Allen Iverson: Career retrospective | Yardbarker

Allen Iverson was a walking highlight reel at Bethel High School in Hampton, Virginia. He played for the football and basketball team, dominating his way to hometown hero status. He won state championships in both sports. Growing up in a rough neighborhood in Newport News, Virginia, Iverson learned about life on the football field. In fact, it was his first choice over basketball. Initially, the all-time great shooting guard wanted to play football at Notre Dame. Dozens of colleges across the country offered full rides for their chance at this generational talent.

In February 1993, Allen Iverson was involved in a racially-charged bowling alley altercation. He was with his friends when the brawl between two rival schools occurred. Despite no clear-cut evidence and shady witness testimonies, Iverson was one of four black students arrested for an incident involving around 20 people. 

The state tried him as an adult on three counts of “maiming by mob.” The charge carried a maximum of 20 years. But there was no mob and Iverson wasn’t the bad kid he was portrayed as. In reality, Iverson was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He had nothing to do with the fight. 

Because of his fame as a high school athlete–paired with the racial prejudice plaguing Virginia’s justice system–the case drew national attention.

Iverson was found guilty in the controversial case. He served four months in prison before Virginia Governor Doug Wilder granted Iverson clemency. After the fact, Iverson finished high school and explored his options to play at the next level.

Iverson and his family sent his highlight tape across the country in hopes of someone giving him a second chance. Iverson’s mom recruited Georgetown Hoyas head coach John Thompson about Iverson, citing her concerns for his future. Although he was initially reluctant, Thompson took a chance on the prospect, offering him a full ride to Georgetown.

Coach Thompson became a great mentor to Iverson, who thrived in college. He made an immediate impact on the court and made friends with his teammates. He proved the doubters wrong and became one of the top players in the Big East Conference, winning Big East Rookie of the Year honors in the process.

In the 1995-96 season, Iverson led the Hoyas to the Elite Eight, where they lost to the UMass Minutemen, 86-62. His 1996 March Madness run was a glimpse of the player he’d become. It marked the end of a legendary two-year college career for Iverson. He was a Consensus First-Team All-American and won Big East Defensive Player of the Year twice, among other impressive awards. He finished his college career with averages of 23 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game.

Iverson made himself eligible for the draft after his sophomore year.

The Philadelphia 76ers drafted Allen Iverson with the first overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft. The lowly 76ers hadn’t seen consistent success since the Julius Erving era back in the 80s. Iverson was hailed as the answer to the franchise’s struggles. The nickname stuck with him for his whole career.

The Answer signed an endorsement deal with Reebok in 1996 after the 76ers drafted him first overall. The 10-year, $50 million contract was well worth the wait. Iverson receives $800,00 a year for life from the company. He will be able to take out his $32 million trust fund in 2030.

The Answer delivered right away, averaging 23.5 points, 7.5 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game. He captivated fans with his smooth scoring and acrobatic dunks. For his efforts, he won Rookie of the Year honors.

The 76ers won 22 games during the 1996-97 season.

Perhaps the best play from his rookie year came during a matchup against the Chicago Bulls. On March 12, 1997, Iverson and Michael Jordan dueled it out in an exciting regular season matchup. Jordan, the best player ever, was guarding AI. With a few dribbles, AI was able to crossover Jordan and break free for a midrange jumper. The Jordan Crossover was the first of many iconic moments in The Answer’s legendary career.

The 76ers hired Larry Brown in 1997. He wanted to build a winning culture in the City of Brotherly Love. Although the 76ers went 31-51 in the 1997-98 season, it was an improvement from the previous year. The 1998-99 and 1999-00 seasons both ended in second-round playoff exits to the Indiana Pacers. Things were looking bright for the 76ers, even if they weren’t seen as a powerhouse… not yet, at least.

In the 2000-01 season, the 76ers looked like contenders in the Eastern Conference. They got off to a 10-0 start and kept the hot streak going. They finished the year 56-26, best in the East. As the team’s top scoring threat, Iverson was surrounded by key role players who could rebound, play defense and score when needed.

The Answer put up 31 points, 4.6 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game on 42% shooting from the floor. Iverson ran away with MVP honors. 

