ALLEN
IVERSON
Allen Ezail Iverson (born June 7, 1975, in Hampton, Virginia), nicknamed A.I. and The Answer, is an American professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association. An 11-year veteran at the age of 31, he is considered to be one of the most prolific and consistent scorers in the history of the game (his career average of 28.0 points per contest is third all-time behind only Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain).
Before the NBA
As a junior, Iverson quarterbacked Bethel High School's football team to the state championship, which they won. At 17, Iverson was convicted on a felony charge of "maiming-by-mob" and drew a 15-year prison sentence, but with 10 years suspended. He spent four months at the Newport News City Farm before Virginia Governor Douglas Wilder granted him a pardon.
76ers years from 1996-2006
After two seasons at Georgetown, Allen Iverson was the first player picked in the 1996 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. Iverson quickly established himself as one of the premier point guards in the NBA. He also gained a reputation as fun to watch and promptly filled the Sixers arena. He was named Rookie of the Year and was a member of the NBA All-Rookie First Team.
Iverson led the Sixers with 23.5 points (sixth in the NBA), 7.5 assists (10th) and 2.07 steals (seventh) and 40.1 minutes per game.
Despite his play on the court, Iverson often experienced difficulty handling the media and pressure of his new celebrity status. He was criticized by players, coaches, and the press alike, who often accused Iverson of a lack of respect for great NBA players, selfishness with the ball, and failure, despite his individiual achievements, to lead Sixers to a better record. He also endured scrutiny from the league office, who didn't like his hip-hop based persona (which included cornrows, and a growing number of tattoos on his body).
In the 1998-1999 season, Iverson had his first trip to the playoffs.
2004 Olympics
The team's performance at the Olympic Games, however, would ultimately prove to be a disappointment. Iverson and LeBron James were benched for a game for having arrived late to a practice session. The United States' team had a dismal start against Germany, which had failed to qualify for the Olympic competition. Iverson did succeed in keeping the game from going into overtime with a miraculous half-court shot in the closing seconds.
Despite the dramatic win, the team continued to struggle. They would ultimately claim a bronze medal, a disappointing showing by US basketball standards.
2006 trade
On April 18, 2006 Iverson and Chris Webber arrived late to the Sixers' fan appreciation night and home game finale. Players are expected to report 90 minutes before gametime, but both Iverson and Webber arrived around tipoff. Coach Maurice Cheeks notified the media that neither would be playing and general manager Billy King announced that Iverson and Webber would be fined.. During the 2006 off-season, trade rumors had Iverson going to Denver, Atlanta, or Boston. None of the deals were completed. Iverson had made it clear that he would like to stay a Sixer.
On November 29, 2006 following a conflict at practice, Iverson stormed out of the gymnasium. That same evening, Iverson missed a corporate sponsor night at Lucky Strike Lanes in Philadelphia. All the 76ers besides Iverson attended this mandatory event. Iverson was fined an undisclosed amount by the 76ers. Iverson claimed he overslept after taking medication for pain related to having two abscessed teeth pulled but it was reported that Iverson told teammates earlier in the day he planned to blow off the event and was simply going to take the fine.
On December 8 Iverson reportedly demanded a trade from the Sixers. As a result of the demand and missing practice prior to a matchup against the Washington Wizards, Iverson was told not to play nor attend any further games. During that game, which was televised nationally on ESPN, Sixers Chairman Ed Snider confirmed the trade rumors by stating "We're going to trade him. At a certain point, you have to come to grips with the fact that it's not working. He wants out and we're ready to accommodate him."
On December 19, the Philadelphia 76ers sent Iverson and forward Ivan McFarlin to the Denver Nuggets for Andre Miller, Joe Smith, and two first-round picks in the 2007 NBA Draft.
Iverson is the third leading scorer in NBA History. He has averaged 27.9 points per game in his career, trailing all-time leader Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain in this category by only 2.0 points per game. Iverson is one of only 30 players in NBA history to score over 20,000 points in his career, and he was the 6th fastest in the history of the game to achieve this feat.
