Not to bring down all the good vibes that have been surrounding AI in his return this week, but hey, that's just how the calendar shakes out sometimes. Anyway, to understand the (hopeful eventual) resurrection, we must of course understand the demise. The Sixers were in a bad, bad way early in the 2006 season, off to a 5-13 start, and though Iverson was scoring as well as ever (averaging 31 a game) the points weren't translating to wins, and The Answer was coming under personal heat for feuding with management and skipping a public appearance at a bowling night for season ticket holders.
Things came to a head on December 8th of that year. A week after the bowling incident, Iverson asked for a trade, issuing a statement that "as hard as it is to admit, a change may be the
best thing for everyone." Iverson was told not to suit up for that night's match-up with the Wizards, and Sixers chairman Ed Snider made it clear that Iverson had likely played his last game as a Sixer--in his first run, anyway.
Iverson was finally traded eleven days later, sent to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for Andre Miller and Joe Smith. Under Miller's veteran guidance, the team actually experienced something of a turnaround after AI's departure, going a semi-respectable 27-32 following their dismal 5-18 start. Iverson averaged 25 and 7 for the Nugs, but failed to take the team to the next level, as they only ended up winning a game more than the year before, and once again got crushed in the first round of the playoffs.
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Ultimately, I think the best thing to hope for with Iverson Mk. 2 is that if and when he and the Sixers decide to once more part ways, it's on terms better than this.