Allen Iverson wants to make an NBA return, and he’s interested in the Boston Celtics. (Boston Globe)

Now, after a year off, Iverson said he is ready to end his career in a more heartening fashion. Knowing that the Celtics will be seeking help, Iverson’s manager, Gary Moore, told the Globe his client would love to come to Boston.

“I have already spoken to Allen about that and many other opportunities, and of course he would be interested in anywhere in the NBA but Boston is particularly attractive to him,’’ Moore said, “because of Danny Ainge, the organization, and one of the most respected coaches he knows in the business in Doc Rivers.

“He has the utmost respect for Doc Rivers and the current roster of players. Allen would relish the opportunity to play in that organization.’’

In his prime, guarding Iverson was like trying to stop a cheetah with your bare hands. He was going to get by you, the only question was how much damage he would do.

Unfortunately for the Celtics, Iverson’s now 36 years old. He was last seen playing halfway decent hoops, though not dominant hoops, in Turkey. He had already lost a few steps by then. He presumably still doesn’t have the world’s best jump shot. He’s still 6’1, 165 pounds while wearing five layers of clothes. He may or may not be able to defend a soul these days. He was never known for his team play; in fact, he was known for quite the opposite. He famously doesn’t enjoy practices. He has a track record of becoming discontent with a smaller role. And on top of that, he reportedly has alcohol and gambling issues.

But hell, the Celtics’ bench desperately needs some contributors. Danny Ainge needs to sign between four and seven players when free agency begins, and he needs to do it without any cap space whatsoever, in a new collective bargaining agreement that could be — this year, at least — one of Boston’s biggest enemies (along with father time, the Miami Heat and Jermaine O’Neal’s next injury). And this is Allen Iverson. If the Celtics can get him for the veteran’s minimum, why not see first-hand if he can still play? Why not see if he old age has taught him the virtue of unselfishness? At that price, the reward outweighs the risk.

I just wouldn’t expect much from Iverson. We not talkin’ bout a superstar. We talkin’ bout a washed-up veteran.

The newest Celtic.

Shaq to the Celtics should be completed later today. Chris Broussard tweeteth, “Shaq has decided to join Celtics. He will inform team of his decision this morning, sources tell me.” 

UPDATE: A. Sherrod Blakely reports the deal is likely to be a one-year, minimum contract.

Shaquille O’Neal has agreed to become a Boston Celtic, which would give the C’s one of the most star-studded, Hall of Fame-bound lineups in recent memory.

Contract details have yet to be fully ironed out, but O’Neal is likely to receive a one-year deal for the veteran’s minimum.

Plus, the Diesel has reportedly already bought the entire top floor of the W Hotel. (My Fox Boston)

A person with knowledge of the negotiations says the Celtics are making progress on a deal that would bring Shaquille O’Neal to Boston.

The person spoke with The Association Press on the condition of anonymity because the deal was not yet final.

Earlier Tuesday, the four-time NBA champion said he will be in the league next season and would rather retire than play internationally.

Although nothing has been confirmed, O’Neil has reportedly rented out the entire top floor of the W Hotel in Boston starting today as a place to live.

You don’t rent a place to live unless you’re going to be moving. Like it or not, folks, Shaq’s coming to Boston. For the minimum, I’ve got to believe he’s worth it. If the Celtics can only sign T-Mac and Allen Iverson and then coax Antoine Walker, Wally Szczerbiak, Gary Payton and Shareef Abdur-Rahim out of retirement, the 2002 All-Star reunion will almost be complete.

By the way, Ainge, I’m just kidding.

When Stephon Marbury news rains, it pours. And I’m not sure what’s funnier — that he sold his business for a single dollar or that he’s trying to return to the NBA. (Boston Globe)

Stephon Marbury has signed with agent Arn Tellem and is seeking a return to the NBA. The ex-Celtic played last season in China. Include Marbury with Allen Iverson and Tracy McGrady as free agents who could be waiting a while for work.

I love the last line. “Include Marbury with Allen Iverson and Tracy McGrady as free agents who could be waiting a while for work.” Three or four years ago, you couldn’t have imagined the free-fall those three guys have taken.

P.S. – I think Marbury is the only person in the world who knows how to ruin a personal brand quicker than Lebron did. Congrats, Steph.

P.P.S. – Marbury’s agent should give David Kahn a ring. I hear Kahn is desperately seeking a tenth-string point guard.

Could anything else go wrong for Allen Iverson?

At this point, you have to start to feel for Allen Iverson.  No matter what you think about “We talkin’ bout practice,” or his sreet-cred-earning persona, you have to feel for a person whose life has come unraveled in every facet.

Everything for Iverson has gone south, all year long.  First there was Memphis, where the once-dominant guard was relegated to backing up Mike Conley (even after “God chose Memphis“).  Then there was his daughter’s illness, causing Iverson to miss games and tweet, “I need to be there to hold my little girl’s hand and encourage her to get better. I wanted her to wake up every morning and see her Daddy’s face, at least until she got better. Through God’s Strength, She Will Keep Getting Better!” After that, the 76ers cut ties with Iverson, perhaps ending his storied NBA career, and on a miserable note.

