Allen Iverson: I Am Legend
Let me start this off by stating I personally don’t know Allen Iverson.
I have never been a fan of the Georgetown Hoyas, Sixers, Nuggets, or Pistons.
What I am is a true fan of the sport of basketball. What I also know is that we, as basketball fans, need to sit back and appreciate the special talent that is number 3.
The six-foot-nothing, 180-lb. guard will never be a “true” point guard, like many media pundits have compared him to. And he may never possess the height or wingspan of shooting guards the game has seen earlier.
But you can’t measure heart, and you can’t measure to passion for the game and winning that Iverson possesses.
With his recent trade to the Pistons, many will write articles on why Detroit made this deal, or how Iverson fits into the system the Pistons run. But I wanted to take a moment and reflect on the incredible mark AI has left on not only the game of basketball, but an entire culture of young people.
The 33-year-old Iverson has come a long way since his days growing up from Hampton, Virginia. Iverson’s career average of 27 points per game trails only Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlin all time.
You might need to read that last sentence again. We are watching one of the greatest scorers in the history of the game, ever.
This man had the chips stacked against him from the start, as he went to jail for four months at the age of 17 years old. It was just a short time later he made his way to Georgetown, where the rest of the country was introduced to AI. Iverson became an instant star, and became the Hoyas' all-time leading scorer.
When Iverson was drafted by the Sixers, the city of Philadelphia had a hero. His tenure in Philly made Iverson more than just a basketball player. He became a pop culture icon. His cornrows ran counter to the cookie-cutter image of basketball stars of the '80s. His swagger was undeniable, and at a time where most of mainstream America was just getting used to Michael Jordan being the face of the NBA, a new face was born.
Iverson made it okay to be yourself, and let your game do the talking on the court. AI made it all right to not conform, and create your own niche. Oh yeah, his resume in Philly was amazing: Rookie of the Year, League MVP, two-time All-Star Game MVP, and an NBA Finals appearance, along with leading the league in scoring four seasons.
Iverson was traded nearly two years ago to the Denver Nuggets, and while the end result may not have been what many Nuggets fans wanted, the maturation of Carmelo Anthony was assisted by the veteran leadership Iverson provided.
So now he enters possibly the last stop on his NBA ride—Detroit, with dreams of fulfilling a lifelong goal that the world saw fellow future Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett achieve last season for Boston.
Perhaps there will be a part two to this feature in due time, when there is a storybook ending for AI. I can say though, whether Iverson wins a title or not, I appreciate each and every time I have had the opportunity to watch one of the greatest players of all time play.
Where does AI rank all time with you? Drop a comment and let us know!
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