Allen Iverson: What Dreams Are Made Of.

I just finished reading the great article that Dwayne Montell posted this morning."Larry Brown: Allen Iverson Needs You."

I could not have said it better myself. And as a woman, with emotions often as visible as Iverson's, I wanted to cry. Sorry fellas. 

I want to make something clear to the entire NBA. I hated sports all of my life. That is until I discovered by chance , the remarkable, Allen Iverson. Both my father and brother were obsessed with sports. I didn't get it AT ALL.

But something changed all that. I happened to be in Philly on the eve of Game 1/ 2001 Finals/ Sixers-Lakers. The city was going wild and I wanted to know why.

 Allen Iverson was all over the news like a rock star. I found myself totally fascinated with this little guy who happened to be professional basketball player. Was this for real ? He was so small. Immediately, I was drawn to his style and his sweetness.

Yes, I just wrote SWEETNESS. 

I knew nothing at this point about his history. Actually I knew nothing about AI at all. But I listened to his interviews in my Dad's hospital room and I liked him. He was completely genuine and he seemed like a little kid who was about to explode with excitement. There was nothing rough or rude or selfish about him. Just pure enthusiasm. PURE PASSION.

As a fashion photographer, I recognized his amazing style, LOVED his black armband and had to have more.

And so, for the first time in my life ( and I wasn't twenty) I wanted to watch a basketball game. I wanted to see this Allen Iverson play. Pure and simple. And believe me, I was not disappointed.

So my Mom and I headed home, left my brother with my Dad and we sat down and watched Game One. I can only say that I was BLOWN AWAY. I was totally captivated by AI , on the edge of my seat , excitement and chills running through me , all because of one little guy, with the heart of a lion, and the talent of the whole NBA in his little finger. It was David versus Goliath and the little guy won!!!!

We watched every game of the Finals and I was now officially a HUGE, with capital letters, Allen Iverson fan. The Sixers were my team. Wow...what happened???? I had a favorite player and a favorite team!!!  I think I finally understood why people love sports.

I did not live near Philly, though, I lived in New York. And so, as a new and devoted fan, I listened to EVERY game on the computer, when the Sixers were not on national television. And I was glued in front of the TV, when AI was on.

Yes people. I fell in love with  basketball. I learned every player on every team.And when my AI sadly didn't make it to the playoffs, I watched anyway as I had absolutely grown to adore the sport.

As someone completely new to the NBA and all of it's stars, players, teams......I had no prejudices. I watched and looked and listened and learned the game. With a love of AI and the Sixers, of course, but with no venom towards any other team or player.

And then came the trade.

We all know the rest. From Philly to Denver to the horrendous debacles in both Detroit and Memphis. It has been a complete travesty of justice. But this injustice did not start in Detroit, it just swelled and exploded there. 

The slander and the slight of Allen Iverson has been going on for as long as I have been a fan and probably even before. I thought I was just being overly sensitive about my favorite player. Little did I know how right I was all of these years.

Oh yes, I complained and moaned but mostly in solitary frustration about what I felt was an unjust and outright bias against Iverson.

Oh, not from everyone.There were a hand-full of sportscasters who clearly loved AI. If I'm not mistaken, people like Marc Jackson. And then, there were the people like Bill Walton, who seemed to go wherever the "win" blew, talking so much it was a distraction.

And over and over again, I witnessed a double standard. Allen Iverson was the ONLY superstar in the league who was continually branded a ball hog and selfish. Didn't matter if Kobe took over the game when the Lakers needed him to. Didn't matter what Tim Duncan or Steve Nash did. Or Kevin Garnett the lone wolf in Minnesota.Or Dirk Novitzki or DWade or Gilbert Arenas.

And what about these days,  Chris Paul or Dwight Howard or Kevin Durant and on and on and on. They can put their teams on their shoulders and they are admired for it. Allen does the same and is accused of not being a team player.

There seems to be one set of rules for Allen Iverson and one for the rest of the NBA. Kobe Bryant can go to trial for rape and all is forgotten. Ron Artest and others can have a brawl and a fist fight on the court and all is forgotten. Bruce Bowen can play dirty in the playoffs and everyone turns a blind eye. Rasheed Wallace holds the record for most technicals. Delonte West is pulled over for speeding with three loaded guns...is arrested but the Cavs still stand behind him.

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST-  LeBron James ( EXCUSE ME.....KING JAMES) displays the most blatant unsportmanship like behavior when he loses in the first round of the playoffs last year..when he refuses to congratulate his opponents and he runs off and sulks. Won't even talk to the press.

Not only that ...the perfect James ...makes an effort to banish a video that shows a college player dunking over him. 

Can you imagine if Allen Iverson did any of the above. Are you kidding me????? Would ANY of these players EVER be asked/told to come off the bench?? Do you think LeBron ( with an ego so huge it is surprising he can even get his head through a doorway) would ever be asked to come off the bench when he turns 34?

Of course not. Neither would Kobe or the rest of them. They are the elite players in the league. Allen is third in scoring in the entire history of the NBA, just behind Jordan and Chamberlain. Let's not forget, that his stats in assists are higher than both Bryant and James. How do you like that!

When he played for Detroit ( and I watched EVERY SINGLE GAME) they won when Hamilton was out. In fact, they won about 11 games in a ROW. What's more he passed the ball more times than he tried to make layups. HE WAS A TEAM PLAYER.

But he did not have a team with him. He did not have a coach behind him. Thanks Rip, for coming to Allen's defense. TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE. Why didn't you speak up when Allen was looking for a new team. It could have helped. Maybe.

For me,  Allen Iverson is the greatest basketball player of all time. The little man that is a marvel to watch. And he has all the stats to prove it. Unlike Shag, who was so big he could just put the ball in the basket, AI is a natural born talent with God given AMAZING abilities.

But then the people who love to hate Allen Iverson, spread their venom throughout the Internet and the media who love to vilify people...took it and ran. They are the true cancer NOT AI. Allen Iverson is vilified because he is not afraid to speak his heart, not able to contain his emotion when it comes to the game he loves so much.

But everyone takes what he says and twists his words into something evil. I can't stand it anymore.

Today I sit here in total distress. Disheartened, disillusioned and most of all disgusted. I can't focus on any games. My heart just isn't in it. I don't want to give up basketball. I love basketball. 

But I also love the guy who brought it into my life. Allen Iverson is my hero. Against the greatest odds in life, he became a champion. He does NOT DESERVE what is happening to him and I feel helpless to help him. 

Somewhere in the league, there must be a team and a coach who understands as clearly as I do.....the injustice being played out in the NBA.Where are you?

I started this article talking about what first attracted me to AI. It was the good that is Allen Iverson. Allen Iverson the man.

Allen Iverson is a warrior with a heart of gold. Someone who could have just ended up another statistic. Someone who saw many of his best friends killed in front of him before the age of 12. Someone who never forgot where he came from or the people he grew up with. Someone who still takes care of those same disadvantaged children with his many charities. Someone who has been married to his childhood sweetheart and raised five kids. Where is the documentary on his life? 

Allen Iverson is still just like a kid himself who wants to do what he does better than anyone else on a court. PLAY THE GAME HE LOVES SO MUCH. 

For years, I have watched the sweet face of AI light up with excitement and a ferocious winning spirit. 

Now, I see sadness and confusion. On his face and mine.

One last thing. His new baby is called Dream. That's a romantic name. That's a name a father with ONLY a CORE of sweetness would name his child.

Think about it.