Allen Iverson: It Wasn't Supposed To End Like This

I YouTubed one of Allen Iverson's 50-point games last night. It was 2004 against the Hawks. I damn near shed a tear.

That swagger, the crowd chanting his name, the look on his face saying, "this is nothing." The electricity in the building, the fear in the players guarding him. The quickness, the attitude, the jumper, the crossover. It was amazing, and I remember the days I saw those games on TV.

I thought to myself, "this guy deserves a ring more than any player out there and I am sure he will get one by the time he is 38 and ready to retire." Little did I know he would not even play until the age of 35. It all happened too fast. 

It was not supposed to end like this. But the media and the NBA made it end like this. His whole career, Allen Iverson made the sports world and the NBA adjust to him. He started the tattoos, the cornrows, the baggy shorts, the sleeves. He made the NBA hip-hop. He did what he wanted whether the NBA liked it or not.

If Iverson was doing all this and was a normal player—like say Michael Conley or even Rodney Stuckey—chances are the league would have found a way to kick him out. They don't like what AI did to the NBA. He influenced so many people and David Stern did not like the way he influenced them.  

Next time you see a player with cornrows and tattoos, remember Allen Iverson was the reason. Next time you see a player in a suit and a tie, remember Allen Iverson was the reason. Iverson was David Stern's worst nightmare.

The NBA would not dare blacklist a star like Iverson. He still made them major money and sold like no other athlete out there. Most media members hated i,t too. So they took shots at his game. They said he was selfish and needed to sacrifice to win, that he needed to score less. They said he was a me-first player and ruined the game. They said he needed to pass more and take less shots.

Iverson responded by taking less shots and dishing out more assists. He went to Denver and won 50 games averaged 26.4 ppg, 7.1 apg on 46 percent shooting, and people still said he needed to score less. Despite being one of the best players in the league, the Denver Nuggets shipped him away and Chauncey Billups helped them get three more wins in an easier Western Conference, which lead to higher seeding. The Nuggets lost to the Lakers in the Western Finals.

Iverson went to Detroit and sacrificed by taking 14 shots per game, rarely touching the ball, playing 27 minutes a game and then being called washed-up. The Pistons lied to him and put him on the bench behind Rodney Stuckey. Then they sent him home. Iverson was being blacklisted.

He had to settle for the Memphis Grizzlies this summer because the media made it seem like Iverson was cancerous to a team and could not play for a team anymore. NBA executives and GMs read these things. Iverson was being destroyed by the media. The Detroit Pistons put in owners' and people's minds it was okay to bring Allen Iverson off the bench. They made sure Iverson did not get signed to a contender. The delusional GMs and owners believed all that stuff and did not offer him a contract. Some GMs and owners hated him because of the hip-hop lifestyle he brought to the league and just turned him down.

He went to Memphis thinking he could prove people wrong and get signed by a contender next year. But he did not know that even the Grizzlies, the only team that believed in him, were also against him and thought it was okay to bring Iverson off the bench. AI was supposed to average 25 and six this year so he can show people he deserves to start for a contender and get that championship.

Michael Conley was starting ahead of AI. Iverson played 27 minutes one night scored 18 points on 8-for-12 shooting and dished out seven assists in the same game. He did more than OJ Mayo and Michael Conley in fewer minutes. But still they refused to start him.

Iverson should be starting on every team in the league and getting his shots and minutes except for the Lakers and Celtics, because those are teams that already have established backcourts. There is not a single team out there that has two backcourt players better than Allen Iverson. Iverson is still in my mind one of the best players in the league if used correctly.

Truth is, every single executive, owner, and coach aside from Larry Brown has a problem with Allen Iverson or just hates his guts. He should have just signed with Charlotte for $1.5 million and Iverson would have been dropping 25 a game playing 35 or more minutes a game and putting the Bobcats in the playoff picture. But Iverson got greedy for money and tried making himself and others believe this is a good situation.

It wasn't because the owners, GMs, and coaches in Memphis are also delusional and think it's okay to make Allen Iverson come off the bench or give him anything less than 35 minutes. The writers and reporters said Iverson should average 10 points off the bench and be a vocal leader. Why would he do that when he still has the abilities to average 30 points and eight assists> 

Iverson had a meeting with owner Michael Heisley on Saturday and left to Atlanta. The reason for his absence was personal and there is no timetable for his return. But according to Bill Simmons, Iverson is not coming back. He said the following on Twitter.

"So long, Allen Iverson. I enjoyed your career immensely. The ending needed a little work though."

"Just came back from Clips-Grizz. Now I know why Iverson walked. What a joke that he couldn't start over Conley. I woulda walked, too."

How sad. Allen Iverson is forced to walk away from the game and have to save his legacy and stats by leaving the team. This is all Michael Curry's fault, the media's fault, the NBA's fault. One of the greatest basketball player's careers had to end like this. The Allen Iverson era is officially over. Even though he could have been averaging 30 ppg right now and leading his team to a top spot in the conference had he been used correctly. 

- 24,020 career points.
- Over 5500 career assists.
- Amazing career averages of 27.1 ppg, 6.2 apg and 2.2 spg. 
- Amazing Playoff career averages 30 ppg (2nd all-time) and 6 apg.
- 1996-1997 NBA Rookie of the year.
- 10 Time NBA All-Star.
- 2001 All-Star game MVP
- 2005 All-Star game MVP.
- Three time steals champion.
- Four-time NBA scoring champion.
- 2001 NBA MVP.  
- Best little man ever.
- One of the 25 greatest players ever.

What an amazing career. But it did not have to end like this. Just keep in mind that if the media can destroy Allen Iverson—one of the toughest players ever and an icon—it can happened to anyone.  It was one hell of a ride, but it did not have to end this fast.