Basketball - Salmons Feels Sixers Better Off Without 

John Salmons knows that whenever he will visit the Wachovia Center as a player with the visiting team, he will be bombarded by questions about the Sixers and Allen Iverson. He has got used to being asked whether he left the Sixers to discover the type of NBA player he could really be and whether Allen Iverson had to leave the Sixers so that the young players of the team could find their own place in the team.

Salmons grew up in Philadelphia and played basketball at the Plymouth Whitemarsh High and University of Miami. He spent the first four professional seasons of his NBA career with the Sixers.

With Iverson in the team, Salmons hardly got time to flourish as a player or showcase his talent; especially with Iverson always in the limelight, often for the wrong reasons. Salmons left the Sixers for free agency while Iverson got traded to the Denver Nuggets.

Salmons is quite honest about his opinion when it comes to the Sixers. He feels that the team is better now and Andre Iguodala is playing very well. He further added that he always knew that Iguodala would turn out be a good player once the team settled and got itself together. He thinks that the Sixers have a lot of talent but they still need to fill in a few gaps.

Salmons further added that it was about time the Sixers reinvented themselves because they were neither winning nor able to hold on to the fan base. In that regard, he does believe that the Sixers are better off without Iverson.

While Salmons was with the Sixers, he had his own issues because of Iverson. At times he did get the ball but he felt he did not perform to his potential. He also said that when he was not playing with Iverson, he would always be able to perform. He further added that he had contemplated staying with the Sixers but then decided against it. He along with some of the other players in the team has problems finding their way because of Iverson and he hoped that the coaches and front office understood this.