Allen Iverson

Allen Ezail Iverson (born June 7, 1975 in Hampton, Virginia) is an American professional basketball player. He is an all-star point guard/shooting guard for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association.

NBA Career

Later known as "The Answer," Iverson was originally selected with the first pick in the 1996 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers and has led the team in scoring ever since. As a rookie he quickly gained national popularity for a famous left-to-right crossover dribble which caused defender Michael Jordan, one of the premier defensive players of all time, to stumble awkwardly. At 6'0" and a skinny 165 pounds (1.83 m, 75 kg), Iverson employs his superior quickness, virtuoso ballhandling ability, and massive heart to single-handedly carry his team on his back. He had his best season in 2001, leading the NBA in scoring, winning the Most Valuable Player Award, and reaching the Finals. In these finals, the Sixers faced Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers, who had reached the final series undefeated throughout the playoffs. Most of the basketball world expected the Lakers to sweep through the finals, but Allen Iverson carried his team to a shocking overtime victory in the opener at Los Angeles, and nearly upset the Lakers again in game two.

Related Topics:
1996 NBA Draft - Crossover dribble - Michael Jordan - 2001 - Most Valuable Player Award - Finals - Shaquille O'Neal - Kobe Bryant - Los Angeles Lakers - Overtime - Los Angeles

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The NBA changed several rules the next offseason, most notably allowing zone defenses. These rules limited his effectiveness over the next few years, but he was still able to lead the league in steals and minutes played while maintaining his high scoring output. In fact, Iverson has led the NBA in scoring four times (1998-99, 2000-01, 2001-02, and 2004-05), and in the process, has tied George Gervin for third most scoring titles, trailing only Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan.

Related Topics:
NBA - Zone defense - 1998 - 2000 - 2001 - 2004 - George Gervin - Wilt Chamberlain - Michael Jordan

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On February 12, 2005 Iverson scored a career-high 60 points against the Orlando Magic.

Related Topics:
February 12 - 2005 - Orlando Magic

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He had leveled lavish praise on then-Sixers coach Larry Brown, often saying that he would not have reached the heights that he has in the sport without Brown's guidance. He had a love-hate relationship with Brown, however. After the 76ers were defeated in the first round of the 2002 playoffs and Iverson was criticized by Brown for missing practices, Iverson held a press conference in which he said "We're talking about practice. We're not even talking about the game, the actual game, when it matters. We're talking about practice".

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Iverson later reunited with Larry Brown as a member and co-captain of the 2004 USA Olympics basketball team. Things did not go as planned for the American squad, however, as they returned home with only a bronze medal. Gold had been expected from a team stacked with NBA players. He was also benched during a game, when he arrived at a practise session late, along with fellow teammate LeBron James. The US team had a dismal start against Germany who had failed to qualify for the Olympic competition. However Iverson saved the team from going into overtime with a miraculous half-court shot in the dying seconds of the game.

Related Topics:
2004 USA Olympics basketball team - LeBron James - Germany

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Iverson was ranked #53 on SLAM Magazine's Top 75 NBA players of all time in 2003.

Related Topics:
SLAM Magazine - 2003

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