According to Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com and NBA TV, 12-year NBA veteran guard Allen Iverson will reportedly be eligible for induction into the 2016 Basketball Hall of Fame.
Iverson, 40, played ten games for Beşiktaş Basketbol of Turkey during the 2010-2011 season. He underwent surgery in January 2011 on his calf that required 'prolonged rest'. The 11-time NBA All-Star never returned to professional basketball, however.
Typically, a player must be retired for a least five full years before being considered for induction in the following year. Iverson lasted played in the NBA for the Sixers in 2009-2010, but his stint overseas was thought to have pushed his eligibility to 2017, at the earliest.
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame's website displays the following requirements for a player to be inducted:
A player must be fully retired for five years before being eligible for Enshrinement. He/she may then be considered for Enshrinement in the sixth year of retirement. Should a player come out of retirement for a short period of time, as defined by the BHOF, his/her case and eligibility for Enshrinement shall be reviewed on an individual basis.
Howard-Cooper reports, however, that Iverson's stint with Turkey will be 'disregarded' by the Hall as his case was individually reviewed per their eligibility clause.
Hall officials made a judgement call. Decision was 10 games in 2009-10 did not count as a season. Could have pushed AI back a year for HoF.
— Scott Howard-Cooper (@SHowardCooper) September 11, 2015
Friday evening, Iverson's longtime teammate Dikembe Mutombo was elected into the Hall after having a 19-year career at the center position.
During his induction speech, the former Sixers' 2000-01 Eastern Conference Champion said his former teammate in Iverson 'will be here in Springfield soon'.
Iverson ranks 23rd in NBA history in points (24,368) and 12th in steals (1,983).
Each year's inductees are usually announced by the Hall during the first week of April.
Matt Rappa (@mattrappasports) is a contributor to Sixerdelphia.com.
