Allen Iverson

At 48 years old, Allen Iverson has this physical status:

Professional career

Iverson was selected with the 1st overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft to the Philadelphia 76ers after two seasons at Georgetown. He made the first overall pick ever, despite being dominated by taller players at 6 foot 0 in (1.83 m) tall.

Iverson joined a Philadelphia team that had just finished the previous season with a dismal 18–64 record. Iverson had 30 points and 6 assists on his NBA debut in a 103–111 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. In his debut, Willie Anderson tied for the third best scoring debut by a rookie guard. On a 101–97 road victory over the Knicks on November 12, 1996, Iverson posted a career high of 35 points to go along with 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals. Iverson scored 37 points and memorably crossed over Michael Jordan in a game against the Chicago Bulls. Wilt Chamberlain's rookie record of three straight games with at least 40 points in a five-point victory against the Cavaliers in Cleveland. For the season, Iverson was voted NBA Rookie of the Year, averaging 23.5 points per game, 7.5 assists per game, and 2.1 steals per game. In 1996–97, Iverson was only able to help the Sixers reach their 22-60 record.

Iverson continued to help the 76ers move forward the following season, aided by their arrivals: Theo Ratliff, Eric Snow, Aaron McKie, and new coach Larry Brown.

Iverson signed a six-year, $70.9 million maximum contract extension on January 26, 1999. The 76ers' lockout-shortened 1998-1999 season would be a big step forward for them. Iverson was averaged 26.8 points (which led the league, winning his first scoring crown) and was named to his first All-NBA First Team. The Sixers finished the season 28-22, winning Iverson his first trip to the playoffs. Despite being limited by a multitude of nagging injuries, he started all ten playoff games and averaged 28.5 points per game. In four games, Iverson wrought an upset over the number three seeded Orlando Magic, before losing to the Indiana Pacers in the second round in six games.

The Sixers will continue to develop under Iverson's leadership throughout the 1999–2000 NBA season, finishing 49–33, just one spot above the previous year's sixth seed). Iverson averaged 26.2 points, 4.8 assists, 4 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game in the playoffs. Philadelphia will advance to the Charlotte Hornets in the first round of the tournament, but Indiana defeated them in the second round in six games for the second straight year.

For the first time of what would be 11 straight picks, Iverson was named to the Eastern Conference All-Star team for the first time. He was the only player other than Shaquille O'Neal to earn a vote of honor this year. The 76ers worked to trade Iverson following his numerous disagreements with then-coach Larry Brown, and had to commit to the Detroit Pistons before Matt Geiger, who was not included in the contract, refused to forfeit his $5 million trade kicker.

Iverson led his team to a ten-0 start to the season in 2000, and he was named as a starter in the 2001 NBA All-Star Game, where he earned the game MVP. The Sixers held a 56-26 record on the year, the highest in the Eastern Conference this season, and a top seed. He had a then-high 31.1 points in his second NBA scoring title in the process. At 2.5 a game, Iverson claimed the NBA steals title for the first time. Iverson was named NBA Most Valuable Player, and he weighed in at 6 foot and 165 pounds. He was the youngest and lightest player to win the MVP award. From a possible 124, he received 93 first-place votes out of a possible 124. He was also selected for the All NBA First team for his accomplishments. Iverson and the Sixers defeated the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the playoffs before meeting the Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Semifinals. The series was completed in seven games. The Sixers advanced to the NBA Finals against the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers in the second round, defeating the Milwaukee Bucks for the second time in seven games.

The Sixers advanced to their first finals since 1983. Iverson scored a playoff-high 48 points and defeated the heavily favored Lakers 107–101 in game one of the 2001 NBA Finals, defeating the Lakers' only playoff loss this year. After making a crucial shot in the game, he notably stepped over Tyronn Lue. In games 2–5, Iverson will shoot 23, 35, 35, and 37, respectively, all losing attempts, although the Sixers were not swept as expected. During the 2000-2001 NBA season, Iverson enjoyed his most successful season as an individual and as a member of the Sixers.

During his recovery from bursticitis in his right elbow, Iverson began wearing a basketball sleeve this season. Fans of the sleeve as a fashion statement, as well as others, including Carmelo Anthony and Kobe Bryant. Iverson wore his sleeve long after his elbow had healed. According to some, the sleeve had a hand in Iverson's shooting skills. According to Psychology Today's Steven Kotler, such sleeves may act as a placebo to avoid future injuries.

