All-Star Philadelphia 76er point Guard Allen Iverson took a season long sabbatical to tend to his ailing 4 year old daughter.  No one can dispute the showing of love a a father to his sick daughter.

Now reports are coming out that Iverson's leave of absence may be even more critical.  It is now reported that Iverson is facing alcohol problems, has gambling issues that has caused him to be banned from 2 casinos, and last week his wife filed for divorce.  His friends fear for his well-being and that he may be on a destructive path.  Considering the enormity of the situation, we wish Allen and his family only the best and the strength necessary for a positive resolution to his personal situation.

As stated in an earlier GONews item, Iverson has done what we all strive for: put himself into a financial situation where he can devote the necessary time and resources to taking care of such matters.  There is obviously much going on and the press should step back and allow him the privacy so that he can tend to his life.

Philadelphia 76er point guard Allen Iverson will not be returning to the team this season.  Iverson is home with his family taking care of his 4 year old daughter, Messiah, with an undisclosed illness.  Iverson, 34, returned to the Sixers earlier this season in an attempt to show that he is still a top level player.

Many things have been said of Iverson over the years and it is now time to add to that list.  Iverson has put himself into the position that all of us wish to be in - a position of power (economically) that he can spend the time and recruit the doctors to assist his family.  When it comes down to it, isn't that what we all work for, to better ourselves in assisting our families? 

There will be some that will say that Iverson has abandoned his teammates.  That is not the case here.  They and the front office of the Sixers understand his current situation.  And truth be told, the team is going nowhere with him.  Would it be different if the team was competing for a playoff spot.  NO!  Not all times requires you to take off from your job.  But there are times where its obvious when it has to be understood.  The crime would be if Iverson did not leave to see to his daughter.

Former St. John's and New Jersey Nets superstar Jayson Williams was sentenced to 5 years in prison for the manslaughter of his chauffer, Costas Christofi in February 2002.  He is eligible for parole in 18 months.

In what appears as another cautionary tale of how success as a professional athlete does not necessarily translate to success in life, Williams was tearful in the court room, apolgizing to the family of Christofi, his family, and his professional contacts.  He still faces charges for his recent DWI car accident in New York.

Williams was on top of the world in 2002 as a rising star as an NBA commentator before the accidental shooting with a shotgun of Christofi in the bedroom of Williams mansion.  Williams attempted to cover-up the accident and tried to pass it off as a suicide.  Christofi's family spoke out in the courtroom with their dissatisfaction with the length of the sentence.

We're two games into the Tracy MacGrady experiment and his knees are hurting.  The Knicks gambled and it looks like on one aspect they may lose.  Regardless, they are winners in the trade.  The most that occurs here is they cut MacGrady loose at the end of the year and gain his salary.  They were hoping that he was finally healty and would be a contributor not just the remainder of this season, but next season with the hopeful addition of two free agents.

The New Jersey Nets announced that they would play the next two seasons in the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey before their move to the Barclays Arena in Brooklyn, New York for the 2012-13 NBA season.  The move will allow the team to play to hopefully large houses than the IZOD Center in the Meadowlands.  The team is hopeful in trying to lure this summer a NBA free agent superstar, such as Cleveland's LeBron James, to come and play for the team.  James is a friend of team part owner Jay-Z.

Doctors have detected a pulse in the New York Knicks today.  As of 2PM EDT the Knicks have a possible life when the long discussed trade for Tracy McGrady was consummated.

The team has been irrelevant slightly longer than it has been a public embarrassment to both New York and the NBA.  But since the tenure of Knicks GM Donnie Walsh, the goal has been towards July 1, 2010 when the superstar free agent class would be available.  With the understanding that one NBA superstar would not be enough to lift the Knicks from the likes of the undead, Walsh has been pursuing a strategy that would permit the team to sign two of the top players in the league.  That meant clearing salary to allow it as much cap room space as possible.

McGrady himself is a step towards that goal.  If he is healthy, and that is a big if for the often injured player, he can be an elite player.  The Knicks now have the rights for his four month try-out.  If McGrady cannot recapture his former level of play, his salary can be dumped at the end of the season.

The Knicks are trying to become as attractive as possible for LeBron James, and potentially another All-Star player such as Chris Bosh or Dwayne Wade.  To that end Walsh pulled off 3 trades in 24 hours that had the Knicks get rid of center/project Darko Milicic in return for Timberwolve's forward Brian Cardinal, Nate Robinson to the Celtics in return for Eddie House, J. R. Giddens, and Bill Walker, and then unloading today Jordan Hill, Larry Hughes, Jared Jeffiries, and conditional first round selections in the 2011 and 2012 drafts in return for McGrady and point guard Sergio Rodriguez.  The Knicks will look long and hard at Rodriguez as their potential point guard of the future.

Walsh has done what he has initially set out to do, make the Knick's players this summer in the free agent market.  They are being wheeled out of the Emergency Room, will be monitored the rest of the season to see if what, if any parts should come back (only Gallinari and Chandler are expected, with the Knicks losing David Lee should they be able to sign two free agents), and then move into the ICU unit.  Unfortunately Walsh's job is only partially completed.  Now he will have to convince home town hero LeBron James and another player that New York is the place for all their dreams to come true and that he will be able to surround them with the players to do so.

We wish him and the team luck.  For the next 5 months, while they may not win an NBA Championship this year, they are relevant again.

The rumor making the NBA rounds is that the Knicks are in heavy discussions with the Houston Rockets and Washington Wizards in a blockbuster three team trade that will bring the oft-injured All-Star Tracy McGrady to the Knicks.

While the Knicks would give up what is essentialy driftwood in the likes of Eddie Curry, Al Harrington, Jared Jeffries, Larry Hughes in some combination, is this a good move or more of the same from ghosts of Knick GM's (Isiah Thomas) past?  GM Donnie Walsh has stated that if he were to pull off the trade, he would look at McGrady as a long term investment (his contract expires this season) and not in a short term spurt for this year's play-offs.

Either way, adding McGrady can be no worse if it allows the dumping of other bad contracts and the Knicks are able to eject him if his surgery-repaired knees and back don't work out.  And the likes of McGrady may be more attractive to prospective free agents than Curry or Harrington.

Yesterday began with the rumor from the NY Daily News that Univ. of Louisville coach Rick Pitino is quitely seeking an audience with the incoming owner of the New Jersey (soon to be Brooklyn) Nets in order to seek the head coaching position.  He quickly denied all rumors after his Lousiville squad was trounced at Madision Square Garden by the St. John's Red Storm.

So once that was dismissed, then comes the statement in the media that the Nets top wish would be for 63 year old Duke Head Coach Kryzewski to take over the woeful team.  Let's be real.  If he turned the Los Angeles Lakers, why go to the 4 - 48 Nets?  There is no truth to this what-so-ever.  Under any circumstances, including if LeBron signs with the Nets.