Fun fact: Before the season, Matt Geiger turned down a trade that would’ve sent him and Iverson to the Detroit Pistons. A pay dispute waived the trade from happening.

Iverson had a gladiator-like performance in the postseason. He averaged 32.9 points, 6.1 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game to go along with a 38.9 field goal percentage. He willed his team past the Indiana Pacers and Toronto Raptors in the first and second rounds, respectively. In a tough series against the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Playoffs, Iverson and the 76ers won in seven games. It was a statement victory for a team trying to win their first championship since 1983.

Iverson’s legendary playoff run helped catapult the 76ers to the NBA Finals.

Coming into Game 1 of the NBA Finals, the Los Angeles Lakers hadn’t lost a playoff game yet, sweeping the competition in the West in dominant fashion. All the predictions said the Lakers would have their way with the 76ers. Iverson had different plans.

In what can only be described as the best game of his career, Iverson scored 48 points in a 107-101 victory for the 76ers. Iverson was unstoppable. 

Toward the end of the game, Iverson crossed up Tyronn Lue and sunk a wide-open midrange jumper for two. After the play, Iverson stepped over Lue on his way back to play defense. The Iverson Step Over is one of the most iconic plays in NBA history.

After a Game 1 upset, the 76ers lost four games in a row and the Lakers won the NBA Finals, 4-1. Despite a few late-game comeback rallies, the 76ers couldn’t pull it together. There is no shame in losing to the Kobe-Shaq Lakers of the early 2000s. The 76ers were a team of fighters and they gave the series their all. 

It was a memorable year for the 76ers. Iverson won MVP. Larry Brown won Coach of the Year. Dikembe Mutumbo won Defensive Player of the Year. And Aaron McKie won Sixth Man of the Year. There was a lot of optimism surrounding this team, and a feeling they’d be back in the NBA Finals very soon.

All in all, this was the closest Iverson ever got to winning a championship.

The 2001-02 season was an up-and-down affair for the 76ers. The reigning Eastern Conference champions went 43-39 and lost to the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs. 

Iverson carried his team to the playoffs, winning his second consecutive scoring title in the process averaging 31.4 points per game.

Following the first-round loss to the Boston Celtics, Iverson gave one of the most legendary rants in sports history. During the post-game press conference, a journalist questioned Iverson about his practice habits, and Iverson went off. The rant is best known for Iverson saying the word practice 22 times while questioning reporters for criticizing his work ethic. Iverson led the league in minutes played per game seven times, silencing any criticism about his work ethic.

The rant can be described in one word: misunderstood. Seven months prior, Iverson’s best friend Rahsaan Langeford was murdered and the trial began days before the press conference. After a heartbreaking playoff loss and the death of his best friend, Iverson was in no shape for taking criticism.

The practice rant exemplifies Iverson’s pride and honor. He was irked by the question about practice because he found it disrespectful to his love for the game.

Iverson didn’t skip a beat in the 02-03 season. The Answer had 27.6 points, 5.5 assists, 4.2 rebounds and a league-leading 2.7 steals per game on a 41.4% field percentage from the floor. The 76ers went 48-43 and beat the New Orleans Hornets in six games in the first round. They lost to the Detroit Pistons in the second round. It was another early playoff exit for Allen Iverson and the 76ers.

The Answer had some of his best years with Larry Brown as his head coach. But the player-coach duo bumped heads on numerous occasions. Brown’s team-oriented coaching philosophy didn’t mix well with Iverson’s aggressive playing style. Iverson wanted the ball in his hands in crunch time, while Brown wanted to draw up a game plan that took the pressure off AI and gave his teammates more scoring opportunities. AI often ignored his play calling and was known to miss practice. Despite this, Iverson still delivered come game time. When the two were winning, they looked like the best of friends. When they were losing, the relationship soured again.

Brown left the 76ers after the 2002-03 playoffs. He coached the Detroit Pistons and won the NBA Finals in his first year with the team, to the dismay of Philly fans everywhere.

Iverson represented Team USA as a member of the U.S. men’s Olympic basketball team in the 2004 Summer Olympics. As the team captain, Iverson led them to a bronze finish. It was the only time the U.S. men’s basketball team finished with less than gold in the 21st Century.

