Karl claims he’d give Iverson shot at clean slate

If George Karl winds up coaching Allen Iverson – and all signs indicated Saturday that he will – the Denver Nuggets coach claims he’ll simply wipe away Iverson’s controversial past and start over.

“It’s kind of like the teacher and the blackboard when they wash it down and it’s nice, clean, has a little shine to it,” Karl said Saturday night before the Nuggets played the New York Knicks in a fight-marred game at the Garden. “And you start from there.”

But for this job, Karl might want to consider something stronger than water and a felt eraser, such as paint stripper. As with strong chemical solvents, there are serious adverse health effects associated with coaching Iverson.

Just ask Larry Brown. Actually, Karl has. They are great Carolina friends from way back, and Karl said Brown has shared with him the good, bad, and ugly of Iverson.

“Yeah, I’ve heard all the stories,” Karl said. “But again, I’m not going to put a magnifying glass on things that I never witnessed or haven’t been a part of.”