Now, his wife has filed for a divorce, leaving the struggling Iverson with a doomed marriage, failed tail-end of his career, and sick daughter.  (AJC)

A week after the Philadelphia 76ers’ Allen Iverson announced he was leaving basketball for the rest of the season to be with his sick 4-year-old daughter, the star’s wife filed for divorce in Fulton County Superior Court.

In the divorce petition filed on Tuesday, Tawanna Iverson said her 8 ½-year-long marriage to the guard was “irretrievably broken.” In the petition, Tawanna Iverson asked for temporary and permanent custody of their five children as well as child support and alimony.

She did not ask for a specific dollar amount.

Next thing ya know, a banana peel in the middle of the road will cause Iverson to crash his car.  That’s about the only bad thing that hasn’t happened to him yet.

Once in a while, someone else’s article catches my eye. Sometimes, it’s because the article is so spot-on I wish I’d written it myself. Other times, it’s because the article enlightens me with something I never knew. Still other times, it’s because I disagree with whatever’s written. No matter what the reason, I dish it off to another writer to make his/her point. You know, throwing some dimes.

1. Celtics Hub’s Zach Lowe gives some examples of positive things the Celtics did over the weekend. He discusses:

• Good ball movement.
• Solid execution.
• Aging, less athletic players. Doh.

It’s always worth a look when Lowe breaks down some plays, so check it out.

2. Kelly Dwyer of Yahoo! Sports says Boston should sit Paul Pierce until he feels better.

So sit the guy for, let’s say, seven or 10 games. I understand that Boston is prone to losing to just about anyone — this league is that good in 2010 — and that even Toronto (at 31-24, 4.5 games back) has the potential to take over the top spot in the Atlantic if Pierce sits for a spell. This is the part where I remind you that the top spot in the Atlantic Division in the second week of March is not the goal.

The goal is a championship. And if it means losing home-court advantage to the Hawks in the second round, so be it. The Hawks are going to give Boston trouble no matter what, as the home/road difference that was so obvious in 2008 (when Boston destroyed the Hawks at home four times and lost three close ones in Atlanta) is long gone. So you might as well take to what feels like an inevitable series with Pierce at full strength. If I’m a Celtics fan, I’d rather play four games in Georgia with a healthy Pierce than three in Atlanta with whatever it was we saw Sunday afternoon.

Amen, Kelly. Amen. Can someone please send this piece along to Danny Ainge and Doc Rivers?

3. Julian Benbow of the Boston Globe has a piece about how the Celtics are willing to welcome Nate Robinson. Ray Allen has the perfect mindset:

“It’s going to take all of us,” Ray Allen said. “We’ve got to make sure that we welcome him. We’ve got to make sure that he’s comfortable whether it’s on court or off the court. He’s who we need. He’s what we’ve got in this locker room. There’s nobody else coming and we want to go deep in the playoffs. So the better he plays the better we are as a team.”

4. The situation Allen Iverson is in should remind us all one thing: Basketball is not the most important thing in the world.

5. Dwyer again: Does Lebron James take too many jumpshots?

Wanna throw your own dime, and get someone’s article recognized? Email me at jayking@celticstown.com or follow me on Twitter.

Also seen at HardcourtMayhem.net

I can sympathize why Boston Celtics’ guard Ray Allen is a bit furious over the NBA All-Star Voting currently. There were players like Allen Iverson and Amare Stoudemire, in which many fans have said that they shouldn’t be worthy of accepting this accolade. But the athlete that beams mostly towards my mind is Houston Rockets’ star (well, at least he used to be, I think) Tracy McGrady.

It amazes me that he is starting on the Western All-Star team. How? The voting system for the All-Star game with the National Basketball Association allows the fans to vote respectively. But Ray Allen argues. After seeing those players might make the team, might even start, he considers that the NBA should allow the fans to vote fifty-percent and let the media and all of them do the other fifty-percent. I couldn’t agree more, in fact.

But why? Why allow Tracy McGrady to even make the team at all? I mean, do these stats really even mean All-Star worthy:

3.2 PPG, 1 APG, and 0.8 RPG.

What’s the deal with that? I mean, if the NBA allows that, they might as well let Kwame Brown be the starting center for this season’s Eastern Conference All-Stars. Seriously. And also, another reason: T-MAC HAS ONLY PLAYED SIX FREAKING GAMES! Seriously, are you kidding me? That’s just bull. And back to Kwame Brown for a second…this guy is doing better than him: 3.9 PPG and 3.8 RPG in 28 games…

But nevermind that, the NBA really needs to alternate the rules of the All-Star Voting. Right now, after observing what I have for this year’s roster with both the Eastern and Western Conference, it’s not right. Ray Allen, thank you for speaking your mind.

We tremendously need David Stern to listen to you.

I can’t afford to see guys like this making the All-Star team.