The Answer? Or Just More Questions?
Eleven-time All-star and 2001 League MVP Allen Iverson looks set to retire from basketball according to reports from SlamOnline.com.
Considered one of the best pound-for-pound scorers in NBA history, the 1997 Rookie of the Year looks set to walk away from his fourteen-year career having not played professionally since 2011. During a short spell in Turkey, Iverson was far from his best and having been unable to secure a deal in the NBA, reports suggest that the 38-year old has come to terms with the fact that his playing career is over.
Iverson has not appeared in the NBA since 2010, but last year indicated a desire to return to the league having two months earlier turned down an opportunity to launch a comeback in the NBA’s Development League. The former Philadelphia 76ers, Denver Nuggets and Memphis Grizzlies star also rebuffed opportunities to sign lucrative deals with a trio of Chinese teams instead holding out hope of returning to the NBA.
No teams decided to give the former number one overall pick an opportunity to resurrect his career, and it appears that now we may have seen the man known as ‘The Answer’ play his final game as a professional.
During his career Iverson averaged 26.7 points and 6.2 assists, and will be remembered for leading the Sixers to the 2001 Finals. Widely regarded as a franchise great he is the team’s leader in 40 point games (76) and three-pointers (885). Larry Brown, Iverson’s coach in Philly as he earned four scoring championships said of his former player,
“He might be the greatest athlete I’ve ever seen. I don't think there'll be another one like him.”
Although he is clearly going out in unhappy circumstances, there is no doubt that Iverson was one of the greatest players of his generation, and will someday be headed to the hall of fame. His turbulent career began at Bethel High School in Hampton, Virginia where he played both football and basketball. After high school he attended Georgetown University playing under Coach John Thompson, and winning the Big East Defensive Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year in his first season.
The Hoyas made the Sweet 16 Round of the NCAA Tournament that season, and went a step further a year later when they made the Elite 8 with Iverson ended his college career as the Hoyas’ all-time leader in career scoring average at 22.9 points per game. His talent was evident even at such a tender stage of his career, and that made it a simple choice during his sophomore year to declare for the NBA draft. His collegiate career propelled him onto the biggest stage as Iverson was selected first overall by the 76ers in the 1996 NBA Draft and at just 6ft he became the shortest first overall pick ever.
It took a while for his influence to help Philadelphia become regulars in the playoffs, but during the 2000-01 season he was named as a starter in the NBA Allstar Game and also won the MVP award of the game. The Sixers posted a record of 56-26 giving them the number one seed in the Eastern Conference, and in doing so he also claimed the NBA Regular Season Most Valuable Player Award.
Iverson and his team defeated the Indiana Pacers in the first round before beating the Raptors in a closely fought seven-game series. Next up in the conference finals were the Milwaukee Bucks who also ran the Sixers close, but once again led by Iverson the team advanced to the 2001 NBA Finals.
Waiting for them there were the LA Lakers who were at the time playing formidable basketball with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal at the forefront of everything good. In the opening game of the Finals, their first such appearance since 1983, Iverson scored 48 points and led the Sixers to a 107-101 victory. Unfortunately their success against LA was short lived as the Lakers swept the next four games and went on to win the Larry O'Brien trophy leaving Iverson to ponder what might have been.
Phili continued to be a home for Iverson until 2006 when he was traded to the Denver Nuggets to play alongside Carmelo Anthony. Failing to reach the great heights he achieved at with the Sixers, Iverson was on the move again, this time to the Detroit Pistons before a spell in Memphis with the Grizzlies.
His stay with Memphis didn’t last long however as he expressed a displeasure at being a bench player despite his advancing years, and in 2009 he left the team for “personal reasons” before having his contract mutually terminated.
Less than a week after leaving Memphis, Iverson was re-signed by Philadelphia who hoped to use the now veteran Iverson as a building block in a young team. However Iverson left the team indefinitely in February 2010 to attend to his 4-year old daughter who was suffering with illness, but just a few weeks later it was announced that he would not return to the team for the rest of the season.
Iverson was unable to secure another contact with an NBA team but agreed a deal to play for Besiktas in the Turkish Basketball League. He played only ten games for the team before being waived and had failed to make a roster of any kind since 2011.
The news of Iverson’s retirement has yet to be confirmed, but with the former rookie of the year advancing in age, and having not been part of an NBA roster for almost eighteen months it seems likely that his playing career is over.
