Allen Iverson Covers Slam Magazine's 150th Issue. "I Want To Finish My Career In The NBA"

For some former athletes it's not easy to know when enough is enough. It's especially tough when you feel you have unfinished business, and still have the ability to play at an elite level.

Former NBA great Allen Iverson wants one last shot at playing in the best basketball league in the world. He retired during the 2009-1010 season after 14 years in the game, but felt he wasn't leaving on his own terms.

"I would like to announce my plans to retire from the National Basketball Association. 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." he said at the time.

He spent part of this past season playing in Turkey, before getting derailed by an injury. He had to have surgery to remove a lesion that had grown on his right leg.

He's totally healed now and tells Slam he's still ready to play in the NBA again.

AI: I want to finish my career out in the NBA, if that’s possible. And that’s in any capacity. I did a lot of things, I made a lot of mistakes as far as my actions and things that I’ve said, and I think that was the reason for me not being in the NBA. My whole thing now in trying to get back is letting any organization know that I’m willing to play any part that they want me to play.

SLAM: You watching any Playoff ball and thinking, “Damn, I should be out there?”

AI: You know what, it’s hard. It’s hard to watch. Like, I try to watch it and then at times you’re watching and you get emotional and I get away from it, have a little moment by myself or to myself, and then I try to get back and watch it. I mean, it’s basketball—what I love. It’s what I was born to do. So it’s hard to watch, but it’s hard not to watch.

SLAM: What’s drawing you back out on the court? Just a love for the game?

AI: [Long pause; starts to choke up] I love to play basketball. I’ve always said, If I can’t do what I’m accustomed to doing out there on the basketball court, I’ll leave it alone. If I can’t be effective and help my team win basketball games out there, than I don’t want to do it. I don’t want to play the game that I feel like I’m the best in and go out there and not play like that, not feel like I’m that person. I don’t think it would be fair to my fans, my team, my organization, nothing. But when I look at basketball and when I know what I can do on the basketball court, it’s just hard knowing that I went through a whole NBA season and didn’t play when I know how much I can play. I’ll play for a team in any capacity just to get back out there doing what I love to do.