Wife of Iverson seeks divorce

(China Daily/Agencies)
Updated: 2010-03-06 08:05

Allen Iverson's wife filed for divorce this week, the same day Philadelphia announced the veteran guard would miss the remainder of the NBA season.

Tawanna Iverson said their eight-year marriage is "irretrievably broken", in papers filed on Tuesday in Fulton County Superior Court.

She is seeking full custody of the couple's five children, child support and alimony. The couple's youngest child is 17 months old and the oldest is 15 years old.

Iverson returned as a free agent in December to the 76ers, the team he led to the NBA Finals in 2001.

But he has been largely absent for the past month and also skipped the All-Star game in February to be with his ailing four-year-old daughter, Messiah. The family has not disclosed the nature of her illness.

The 76ers said on Tuesday Iverson would not rejoin the team this season.

Iverson, a former NBA Most Valuable Player and four-time scoring champion, averaged 13.8 points in 28 games this season. He started the season with Memphis but played just three games before he announced a short-lived retirement.

Coach Eddie Jordan said on Tuesday it was best for Iverson to focus on his family.

"I think it was the right thing to do at the right time," Jordan said. "His body of work has proven to be a terrific body of work in the history of the NBA."