Star guard Allen Iverson plans to retire from the league, according to a close friend and basketball analyst. Stephen A. Smith, who worked as a sports journalist for the Philadelphia Inquirer when Iverson played for the Philadelphia 76ers, issued a statement from Iverson on his website (http://stephena.com) Wednesday. “I would like to announce my plans to retire from the National Basketball Association,” Iverson was quoted as saying. “I always thought that when I left the game, it would be because I couldn't help my team the way that I was accustomed to. However, that is not the case. “I still have tremendous love for the game, the desire to play and a whole lot left in my tank. I feel strongly that I can still compete at the highest level.” One of the NBA's most prolific scorers, the 34-year-old played just three games for the Memphis Grizzlies this season before taking a personal leave of absence earlier this month. Only Michael Jordan had a higher playoff scoring average than Iverson's 29.7 points a game.
