p here and defend them. There is concern. We h

PHILADELPHIA -- Allen Iverson cupped his hand to his left ear and asked to hear his favourite tune one more time. With that command, 20,000 roaring Philadelphia 76ers fans gave AI the standing ovation he earned by stamping himself as one of the franchises all-time greats. Iverson, emotional as he thanked former teammates and friends, had his No. 3 retired at halftime of Saturdays game against Washington. High above the Wells Fargo Center court, Iversons banner slipped between Maurice Cheeks No. 10 and Charles Barkleys No. 34. "They all wanted me to talk about how much yall loved me," Iverson said, "but trust me, the feeling was mutual." Iverson officially retired in October after last playing in 2010. He won four scoring titles for the Sixers and was the 2001 MVP when he led them to the NBA Finals. He never won a championship, the lone omission in a career that is destined for the Hall of Fame. The Sixers may as well have turned the arena into an AI museum. Four banners greeted fans at the main concourse entrance, and photos of him were plastered all around the arena. The merchandise stands sold Iverson jerseys for $130, and lower level tickets were going for as much for $1,280 on Stubhub about an hour before the 7:30 p.m. tipoff. The fans loved him, and he blew them kisses after the No. 3 was raised to show how much he loved them back. "I am Philly," Iverson said. "Its always going to be that way." Iversons return injected a rare dose of excitement into a franchise playing some of the worst basketball in the league. The Sixers, in full-blown rebuilding mode, had lost 12 straight entering Saturdays game. The losing didnt matter much Saturday, just the memories. The Sixers wore special "Iverson Forever" patches on their jerseys and Iversons 3 on their pregame warmup shirts. "Its a great example of how this city responds to somebody that they clearly think the world of and brought such exciting times to the city of Philadelphia," Sixers coach Brett Brown said. The Sixers retirement gift was a boat named in honour of his nickname, "The Answer." "It feels good," Iverson said after the ceremony, "but some part of my heart hurts because I know its over." Iverson joined Cheeks, Barkley, Wilt Chamberlain and Julius Erving among the eight retired numbers in franchise history. Erving attended the ceremony. Moses Malone, Dikembe Mutombo, Theo Ratliff, Gary Payton and former team president Pat Croce also were at the celebration. Former coach Larry Brown, who both clashed with and loved Iverson over their tenure, sent a videotaped message. "I just want to tell you, and I say this fondly: God put me there to coach you," Brown said. Iverson said Brown was the player who moulded him into one of the NBAs best. "I always had raw talent," he said. "I needed Larry Brown to polish it up." Iverson was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1996 draft and spent his first 10 seasons in Philadelphia. He also played for Denver, Detroit, and Memphis before returning to Philadelphia for a 25-game stint in 2009-10. Iverson, who mashed hip-hop culture and hoops like no player before him, was perhaps at his peak in his fifth NBA season. The 165-pound guard averaged 31.1 points, was the MVP of the All-Star game and propped an entire franchise on his 6-foot frame all the way to the finals. Led by Brown, the Sixers needed Game 7 wins in consecutive series for the right to play the Lakers. Shaquille ONeal, Kobe Bryant and the Lakers swept their way through the post-season before Game 1 in Los Angeles. Iverson had 48 points in 52 minutes of an overtime victory. The Sixers didnt have enough to go the distance and the Lakers won the next four games. Hes 21st on the NBAs career scoring list with 24,368 points over 914 career games. Iverson, drafted out of Georgetown, scored 30-plus points 345 times and was an 11-time All-Star. His No. 3 jersey was a bestseller around the globe, the headband wrapped snugly around his cornrows, and the tattoos were as much a part of his image as the way he ricochets around the court. Play every game like it was his last was more than a catchphrase, it was a lifestyle. "Who could not be an Allen Iverson fan?" said Thaddeus Young, the lone current Sixers player who played with Iverson. "It got no bigger than him in Philadelphia." NBA Commissioner Adam Silver was at the game for AIs night. "Allen was a special player," Silver said before the game. "The great things he did for the league far outweigh the occasional headache. I always thought even at the time of Allen Iversons prominence in the league, he was representative of his generation." Wholesale Stephen Curry Shoes . Viewers in the Jets region can watch the game on TSN Jets at 6:30pm ct/7:30pm et. The game is also avialable on TSN Radio 1290 in Winnipeg at 7pm ct. Stephen Curry Shoes Clearance . Kelli Stack and Alex Carpenter also scored for the Americans, who avoided a repeat of Finlands upset at the Four Nations Cup in Lake Placid, N.Y., in November. Finnish goalie Noora Raty made 58 saves in that one, but the three-time Olympian could stop just 40 of 43 U. http://www.discountcurryshoes.com/. -- Peyton Manning is the only player in this Super Bowl who has