Iverson put up big numbers in his final years in Philly, winning the NBA scoring title in 2004-05 with 30.7 points per game, but the overall team struggled to make a deep playoff run. His later years were marred by a revolving door of head coaches. 

With newly acquired players like Chris Webber, Andre Iguodola and three-point ace Kyle Korver, the 2004-05 season was looking bright for the 76ers. They went 43-39, making the playoffs as the seventh seed in the East, where they’d meet Larry Brown and the Detroit Pistons, who beat them in five games. They missed the playoffs in the following two seasons.

At the start of the 2006-07 season, there was a mutual agreement between Iverson and the 76ers to part ways. Iverson was sent to the Denver Nuggets in a blockbuster trade deal just 15 games into the regular season. Iverson would join a team ready to contend in the West with a young Carmelo Anthony at the lead.

Under head coach George Karl, AI and Melo got off on the right track. The two complimented each other nicely all season. The Nuggets finished with a 45-37 record in the regular season before losing to the San Antonio Spurs in the first round. It was AI’s introduction to the cutthroat Western Conference Playoffs. They went back to the playoffs the following year and were swept by the Kobe Bryant-led Lakers.

AI left Denver for the Detroit Pistons, who were contenders in the Eastern Conference. He played 54 games with the Pistons before taking his talents to the Memphis Grizzlies for just three games in the 09-10 season before being released. 

Side note: Seeing Allen Iverson in anything other than a 76ers jersey is just plain weird.

The Answer reunited with the 76ers in the 09-10 season. During his second tenure with the 76ers, Iverson mentored guys like Andre Iguodala, Jrue Holiday and Lou Williams… who would all go on to have solid careers in the years to come. At 34, Iverson averaged 13.9 points in 25 games. The curtain was closing on Iverson’s career. The guys he went to the Finals with were long gone. The team he went to the playoffs with year after year was in rebuild mode, and his body couldn’t endure the sacrifices it used to. The hardwood floor Iverson once dominated was now a sad reminder of his fleeting talent. Iverson lasted with the team until February. The first team Iverson played for would also be his last. 

AI was known for single-handedly carrying his team to victory with his shooting. The guy was a franchise player, no doubt. Toward the later years, Detroit and Memphis wanted him to come off the bench, assuming a role he wasn’t accustomed to. He refused to come off the bench. It led to the end of his career. 

What if Iverson was willing to take on a lesser role? Maybe he could’ve grown into a solid sixth man. AI would’ve been lethal in that role, especially when you factor in he had a few good years left in the tank. His last year was in 2010. If he signed with a contender of that time period (Miami Heat’s Big Three, San Antonio Spurs), he could’ve contributed to a championship run. Instead, Iverson went out on his own terms, and there is nothing wrong with that.

AI’s ball handling is the best we’ve ever seen. It was his go-to move. A versatile scorer, Iverson would cross up defenders on his way to getting a bucket. It’s no secret he broke a lot of ankles in his career. His crossover was a true work of art.

From the cornrows to the tattoos to the outfits, Iverson was 2000s basketball. Beloved by many, he became the most popular player in the sport in the early 2000s. He changed the culture of the NBA by becoming the first player to bring Hip Hop and Basketball together. He set the standard everyone in the league is trying to imitate today regarding a player’s impact on and off the court.

Fun fact: Iverson’s influence on the league is partly responsible for the NBA administering a dress code in 2005.

Iverson was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a member of The Class of 2016. It was a fitting ending for a legendary career.

If we were to fit all of Iverson’s accomplishments onto one slide, we’d have a book. The Answer won every individual accolade a player can win. While he never won a ring, his impact on the game can’t be denied. He is living proof you don’t need a ring to be an NBA legend. He is arguably the third-best shooting guard in NBA history, only behind Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.

Standing at six-foot, 165 pounds, Allen Iverson is one of the smallest MVPs in league history. He used his speed and quickness to take advantage of slower, taller players. He wasn’t afraid of playing defense or sacrificing his body for a layup. In the process, he became the embodiment of an entire city and its fighting spirit.

When we look at Iverson’s resume, it’s no question that he’s the best pound-for-pound player of all time.