"In the end, the 76ers will have to ask themselves if it was worth it to bring Allen Iverson back, to go through the drama Iverson brought, first when he reported out of shape, then missed four games with an arthritic knee, then took two leaves of absence and missed nine more games before leaving for good Tuesday.

The Sixers believe it was worthwhile, despite the fact that Iverson's play had clearly declined and despite the fact that the Sixers' record with him (10-15) wasn't much better than their record without him (12-24).

Don't be fooled. Iverson's tenure wasn't worthwhile -- and that includes at the box office -- and it could end up costing coach Eddie Jordan his job.

For starters, it's never a good sign when the entire team said Iverson's influence was felt mostly off the court.

"I think he helped the guys out a lot, just being at ease," Sixers forward Andre Iguodala said. "Not just from a basketball standpoint, but going through rough times. It can be really frustrating, losing a lot of games. He did a good job bringing his personality to us, as far as even on the plane or the bus, guys just having a chance to laugh.

"It wasn't all negative. He brought a positive side.""