won the big game. Wholesale Curry Shoes . On Friday night, after a long rain delay, he was scratched from his scheduled start. Buy Curry Shoes Online . Roma has a game in hand but now second place is even at risk for the capital side as Napoli moved to within three points with the win. "The result is not always fair," Roma coach Rudi Garcia said. "If we play like this until the end we will win many matches.SANTA CLARA, Calif. - San Francisco 49ers general manager Trent Baalke is committed to supporting linebacker Aldon Smith like a family member in the wake of his latest legal trouble — and keeping Smith around for the long haul, too. "You continue to work as you would with any family member, you continue to work until they leave you no choice," Baalke said Friday in his annual sitdown with media leading up to the draft. "Does character matter? It does." Baalke repeatedly referenced the word "disappointed" during his 59-minute session when discussing a recent list of off-the-field problems for his 49ers, who lost in the NFC championship game to eventual Super Bowl winner Seattle. Regarding a May 3 deadline whether to exercise Smiths 2015 contract option, Baalke gave all indications he hopes to have the menacing pass rusher in a Niners uniform well into the future. Baalke said for 2015, "and 16, and 17 and 18." Smith was arrested April 13 at Los Angeles International Airport. Police say the 24-year-old NFL star was randomly selected for a secondary screening and became unco-operative with the process, telling a TSA agent that he had a bomb. The district attorney has referred the case for misdemeanour consideration. Baalke said Smith is "growing, starting to understand, starting to realize the importance of his own accountability." Yet this follows Smiths five-game absence last season to undergo treatment after his September DUI arrest. In November, Smith pleaded not guilty to three felony counts of illegal possession of an assault weapon, stemming from a June 2012 party at his home. Investigators say several shots were fired, two partygoers were injured and Smith was stabbed. In the subsequent investigation, prosecutors say detectives found five unregistered, illegal weapons in Smiths house, including two Bushmaster rifles and an Armalite AR-10T. When it comes to how to best deal with Smith going forward, Baalke said thats going to be a process. "Thats still being discussed internally," Baalke said. "Everything factors in, you take a look at everything. The one word I can use to describe the situation is disappointing. The important thing is that its equally as disappointing to Aldon. "Like all of us, you have the keys to your own car. You make decisions and you live with the consequences of those decisions. Life is a growing process, its a growing process for all of us. He knows what needs to bbe done.dddddddddddd Were all accountable. Each and every one of us in this organization is accountable." The 49ers also still hope to reach agreement on a long-term extension with quarterback Colin Kaepernick before the start of training camp. Baalke said the team would let the investigation play out regarding Kaepernick being linked to a Miami police report earlier this month involving a woman who passed out in a hotel and later woke up in a hospital not knowing how she got there. Kaepernick has strongly denied any wrongdoing via Twitter. "Any time an individual puts himself in a situation that becomes newsworthy, we certainly pay attention to it," Baalke said. "To say theres no concern, that would probably be a misrepresentation of the facts. At the same time, lets let this thing play out and lets see where it goes." In addition, cornerback Chris Culliver — who became famous for the wrong reasons when he made anti-gay remarks before the Super Bowl in February 2013 — has pleaded not guilty to misdemeanour hit-and-run charges and felony possession of brass knuckles from a March 28 arrest. "Are we disappointed weve had a string? Absolutely," Baalke said. "One is too many. So if ones too many, then five or six is way too many. This isnt something we take lightly. We expect a lot from our football players. We expect a lot from ourselves." He said he is sorry a few players have hurt the reputation of the entire roster and organization. "Im adamant in my thoughts that this is a good group of men. Have they made some mistakes? Absolutely they have," Baalke said. "Im not going to sit up here and defend them. There is concern. We hold ourselves to a high standard. The community deserves that. We represent the community." Baalke also addressed his working relationship with coach Jim Harbaugh: "To say its always two rams butting heads is so false and misleading. To say theres no tension would also probably be false and misleading, but its good tension." Notes: Baalke said he hasnt heard from LaMichael James or his representatives to formally request a trade, but knows the RB said on Twitter he could benefit from a change. Baalkes understanding is James isnt at the voluntary off-season program because of a new baby at home. ... LG Mike Iupati is out of a walking boot for his broken left leg suffered in the NFC title game. ___ AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org ' ' '