Iverson and the Sixers, who were eager to get to the NBA Finals, began the 2001–2002 season with high hopes, but the Sixers were plagued by injuries, and they were unable to muster a 43-39 record to barely make it to the playoffs. Despite being limited to 60 games this season and being limited by injuries, Iverson averaged 31.4 points per game for his second straight scoring crown. In the first round of the playoffs 3–2, the 76ers lost to the Boston Celtics. Brown chastised Iverson for missing team workouts after the loss. "We're here, I'm supposed to be the franchise player, and we're here discussing practice," Iverson said, referring to the word "practice" 24 times. "We're talking about practice," he said repeatedly. Not the game.

Aaron McKie and Eric Snow, all three of whom were key contributors to the Sixers' 2002–2003 season, started off weak, with defensive-standout Dikembe Mutombo moving to New Jersey and a decrease in both offensive and defensive production from the players. Iverson would postseason scoring records (27.6 points per game), but the Sixers regrouped following the All-Star break to finish the playoffs with a 48-34 record. In the first round of the playoffs, they were able to defeat Baron Davis and the New Orleans Hornets. Davis was later referred to as the most formidable opposing point guard to defend in his career. The 76ers were eliminated by the Detroit Pistons in a six-game second round series.

Following the 76ers' loss in the playoffs, head coach Larry Brown left the 76ers in 2003. Following his release from the 76ers, both he and Iverson said that the two were on good terms and sincerely fond of one another. When Iverson became the co-captain of the 2004 United States Olympic men's basketball team, Iverson rejoined Brown with Brown. Brown was without a doubt "the best coach in the world," Iverson said in 2005.

Randy Ayers was hired as the team's next coach, but he struggled to develop any chemistry with his players and was suspended following a 21–31 record. Iverson bristled under the Sixers' interim head coach Chris Ford's disciplinarian strategy during the 2003-2004 NBA season. Iverson was suspended for failing to tell Ford that he would not attend a game because he was sick, and Iverson was banned from participating in a game because he was "insulted" that Ford wanted Iverson to come off the bench as he recovered from an injury. Iverson missed a then-career-high 34 games in a season that saw the Sixers miss the postseason for the first time since 1998.

Iverson and the Sixers returned from their new head coach Jim O'Brien's tutelage, as well as the additions of their first round draft pick Andre Iodala and All-Star forward Chris Webber, who was acquired in a mid-season trade.

In a 112–99 victory over the Orlando Magic, Iverson scored a career-high 60 points on 24-for-27 shooting from the free throw line to go along with 6 assists and 5 steals. In a 103–98 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on April 8, 2005, Iverson had 23 points, 7 rebounds, and a career-high 16 assists.

Iverson, a resurgent Iverson, won his fourth NBA scoring title with 31 points and averaged 8 assists for the year, and the 76ers improved to the postseason with a 43–39 record. They would fall to the eventual Eastern Conference champions, the Detroit Pistons, who were led by Larry Brown in the first round. Iverson won by three double-doubles in Philadelphia's lone victory of the season, including a 37-point, 15-assist display.

Despite O'Brien's service in the postseason, there were issues with players and leadership that resulted in his departure after just one season. In a staff change Iverson applauded, he was fired by Sixers' legend Maurice Cheeks, as Cheeks had been an assistant coach with the team when they reached the NBA Finals in 2001. Iverson averaged 33.0 points per game during the 2005–2006 season. For the second time in three years, the Sixers made it to the playoffs for the second time in three years.

Iverson and Chris Webber arrived late to the Sixers' fan appreciation night and home game final on April 18, 2006. Players were supposed to report 90 minutes before game time, but Iverson and Webber were able to arrive around tipoff. Coach Maurice Cheeks informed the media that neither of them would be playing, and general manager Billy King said that Iverson and Webber would be fined. During the 2006 off-season, trade rumors suggested that Iverson will go to Denver, Atlanta, or Boston. None of the agreements were concluded. Iverson had made it clear that he would like to remain a Sixer.

The Sixers began the NBA season at 3–0 before losing to a 5–10 record in 15 games. Following the bad start, Iverson allegedly demanded a trade from the Sixers (which he refused). Iverson was told that he would not participate in any more games as a result. Sixers Chairman Ed Snider revealed the trade rumors during a national television game against the Washington Wizards, saying, "We're going to trade him." You have to accept the fact that it isn't working at a certain point. He needs to come out, and we're here to help him."

Iverson's 10-year Philadelphia career ended with the highest scoring average in team history (28.1), and he is second all-time on the points list (19,583), and the Sixers did not win another playoff series after he left the organization in 2012.

