"It ended with a whimper, just a 70-word release from the Sixers Tuesday saying that Allen Iverson will not play for them the rest of the season, with his career in the NBA likely over as well.

Maybe one day there will be a special ceremony for Iverson at the Wachovia Center, when his No. 3 is retired and hoisted to the rafters to join the other prolific players in team history.

But for now, Iverson's career as a Sixer ended quietly as both he and the team decided to part ways in order for Iverson to deal with the undiagnosed illness of his 4-year-old daughter.

Iverson was on his second leave of absence from the team. He missed the final three games of the road trip and the Sixers' 126-105 loss to the Orlando Magic Monday.

His first leave of absence lasted from Jan. 31-Feb. 15, and he missed five games.

"It has been very difficult for Allen and the team to maintain any consistency as he tries to balance his career with his personal life," Sixers president and general manager Ed Stefanski said in the statement."