NBA Legend Allen Iverson “One Upped” by Chinese Agents

NBA Legend Allen Iverson “One Upped” by Chinese Agents
Jun 24, 2015 By eChinacities.com

The former NBA star Allen Iverson’s trip to China has already concluded, and he’s got something to say about it. It’s an incident that remains bitter and may end up getting worse, and Iverson says he’s never coming back to China because of it.

According to Iverson and his agent, they signed a contract inclusive of a multi-leg trip throughout China, one of which where the former basketball star would coach a basketball game. The Chinese side apparently didn’t take him seriously and repeatedly attempted to coerce Iverson into playing a game.

After a disagreement at the first venue, Iverson’s agent expressed that they were going to cancel all of their other arrangements in China and go home, but the Chinese side didn’t allow Iverson and company to leave to the airport. One of the agents even guilted Iverson’s conscience with a threat of suicide, forcing Iverson to make a video apologizing to the venue he was “supposed” to perform at. Iverson apparently accepted to make the video since he was in no positioning for bargaining.

Iverson and company also say that they did not receive any payments in connection with their services and that the Chinese side falsified bank transfer transfers to entice him to continue on with the other legs of his China visit.

Iverson, upon returning to America, has declared that he will never again go to China despite having amiable feelings for his fans. Perhaps that’s all for the better, because most of the Chinese news comments seem to trash Iverson and wish him good riddance.

The Chinese agents appear to have convincingly won this round, having thoroughly taken Iverson and company to school on their home court.

Source: news.163.com

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Keywords: China basketball Iverson China trip Allen Iverson

23 Comments

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dkappy

Again.... is anyone surprised? Guilt, shaming, begging, pleading, extorting. These are all common tactics of the common Chinese criminal. The days of "Wow what a rich culture and history" are long gone. Replaced by greedy merchants, plagiarists, and scam artists.

Jun 27, 2015 07:56 Report Abuse

RachelDiD

I read the original article, was not surprised by any of it. Iverson was gracious and professional regarding the situation (more than I would have been); he continues to be far more kind to the Chinese than this culture deserves. The only people in the world who do not know that is them. All I came away with is that you cannot do business with Mainlanders and not come out unscathed, no matter who you are. And all that China has really accomplished by this is to show it's true face to the world...things that only Chinese expats would have believed before this is now being widely reported.

Jun 27, 2015 00:21 Report Abuse

wSchuyler88

he completely got copped

Jun 25, 2015 23:26 Report Abuse

Robk

Can you imagine though? If this is how they treat a basketball legend (and Chinese love basketball)... then how the hell do you think they are going to treat you?

Jun 25, 2015 11:00 Report Abuse

Guest2301262

Motive is the key. Deep fried in CCP's anti-west campaign, wallowing in poverty, hatred, jeolous of the West for HALF A CENTURY, sure, mainland chinese en masse "love", WANT many western items, basketball, Mercedes, passports & citizenships... Why? In addition to material comfort, their hidden motive for "loving", acquiring (regardless of means, asking for bribes being a common one) western products is to say "we beat you, we one-upped (lie, steal, con, rob, maim is more delicious than a fairly won competition) you, we have face". A malevolent motive it is. Inside their fake gold is real psychosis. En masse they are NOT your normal human beings with a relatively healthy psyche, deep inside they are 100% psychotic, 100% malevolence. "Hallooooweee"ism, lie, fake, copy, cheat, steal, abuse, ..... are but symptoms of their psychosis. Inside them is this, "Okey-dokey. Here we go. This is really gonna hurt." (Hannibal Lecter, The Silence of the Lambs). This answers your question. This is also how they are treating, and will continue to treat the rest of mankind, we against you all. See ya 'round.

Jun 25, 2015 12:13 Report Abuse

Guest14274740

fyi. A related question was raised today on the Answers section. http://answers.echinacities.com/question/do-you-think-people-here-are-reckless-or-just-dont-value-their-lives?type=alatest#lastcomment

Jun 25, 2015 20:42 Report Abuse

Guest14274740

story in detail - basketballbuddha.com/allen-iverson-trip-to-china-ruined-by-chinese-agents/

Jun 25, 2015 09:03 Report Abuse

knightly

I think we have all got it right here. As Lord Hanson notes above, how many former players will Iverson tell his story to or will read his story and decide not to come here? The short sightedness of the Chinese is extraordinary. I really feel sorry for them because they are constantly depriving themselves and their country of the input of sport stars, scientists, writers, engineers etc all for the personal gain of a few.

Jun 25, 2015 08:57 Report Abuse

Guest2301262

"...but the Chinese side didn’t allow Iverson and company to leave to the airport." ---> Call the American embassy! • "One of the agents even guilted Iverson’s conscience with a threat of suicide" ---> Worthless low life's bluff, call it. • "Iverson says he’s never coming back to China because of it." ---> Lesson mastered, warning flare to the rest of mankind fired high up into the sky completing this trip's real mission. This is what real STARS do. Many will thank you for this. A brilliant success. To be, or NOT to be.

Jun 25, 2015 07:01 Report Abuse

RachelDiD

1 In the original article, it was mentioned that the hotel had shut off their phones. 2. I suppose that shows what we have lost by putting up with the Chinese so long. Iverson is still human, and reacted like a human being to a suicide threat. Yes, an old China hand would have welcomed the prospect of one less thieving cockroach in this country. To some degree, we have been deadened by dealing with thieving cockroaches and their emotional blackmail so much. 3. Good decision on his part. He has fans all over the world. Eventually, the world will realize that China's giant population is not justification enough for catering to this country.