Iverson’s Important Impact
The future hall of fame guard played in an era when the NBA went from being a national treasure to an international beacon, and naturally he was at the centre of many of the league’s defining moments...
The ‘Practice’ Rant: Soundbytes from Allen Iverson were commonplace during his career, but perhaps his most famous quote came when a reporter asked him if he “Could be clear about his practising habits”. Iverson, clearly not impressed with the question, and the hints about his commitment retorted: “We're talking about practice man. What are we talking about? Practice? We're talking about practice man?” He continued to repeat the same words until eventually he was interrupted by a reporter.
Impact on Fashion in the League: Although he was not solely responsible for David Stern creating a player dress code, some of Iverson’s off-the-court attire certainly hastened along a decision to implement a standard for appearance from 2005 onwards. Iverson was always known for his cornrows, even late in his career, and was a known objector of the league policy on attire stating that: “Just because you put a guy in a tuxedo, it doesn’t mean he’s a good guy”. Iverson’s spiderweb tattoo is also extremely recognisable, and in an era when the NBA was changing significantly, he was certainly one of the pioneers.
Crossing Over MJ: Many people remember Iverson for his deadly crossover, and moment he crossed over Tyronn Lue in front of the Lakers’ bench during the NBA Finals has been replayed many times. His most iconic move however was crossing over Michael Jordan in Philly before draining a shot over the Chicago Bulls guard. In a game during the 2007 season, Iverson was at the top of the key when Michael Jordan switched onto him after instructions from Phil Jackson. Iverson faked to the left which caught Jordan off-guard before the Sixers player completely bamboozling his defender and hanging in the air fired home a fifteen-footer. The move demonstrated a young Iverson’s ability to players all across the league and made a name for himself as a tricky ball handler.
NBA Finals Appearance: Having been named season MVP, Iverson then led his team to the NBA Finals against all odds. Their opponents, the Lakers were heavily favoured with Shaq and Kobe both coming into their prime and having not lost a game on their way to meeting the Sixers. Many expected the Lakers to also sweep through their latest opponents but at Staples Center in Game One, Iverson helped his team overcome a fifteen point deficit and send the game to Overtime. Although he was limited to only three points during the fourth quarter, Iverson hit a crucial three-pointer over Tyronn Lue which gave the Sixers a lead in the game and the series. The Lakers eventually rallied back to win the series in five games, but there have been few players that have put a team on their shoulders and carried them to the final as Iverson did in 2001.
Iverson has not appeared in the NBA since 2010, but last year indicated a desire to return to the league having two months earlier turned down an opportunity to launch a comeback in the NBA’s Development League. The former Philadelphia 76ers, Denver Nuggets and Memphis Grizzlies star also rebuffed opportunities to sign lucrative deals with a trio of Chinese teams instead holding out hope of returning to the NBA.
No teams decided to give the former number one overall pick an opportunity to resurrect his career, and it appears that now we may have seen the man known as ‘The Answer’ play his final game as a professional.
During his career Iverson averaged 26.7 points and 6.2 assists, and will be remembered for leading the Sixers to the 2001 Finals. Widely regarded as a franchise great he is the team’s leader in 40 point games (76) and three-pointers (885). Larry Brown, Iverson’s coach in Philly as he earned four scoring championships said of his former player,
“He might be the greatest athlete I’ve ever seen. I don't think there'll be another one like him.”
Although he is clearly going out in unhappy circumstances, there is no doubt that Iverson was one of the greatest players of his generation, and will someday be headed to the hall of fame. His turbulent career began at Bethel High School in Hampton, Virginia where he played both football and basketball. After high school he attended Georgetown University playing under Coach John Thompson, and winning the Big East Defensive Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year in his first season.
The Hoyas made the Sweet 16 Round of the NCAA Tournament that season, and went a step further a year later when they made the Elite 8 with Iverson ended his college career as the Hoyas’ all-time leader in career scoring average at 22.9 points per game. His talent was evident even at such a tender stage of his career, and that made it a simple choice during his sophomore year to declare for the NBA draft. His collegiate career propelled him onto the biggest stage as Iverson was selected first overall by the 76ers in the 1996 NBA Draft and at just 6ft he became the shortest first overall pick ever.
It took a while for his influence to help Philadelphia become regulars in the playoffs, but during the 2000-01 season he was named as a starter in the NBA Allstar Game and also won the MVP award of the game. The Sixers posted a record of 56-26 giving them the number one seed in the Eastern Conference, and in doing so he also claimed the NBA Regular Season Most Valuable Player Award.
