Is There a Defense for Allen Iverson?

(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Arguments provided by North Station Sports writers, Nick Gelso and Mathew Golden.

In our second edition of “NSS One on One”, we decided to debate another subject that often sparks an emotional response. 

Is There a Defense for Allen Iverson?

This section of North Station Sports is designed to encourage you to join in the debate and voice your opinion. If you would like to take on the point guard role and initiate our next “One on One” feature, simply contact us with your topic and your argument for, or against, that topic.

In Defense of Allen Iverson

by Mathew Golden

I was a freshman in college in the fall of 1996. I was living in a dorm room and my assigned roommate was an all around die hard Philadelphia sports fan. He was psyched to have this rookie on his team. I knew a little bit about him from his days at Georgetown where he was the quickest player in the country (I also knew he had been involved in a brawl at a bowling alley in Virginia).

He was raw and out of control but competitive and tough as nails. He had a legendary battle with Ray Allen in the Big East Tournament that year. He went No. 1 overall in the draft to Philly. At about 5'9" and weighing about 140 pounds, Allen Iverson entered the NBA.

As a rookie, he put together a stretch of games of 44, 40, 44, 50, and 40. He was a riot to watch. Lightning fast. Insane crossover. Extremely fearless. He was like a moto cross X-gamer with a basketball. And he got better and better and the team got better around him.

When the Sixers got Eric Snow to play PG and AI moved to SG, he really took off. He was one of the five best players in the game at my size. And not in a Steve Nash finese game. He was a power guard. He got his shot off time after time. No player crashed to the floor more.

Did he take a ton of shots and were a lot of them bad shots? Hell yes. Did you see the teams he had? They had no one. I watched a ton of Sixer games and an off balance fadeaway from AI was better than an open 15 footer from Eric Snow.

They were a slow, plodding, methodical team that was one of the most exciting teams in the league solely because of AI? Was the ball in his hands too much? Hell yes. But I wouldn't have had it any other way. I was living w/ a Sixer fan and we had CSN. I watched Daily News Live every day and there was no talk about AI doing anything different.

Was he a thug? Absolutely. And I admire him for it. He grew up before our eyes and became a man. He has insane ink, like the Chinese thing on his neck, and the corn rows and whatnot. He paid for it in endorsement money probably. He wasn't mainstream. So what.

His mother was there at almost every game with her jersey on and holding up signs. Did he have a posse? Don't we all. Ever see Entourage? I come from a blue collar town where the people wear that fact like a badge of honor. So does AI. He wanted to keep it real and good for him.

Did he dog practice and chase out a teammate or two? Absolutely. And those teammates were dogs. Jerry Stackhouse and Larry Hughes are bums. Derrick Coleman?!? How much did Bird practice the last couple years he was in the league? McHale? How many NFL vets never practice all season?

Until LeBron, I have never seen a team rely so much on one player to do everything. And he is a third the size of LeBron. 10-15 times a game the shot clock is running down and it is on AI to make a play. Everything ran through him and it wasn't stand at the top of the key like Duncan.

It was break-your-man-down-and-take-on-three-guys-giving-up-a-foot-and-100 pounds. AI led the league in free throw attempts and makes. He never came off the floor. He led the league in minutes SEVEN TIMES. No one hit the floor more.

I am going to end with the five most under appreciated aspects to AI are:

5. He has the best nickname ever. The Answer.

4. He was not a selfish player. He was 21 when he came into the league and was not a PG. He improved his passing game a ton over the years. He was relied on and expected to score, especially early in his career.

3. He was an excellent defender. He was everywhere on defense. He was so quick and had such great instincts, it felt like he was doubling everyone. A crazy amount of energy he had.

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?