Editing Allen Iverson (section)

===Detroit Pistons (2008–2009)===
[[File:Allen Iverson v DeShawn Stevenson.jpg|thumb|Iverson being guarded by [[DeShawn Stevenson]] in December 2008]]
On November 3, 2008, Iverson was dealt from the [[Denver Nuggets]] to the [[Detroit Pistons]] for guard [[Chauncey Billups]], forward [[Antonio McDyess]] and center [[Cheikh Samb]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/pistons/news/iverson_081103.html|title=Pistons Acquire Allen Iverson from Denver in Exchange for Chauncey Billups, Antonio McDyess and Cheikh Samb|website=[[NBA.com]]|access-date=November 4, 2008|archive-date=November 8, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121108223726/http://www.nba.com/pistons/news/iverson_081103.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Due to [[Rodney Stuckey]] already wearing Iverson's preferred #3 jersey, Iverson switched to number 1 for the Pistons, which Billups previously wore for the team.

Iverson scored at least 24 in four of his first five games with Detroit (they won 3 of the 5),<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/i/iversal01/gamelog/2009/ |title=Allen Iverson 2008–09 Game Log |publisher=Basketball-Reference.com |access-date=December 29, 2010 |archive-date=February 22, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110222150855/http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/i/iversal01/gamelog/2009/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and would score 20 or more with 6 or more assists on a consistent basis, but as the season wore on, he would lose playing time to [[Rodney Stuckey]]. Some speculated that Pistons President of Basketball Operations [[Joe Dumars]] did not envision a long-term role for Iverson on the team, but traded for him to make Stuckey the point guard of the future and free cap space with Iverson's expiring contract.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=ford_chad&page=IversonTrade-Dumars-081103|title=Ford: Why Dumars made the Iverson trade|date=November 4, 2008|access-date=March 5, 2017|archive-date=February 11, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211160308/http://www.espn.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=ford_chad&page=IversonTrade-Dumars-081103|url-status=live}}</ref>

On April 3, 2009, it was announced that Iverson would not play the remainder of the 2008–09 season. Dumars cited Iverson's ongoing back injury as the reason for his deactivation, although two days prior Iverson stated publicly that he'd rather retire than be moved to the bench as Pistons coach [[Michael Curry (basketball)|Michael Curry]] had decided.<ref>[http://www.freep.com/article/20090403/SPORTS03/904030385/1051/Iverson+says+he+d+rather+retire+than+be+a+reserve] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090406111404/http://www.freep.com/article/20090403/SPORTS03/904030385/1051/Iverson%2Bsays%2Bhe%2Bd%2Brather%2Bretire%2Bthan%2Bbe%2Ba%2Breserve|date=April 6, 2009}}</ref>