The NBA career of one of the greatest guards of our generation seems all but over.  But for Allen Iverson that doesn’t mean he’s done playing basketball.  Last year AI played just three games for Memphis and a cut short a second stint in Philly in which he averaged 13.9 points due to a leave of absence because of family issues.  But despite his age (35) and clearly diminished skills the man once responsible for being the first (and perhaps only) player to totally embarrass Michael Jordan is looking to play oversees. Yahoo! Sports is reporting that AI is in seriouss talks to play for the Turkish team, Besiktas, a potential deal, his manager says could net as much as $2 million.

“We are in very serious negotiations with [Besiktas],” Iverson’s manager Gary Moore told Yahoo! Sports. “Istanbul is beautiful from everything we’ve learned. It’s not that far from the U.S., and the competition is good, which makes it all attractive.”

AI has always been a star both on and off the court not only selling tickets but jerseys and boat loads of sneakers for Reebok and despite declining production was still voted an Eastern Conference All-Star starter last season speaking to his popularity. AI’s trek would follow in the footsteps of former Knick, Stephon Marbury who signed with the Shanxi Zhongyu Brave Dragons of the Chinese Basketball Association.  Following an all-star 2010 campaign and growing popularity, Marbury signed a 3 year extension with the club an agreement which included a licensing deal for Shanxi Zhongyu to produce and sell his signature Starbury kicks. So is this part of a growing trend?  I say unequivocally YES!  Advancements in technology have made the world much smaller.  Today NBA fans span the globe.  The internet has eliminated geography as a barrier and made it easy to follow your teams and favorite players wherever you are.  America’s sports franchises are more popular overseas than ever before and their players are selling jerseys like hot cakes.  For China, landing a player like Marbury boosted its leagues credibility because their fans were already familiar with his play and for Turkey, Iverson could do the same.  Both players bring a unique streetball style game which is becoming more popular in Europe and Asia as well as already branded sports merchandise which can prove lucrative for their business endeavors as well. The truth is the NBA is getting younger.  With players leaving college for the NBA after 1 year and proving they contribute in their rookie campaign, aging and more expensive stars become expendable.  With the internet and growing TV involvement in college and even High School athletics we’re familiar with these prospects long before they put on an NBA uniform so despite having a track record, their already a draw. For Iverson, he might not be able to compete at the same level he did 10 years ago at 35-years old he can still compete and certainly can collect a check for doing so.  So while it might on the surface seem like a graveyard for aging NBA players, don’t feel so bad because believe me AI and Steph are laughing all the way to the bank.