A.I. was a prep star out of Bethel High School in Hampton, Virginia, who was an even better quarterback than he was a basketball player. He had scholarship offers to virtually any school in the country, but they were all rescinded after he was convicted of a felony charge (maiming-by-mob) at a bowling alley. Before Allen was found innocent due to insufficient evidence, his mother plead to legendary Georgetown basketball coach, John Thompson, to guide her child in the right direction. Thompson decided to take Iverson in and offered him a scholarship. Then, Thompson and the program reaped the benefits.
In only two years, Iverson electrified the team, and in the process set the highest career scoring average with 23 points per game. In his short collegiate career, the Georgetown Hoyas advanced to the Sweet 16 in 1995 and won the Big East Conference in ’96. Iverson received the Big East Defensive Player of the Year award both years. He then decided to forgo his final two years of eligibility and go pro. The Philadelphia 76ers drafted this young talent with the #1 overall pick in the 1996 Draft. Contrary to this current decade with the Kwame Browns’ and Nikoloz Tskitishvilis’ of the world, back in the 90s, having a top pick meant that there was a large probability that that player would at least be a solid contributor if not more than that for years. In Iverson’s case, he was guaranteed to be a superstar from the moment he joined the organization.
Entering the league, what made Iverson different than any other player was his swagger, his “Me Against the World” attitude, his “don’t take crap from anyone” glare, his baggy shorts, flashy jewelry, and the tattoos covering his body. It’s that swagger that made A.I. an icon whom people would pay a premium just to see him play. A.I. was a stark contrast to the previous and current figureheads of professional basketball: Magic, Bird, and Jordan. In a way, the league wasn’t ready for him. Allen Iverson came in his rookie year and took the league by storm, scoring 23.5 points, 7.5 assists, and 2.07 steals per game, leading all rookies in each category and becoming the NBA Rookie of the Year. But, the moment that made him most well-known that year was his famous crossover of the then untouchable Michael Jordan. People saw that highlight on SportsCenter over and over again. It was that moment that eveyone knew they were in for a fun ride watching this guy.
Over the next few years, A.I. emerged as a one of the most dominant scorers and consistently went to the All-Star game. Game in and game out, he would carry the 76ers on his shoulders, putting out maximum effort, and sacrificing his body in the process. But still, the stigmas remained that he wasn’t a team player, that he took too many shots, and that his partying lifestyle had an effect on his play. More criticism arose after his famous press conference in which he was perturbed by the reporters and other media sources making such a big deal of his missing practices. Maybe he did miss a few, but he sure did show up come game time.
Even with a ragtag of a supporting cast around Iverson, the 76ers still made it to the playoffs for five straight years from ’99 to ‘03. In 2001, A.I. took the Philadelphia 76ers to the NBA Finals, where they beat the Lakers in the first game of the series and then proceeded to lose the next four. However, that was as close as the organization would ever get to a championship. While other teams made key acquisitions to improve their chances of winning, or rebuilt for possible future success, the 76ers remained stagnant. They drafted pieces they thought would fit to the puzzle: Samuel Dalembert, a big man out of Seton Hall; Andre Iguodala, an athletic small forward out of Arizona; and Kyle Korver, a prolific sharpshooter from Creighton. However, these pieces never developed as much as they should have. Instead of trying to rebuild or make any changes to the squad, management sat on its thumbs and crossed their fingers for a miracle that wasn’t going to come.
And today the 76ers sit with a 5-16 record, at the bottom of the Atlantic Division with a poor supporting cast and a disgruntled superstar on his way out. The sad thing is, due to Iverson’s hefty contract and appearance as a threat to team chemistry there is no way GM Billy King will get close as much value in return. Believe it or not, A.I. is 31 years old now, and his career won’t last forever. One can hope that wherever A.I. does go, he will be around a formidable supporting cast – and possibly even with another superstar – where he can flourish. His stats may go down as a result, but I’m sure he’ll sacrifice a few scoring titles for a legitimate chance to win a ring. Ask Alonzo Mourning or Gary Payton how much numbers really mean.
One thing’s for sure. Whoever is lucky enough to get A.I. will have one of the greatest players and fiercest competitors of our time. His presence alongside a team with a few good pieces should prove to be a winning formula.
A.I. has a chip on his shoulder from people saying he’s too selfish, he doesn’t always work hard, or he’s just not a good recipe for success. He’ll probably always have that chip until the day he retires. That being said, the rest of the NBA better be on watch for when “The Answer” comes to town.
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