Jun 27, 2015 11:29 Report Abuse

Guest2301262

"Eventually, the world will realize that China's giant population is not justification enough for catering to this country." Yup, quite a few multinationals in PRC got the wake up call and are getting the hell out. The rest of the world better wake up too and collectively shut their door on these fat cockroaches.

Jul 29, 2015 07:14 Report Abuse

sorrel

these Chinese guys were SO CLEVER. They managed to take advantage of a stupid laowei. China must be so proud of how they are seen by the rest of the world.

Jun 25, 2015 04:30 Report Abuse

coineineagh

This really irritates me: It's reported as if it's a major achievement by the agents, to totally scam and trash a foreigner in their country. Iverson saw through it straight away, stuck to the terms of the agreement, and came out of the mess soul intact. Yet the agents and media dragged his name through the mud regardless. It's like playing an away game where no matter how well you do, the referee gives a winning score to the home team anyway. And everyone in the audience sees what's happening and approves of the decision because no why/foreigner. These kind of characters always guilt-trip people into giving more than they should, upon threat of embarassment. Conning a FOB ESL teacher this way is common, but a foreign celebrity ought to be treated better. These agents showed their embarrassing tactics to a western celebrity, and they're bloody lucky Iverson has better things to do than tell everyone some starving Chinese farmers were clinging to his back while he was there. These agents were only thinking of how to get the most out of Iverson while paying the least, and though they obviously didn't consider Iverson at all, isn't it even more embarrassing how they were willing to shame their own country for a quick scam?

Jun 25, 2015 05:14 Report Abuse

Guest2781358

Except it's not embarrassment to them, they feel "big" and "clever" by scamming others....It's like how when you go to a trainstation market with a bunch of local mates it's a mark of pride how much the seller or buyer can rip the other off.....the agent's grandma's probably phoned them and told them how proud they are that their family has ripped off a celebrity laowai

Jun 25, 2015 07:34 Report Abuse

RandomGuy

coin -> You forgot one important point, Chinese have no souls.

Jun 26, 2015 23:19 Report Abuse

nzteacher80

In games such as this you need to stay one step ahead. Mr Iverson failed to realise that he was the one holding all the cards. Have a comprehensive contract and stick to it religiously (have a copy in your back pocket). As soon as anyone tries to deviate from said contract you should refuse to do anything. Mr Iverson got played. China shoots itself in the foot for short term gain and then refuses to acknowledge any wrongdoing in an attempt to save face. Why am I not surprised.

Jun 24, 2015 23:23 Report Abuse

Guest2781358

^ adding on to Lord_Hanson, why treat someone fairly when you can wait till they get fed up and hire the next guy?.....Starving farmer mentality in countries where human's are worth nothing

Jun 25, 2015 07:25 Report Abuse

Guest2301262

starving farmer is too good for them, scumbag thug mentality depicts these low lives better ** Oxford Dict. 2(Thug) historical A member of an organization of robbers and assassins in India. Devotees of the goddess Kali, the Thugs waylaid and strangled their victims, usually travellers, in a ritually prescribed manner. [Kali is the goddess of death/destruction in India] Bear in mind, WHO called PRC a CULT (100% correct imho). * www.chinadailyshow.com/who-downgrades-chinese-culture-to-cult-issues-warning/

Jun 25, 2015 09:19 Report Abuse

Robk

The thing is he didn't want to let his fans down and the team he was coaching. And in the main article, they pushed the contract in front of the Chinese agents many times and said "No". But as you can imagine, they made the trip and were trying to make the best of it and Iverson wasn't prepared with the line one guy said "The government is going to put Dave in Jail and he will commit suicide first if you don't play." It was just suppose to be a friendly trip to build relations with China. The Chinese agents totally lied and abused their position. They have shown the world EXACTLY what kind of parasites they are... Contracts in China is used as cup holders or toilet paper.

Jun 25, 2015 10:54 Report Abuse

Guest2368048

How many wake up calls does the world need?

Jun 24, 2015 22:02 Report Abuse

Guest2781358

Except it doesn't ever stick.

Jun 25, 2015 07:29 Report Abuse

Robk

I read the entire extensive article on this... basically the agents were trying to cash in and told his fans that he would play. This is so the Chinese guys could make money and sell out arenas. But Allen only wanted to coach his basketball team and spend time with his fans/family. So when he didn't play(at first he didn't even know that these agents told fans he would), the agents blamed him for everything and tried to get everyone against him. In short, the Chinese agents tried bribing, threatening and finally playing the victim card on Allen's conscious to get him to play (that and 1.5 million but he didn't want the money until they said one of them would commit suicide. He also ran into a driver that refused to drive him unless he took a picture with him. And hotels that wouldn't let him leave. Anyway, it just seemed like they mob hated on Allen who did absolutely nothing wrong. If you have worked in the ESL field or have done business with Chinese this is a very common occurrence (the techniques they used). China, instead of being ashamed... got mad at Allen for standing up for himself and trying to be the bigger man. It is no wonder he will never come back. I don't blame him with the experience they pulled on him. China should issue a public apology to Iverson for the way they treated him.

Jun 24, 2015 21:48 Report Abuse