The Philadelphia 76ers sent Iverson and forward Ivan McFarlin to the Denver Nuggets on December 19, 2006, along with Andre Miller, Joe Smith, and two first-round picks in the 2007 NBA draft. Iverson was the NBA's top scorer at the time of the trade, with new teammate Carmelo Anthony being the top scorer.

Iverson played his first game for the Nuggets on December 23, 2006. In a losing effort to the Sacramento Kings, he had 22 points and ten assists. The Nuggets made the playoffs for the first time in his first year as a Nugget. The Spurs won the first game and then lost the next four to the San Antonio Spurs.

Following a game between the Nuggets and Iverson's former team, the Philadelphia 76ers, Iverson was fined $25,000 by the NBA for criticizing referee Steve Javie. He was banned from the game after two technical fouls during the game. "I thought I got fouled on that play," Iverson said, and I thought he was calling the game personal, I should have known that I couldn't say anything anyway." Since I joined the league, it's been something personal between me and him. This was just the right game for him to try and make me look bad."

In his book, Personal Foul: A First-Person Account of Javie's Scandal that Rocked the NBA, a Florida business company published in a self-publishing arm of Amazon.com, Tim Donaghy backed up the assertion that Javie had a long-standing dislike for Iverson after reading the manuscript.

Donaghy and fellow referees said the punishment was too light in a 60 Minutes interview in December 2009. Donaghy and the two other officials working the game refused to give Iverson favorable calls as a way to "teach him a lesson," before the Nuggets played the Utah Jazz on January 6, 2007. Iverson made 12 free throws, more than any other player on either team. He had five fouls, three of which Donaghy whistled himself, on 12 drives to the basket, and did not get a call from a caller regarding one play in which Utah's Mehmet Okur clearly fouled him.

Iverson's triumph, 115–113 loss, brought a sellout crowd to Philadelphia on March 19, 2008.

Iverson was traded from the Denver Nuggets to the Detroit Pistons for guard Chauncey Billups, forward Antonio McDyess, and center Cheikh Samb on November 3, 2008. Iverson, who had been wearing a #3 jersey throughout his NBA career, has jumped to number 1 for the Pistons, which the Billups also wore for the team.

In four of his first five games with Detroit (they won 3 of the five), he scored 20 or more assists on a regular basis, but as the season progressed, Rodney Stuckey would have missed playing time to him. Some speculated that Pistons President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars did not see a long-term role for Iverson on the team, but decided that we make Stuckey the point guard of the future and free cap space with Iverson's expiring contract.

It was announced on April 3, 2009, that Iverson would not participate in the 2008–09 season. Dumars cited Iverson's ongoing back injury as the reason for his suspension, but Iverson's two days earlier, Iverson said he'd rather retire than be moved to the bench as Pistons coach Michael Curry had decided.

Iverson and the Memphis Grizzlies agreed to a one-year deal on September 10, 2009. "God chose Memphis as the place where I will continue my education," he said, adding, "I think they are dedicated to creating a winner."

However, Iverson expressed his displeasure with being a bench player and left the team on November 7, 2009, for "personal reasons." The Grizzlies declared that the team had ended his employment as a result of "mutual deal" on November 16. He appeared in three games for the Grizzlies, averaging 12.3 ppg, 1.3 rpg, and 3.7 apg in 22.3 mpg.

Analyst Stephen A. Smith contributed to Iverson's announcement of retirement plans on his blog on November 25, 2009, saying, "I am confident that I will continue to excel at the highest level."

Iverson and his staff spoke with a Philadelphia 76ers delegation on November 30, only a week later, and the team accepted a contract offer two days later. Ed Stefanski declined to enter the contract into terms, but an unidentified source told the Associated Press that Iverson agreed to a one-year non-guaranteed deal worth the league minimum wage. If Iverson remained on the roster until January 8, 2010, he would receive a prorated portion of the $1.3 million minimum salary for players with at least ten years of service, and the deal would be guaranteed for the remainder of the 2009–10 season. After starting guard Lou Williams suffered a fractured jaw and was scheduled to miss at least 30 games, Stefanski said the team made the decision to pursue Iverson.

Iverson returned to Philadelphia on December 7, 2009, gaining a thunderous ovation from the sold-out crowd in a loss to his former team, the Denver Nuggets, as a result. He ended the game with 11 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds, a steal, and no turnovers. Iverson's first victory in his return to Philadelphia came just one week later against the Golden State Warriors in a 20-point victory, snapping the Sixers' 12-game losing streak (which was at 9 games before Iverson returned). In the game, he shot 70% from the field.

