--Allen Iverson said he will battle for a starting spot. He didn't sign to immediately be relegated to the bench. "I care about going to training camp and fighting for a job," Iverson said. "If I get beat out then start that guy who plays the best. And if it helps the team win for me to come off the bench, then so be it. It's not something that I want to do but if that's going to help us win basketball games then that's the right thing to do." --Currently, Iverson is in Europe for an eight-day Reebok promotional tour. His stops include Italy, Poland and Spain before returning to Memphis on Sept. 25. The Grizzlies' media day is Sept. 28, and training camp practices begin the next day in Birmingham, Ala.
--Why train in Birmingham?
Because head coach Lionel Hollins wanted to, with the camp opening Sept. 29 at the Bill Battle Coliseum on the campus of Birmingham-Southern College. The camp ends Oct. 5.
The week-long camp, which includes two-a-day practices, ends Oct. 5.
"We are very grateful to Birmingham-Southern College for welcoming our team to the city of Birmingham," Hollins said. "Many NBA teams hold training camp away from their home cities, and Birmingham will give our team a chance to bond and focus on the upcoming season."
This will also mark Hollins' first training camp as head coach. It is just the third time since moving from Vancouver in 2001 that the team has hosted training camp outside of Memphis.
The Grizzlies held training camp in Malaga, Spain (2007) and Barcelona, Spain (2003) as part of the NBA Europe Live Tour.
--Memphis has just two players -- Rudy Gay and Mike Conley -- who were with the team two years ago. The Grizzlies have eight new players on their 15-man roster for this season.
Conley, who might lose his starting job to Iverson, welcomes him with open arms.
"Hopefully he's going to take us over the edge," Conley said. "He's a guy most teams would love to have. It's huge... He's going to make me a better player."
--Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley said it was a no-brainer to sign Iverson.
"If somebody says I can get Kobe Bryant, what am I supposed to say, 'No, I've got a three-year plan?'" Heisley said. "Allen wants to help us win. I want to win. He said, 'I don't see this as a one-year thing.' He said, 'If I'm happy and you're happy, I'd like to know I can come back.'
"I hope Memphis likes him. I really hope they respond to him. I think he's going to be outstanding."
--The Grizzlies are already experiencing increased merchandise and box-office sales as a result of signing Iverson. The team store in FedExForum quickly sold out of Iverson's No. 3 jersey, and is now filling several orders.
Fans interested in Iverson also accounted for the Grizzlies selling hundreds of additional season-ticket packages.
Iverson said he felt his signing wasn't about selling tickets. "I know they sold me on being committed to winning," Iverson said. "If they wanted to get me here to come in here to sell tickets, I don't know. That's not what they told me. But at least we'll have people to play in front of," he said.
--NBA commissioner David Stern gave Iverson's signing a thumbs-up.
"I think they (the Grizzlies) got lucky," Stern said. "A bona-fide star and future Hall of Famer who still has lots of game left is going to prove to be a significant and helpful addition to the Grizzlies.
"Given the way the team is constructed -- with it being a young team -- this is a chance for them to get better and get veteran leadership. It'll be very good for the team and good for the community."
QUOTE TO NOTE: "There's a million rumors about who Allen Iverson the person is. And I'm pretty sure if it's not a million, it's two million or more." -- New Grizzlies G Allen Iverson.
