Is the Answer to play in Turkey?

Published October 12, 2010 4:00am ET



Even if his basketball skills have dwindled, Allen Iverson has figured out how to work Google Alerts. His search, “NBA overseas,” continues delivering links as he scours the globe for a place for to extend his playing career — because it isn’t happening inside U.S. borders.

Earlier this year, Iverson was pointed toward China after stories surfaced about Stephon Marbury‘s unlikely renaissance.

The latest reports have Iverson in serious discussions with Turkish club Besiktas, which knows at least enough to negotiate with the 35-year-old point guard over how much it can potentially fine him, as if it’s a line item in the team budget.

“Istanbul is beautiful from everything we’ve learned,” Iverson’s business manager Gary Moore said to Yahoo! Sports. “It’s not that far from the U.S., and the competition is good which makes it all attractive.”

Two things: 1) Istanbul is at least a 12-hour plane trip from the East Coast, and 2) Turkey is in Europe but it’s not Spain, Italy, Russia or Greece.

Iverson might want to make sure he’s not getting things mixed up with last month’s FIBA World Championship.

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