In the 108-105 victory, Iverson scored 17 points and had seven assists. For the 11th straight season, he was selected as a starter for the All-Star Game. In a 99–91 loss to Kobe Bryant and the defending champion Lakers, he scored a season-high 23 points (on 56% shooting from the field).

Iverson retired the 76ers indefinitely on February 22, 2010, citing the need to attend to his 4-year-old daughter Messiah's health problems, which he described years later as Kawasaki Disease. Stefanski said on March 2 that Iverson would not return to the 76ers for the remainder of the season to deal with the personal issues. On February 20, 2010, Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls lost their last NBA game.

On October 26, 2010, Yahoo!

Iverson returned to the United States in January 2011 for calf surgery. He only played ten games for Beşiktaş this season, and did not play competitive basketball until then.

In January 2013, Iverson was invited to play for the Texas Legends of the NBA D-League, but he declined.

Iverson announced his retirement from basketball on October 30, 2013, citing a lack of desire to play. He received a standing ovation at the start of the second quarter at the 76ers' 2013–14 season home opener. Julius Erving, the former Georgetown coach, and Sixers legend John Thompson attended the news conference at which he announced his resignation. Although Iverson predicted that the day would be a "tough" day, he later declared it to be a "good" day, he continued to be a Sixer "until I die," the day after his resignation.

In November 2013, the 76ers announced that they would officially dismiss Iverson's number 3 in a special halftime parade on March 1, 2014, when the Sixers hosted the Washington Wizards. Julius Erving, Moses Malone, and former team president Pat Croce were among the 2,000 spectators and 76ers greats like Julius Erving, Moses Malone, and former team president Pat Croce. Along with Shaquille O'Neal and Yao Ming, he headlined the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2016. When speaking to the public about who he credited for a Hall of Fame career, Iverson referred to John Thompson and Larry Brown.

BIG3 was announced in 2017, with Iverson expected to be a player and mentor on 3's Company. It was announced in March that DerMarr Johnson would be the co-captain for Iverson. During the 2017 BIG3 Draft, Andre Owens, Mike Sweetney, and Ruben Patterson were drafted by the 3's Company. The Ball Hogs and 3's Company played their first game of the inaugural BIG3 season on June 25, 3's Company's first game of the season. Iverson scored 2 points on 1-for-6 shooting in 9 minutes of play in the game. "I signed up to be a guide, player, and captain while playing only 9 minutes," Iverson said. The coach portion of the game will continue. Playing is not going to be what you think. You won't see the Allen Iverson of old out there.

National team career

In 1995, Iverson was a member of the USA World University Games Team in Japan, which included future NBA players Ray Allen and Tim Duncan, among others. With an average of 16.7 points, 6.1 assists, and 2.9 steals per game, Iverson led all USA players in scoring, assists, and stealings, averaging 16.7 points, 6.1 assists, and 2.9 steals per game. He was instrumental in the team's 141-81 triumph over Japan, the host country for the gold medal.

In August of that year, Iverson was selected to represent Team USA in the 2003 FIBA Americas Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Puerto Rico. The United States had a ten-0 record and claimed the gold medal as well as qualifying for a berth in the 2004 Olympics. Iverson played in all eight games and finished second on the team, with 4.8 assists per game, 1.6 steals per game, and shooting 56.2 percent (15–21 FGs) from the foul line.

In the United States' 111–71 victory over Canada on August 25, he accounted for a USA Olympic Qualifying single-game record 28 points and produced a single-game record seven 3-pointers. He shot 10-for-13 overall, 7-for-8 from the 3-point line, 1-for-1 from the foul line, with three assists, three steals, and one rebound. During the final 7:41 of the third quarter, all seven of his 3-point field goals were made.

He finished the tournament tied for 10th in scoring, tied for fourth in steals, tied for fourth in 3-point percentage, tied for seventh in assists, and ninth in field goal percentage (.562). Iverson also missed the USA's final two games due to a sprained right thumb sustained in the first half of the August 28 Puerto Rico game. He scored 9 points on 4-for-6 shooting from the field overall, as well as five assists and three rebounds in 26 minutes of action in the USA's 101-74 exhibition game victory on August 17 in New York. He was also named to the 2003 United States Senior National Team on April 29, 2003.

Source

Awards and honors

• Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
  • Class of 2016 – Individual
• NBA Most Valuable Player (2001)
• 4× NBA scoring champion
• 11× NBA All-Star
• 2× NBA All-Star Game MVP
• 7× All-NBA
• 3× NBA steals leader
• NBA Rookie of the Year (1997)
• No. 3 retired by the Philadelphia 76ers