 years old. We had just lost to the Knicks in the playoffs, 3-0... . As I got older, I realized later on that organizations have to do what's best for them, not necessarily for that particular player. I think when you first get traded, you're thinking more about yourself." The key word in that paragraph being later. It'll be a long time before Allen Iverson gets there, if last night was any indication. There was neither warmth nor fuzziness as Iverson faced his former team for the first time since being dealt to Denver on Dec. 19. Despite scoring a game-high 30 points, with nine assists, he performed unevenly, and was tossed by referee Steve Javie late in the fourth quarter of the Sixers' 108-97 victory. "I just said [to Javie] I thought it was personal," Iverson said afterward. "I feel like it's been personal between me and him since I got in the league, and this was the perfect game for him to try and make me look bad." The key word being personal. Everything was personal for Iverson yesterday, from the morning shoot-around, when he acknowledged he still felt bitterness toward the Sixers, to the end. He protested much too much that this game didn't mean anything special to him, but there was no reconciliation with Cheeks, no visit to the team hotel beforehand. All day, Iverson said he didn't want to be "fake" in his dealings with his old mates. "Just acting like everything's all right, 'cause it's not," Iverson said. "Just acting like everything was handled well that last month I was in Philadelphia, 'cause it wasn't. And I'm not going to act like it was. Honestly, I hope it goes away, but every time we play the Sixers, I know it's going to come back." No doubt, there are those of you out there who have The Litany on your lips, the laundry list of Iverson misdeeds over the years, both to team and town, and care nothing about his hurt feelings. But your anger and disappointment don't compare with his. Not on this subject.</div> Source