Iverson and his team defeated the Indiana Pacers in the first round before beating the Raptors in a closely fought seven-game series. Next up in the conference finals were the Milwaukee Bucks who also ran the Sixers close, but once again led by Iverson the team advanced to the 2001 NBA Finals.
Waiting for them there were the LA Lakers who were at the time playing formidable basketball with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal at the forefront of everything good. In the opening game of the Finals, their first such appearance since 1983, Iverson scored 48 points and led the Sixers to a 107-101 victory. Unfortunately their success against LA was short lived as the Lakers swept the next four games and went on to win the Larry O'Brien trophy leaving Iverson to ponder what might have been.
Phili continued to be a home for Iverson until 2006 when he was traded to the Denver Nuggets to play alongside Carmelo Anthony. Failing to reach the great heights he achieved at with the Sixers, Iverson was on the move again, this time to the Detroit Pistons before a spell in Memphis with the Grizzlies.
His stay with Memphis didn’t last long however as he expressed a displeasure at being a bench player despite his advancing years, and in 2009 he left the team for “personal reasons” before having his contract mutually terminated.
Less than a week after leaving Memphis, Iverson was re-signed by Philadelphia who hoped to use the now veteran Iverson as a building block in a young team. However Iverson left the team indefinitely in February 2010 to attend to his 4-year old daughter who was suffering with illness, but just a few weeks later it was announced that he would not return to the team for the rest of the season.
Iverson was unable to secure another contact with an NBA team but agreed a deal to play for Besiktas in the Turkish Basketball League. He played only ten games for the team before being waived and had failed to make a roster of any kind since 2011.
The news of Iverson’s retirement has yet to be confirmed, but with the former rookie of the year advancing in age, and having not been part of an NBA roster for almost eighteen months it seems likely that his playing career is over.
Iverson’s Important Impact
The future hall of fame guard played in an era when the NBA went from being a national treasure to an international beacon, and naturally he was at the centre of many of the league’s defining moments...
The ‘Practice’ Rant: Soundbytes from Allen Iverson were commonplace during his career, but perhaps his most famous quote came when a reporter asked him if he “Could be clear about his practising habits”. Iverson, clearly not impressed with the question, and the hints about his commitment retorted: “We're talking about practice man. What are we talking about? Practice? We're talking about practice man?” He continued to repeat the same words until eventually he was interrupted by a reporter.
Impact on Fashion in the League: Although he was not solely responsible for David Stern creating a player dress code, some of Iverson’s off-the-court attire certainly hastened along a decision to implement a standard for appearance from 2005 onwards. Iverson was always known for his cornrows, even late in his career, and was a known objector of the league policy on attire stating that: “Just because you put a guy in a tuxedo, it doesn’t mean he’s a good guy”. Iverson’s spiderweb tattoo is also extremely recognisable, and in an era when the NBA was changing significantly, he was certainly one of the pioneers.
Crossing Over MJ: Many people remember Iverson for his deadly crossover, and moment he crossed over Tyronn Lue in front of the Lakers’ bench during the NBA Finals has been replayed many times. His most iconic move however was crossing over Michael Jordan in Philly before draining a shot over the Chicago Bulls guard. In a game during the 2007 season, Iverson was at the top of the key when Michael Jordan switched onto him after instructions from Phil Jackson. Iverson faked to the left which caught Jordan off-guard before the Sixers player completely bamboozling his defender and hanging in the air fired home a fifteen-footer. The move demonstrated a young Iverson’s ability to players all across the league and made a name for himself as a tricky ball handler.
NBA Finals Appearance: Having been named season MVP, Iverson then led his team to the NBA Finals against all odds. Their opponents, the Lakers were heavily favoured with Shaq and Kobe both coming into their prime and having not lost a game on their way to meeting the Sixers. Many expected the Lakers to also sweep through their latest opponents but at Staples Center in Game One, Iverson helped his team overcome a fifteen point deficit and send the game to Overtime. Although he was limited to only three points during the fourth quarter, Iverson hit a crucial three-pointer over Tyronn Lue which gave the Sixers a lead in the game and the series. The Lakers eventually rallied back to win the series in five games, but there have been few players that have put a team on their shoulders and carried them to the final as Iverson did in 2001.