The Iverson Situation

A Hitter’s Count

The Iverson Situation

Allen Ezail Iverson entered the NBA as the number one overall pick for the Philadelphia 76ers in 1996. I was 10 years old. I had been a big Sixers fan since I can remember, which was the season when Charles Barkley was shipped out of town. I had never known a Sixers team to be a winner, or to have a transcendent star.

Immediately, I became infatuated with the little guy. During his rookie season I kept a handwritten notebook of how many points Allen scored in every game. This was before the Internet, so it did take some time and some diligence to keep the notebook. It had asterisks for when he set career highs (he scored 40 or more in five straight games his rookie year), asterisks for double doubles, and a big asterisk for the game where he crossed over Michael Jordan. I bought his original pair of signature sneakers, the Questions. Since then, I have probably owned at least five different colors of the Questions. Every year I would buy at least one pair of his signature sneakers. All the way up to the Answer VII (Reebok is now up to the Answer XII). I would venture to guess that I had at least 20 pairs of Allen Iverson’s sneakers growing up. The last year I collected trading cards I bought at least 25 Allen Iverson rookie cards. By the time I was 13, I owned six Allen Iverson jerseys. They switched logos after his rookie year and they added alternate colors – so I had to have every one. When he was traded to Denver I bought a Nuggets jersey. When I graduated from college, I was given an authentic Mitchell and Ness Iverson throwback jersey from his rookie year. Needless to say, I was buying in to what Allen Iverson was selling.

I was watching when he led the league in scoring for the first time during the lockout season in 1999. That year he took the Sixers to their first playoff berth in eight years and they upset the Magic in round one. Iverson set the all-time record for steals in a game in that series with 10.
I was watching in 2000 when they lost for the second straight season in the second round to Reggie Miller’s Pacers. It was brutal. They were swept in ’99 and went down 3-0 before losing in six games in 2000.

I was watching in 2001 when the Sixers finally got past the Pacers, this time in the first round. I watched Iverson drop 50 twice in a seven-game series against Vince Carter and the Raptors, while the Sixers narrowly escaped to head to the Conference Finals. I watched Iverson battle through injury (he missed a pivotal game five with a bruised back) and Ray Allen’s Bucks, and once again prevail in seven games. I then watched him drop 48 points and will his team to victory in the first game of the NBA Finals against a Laker team that had yet to lose in the playoffs.
Sadly, that was the high point of Allen Iverson’s career (at age 25). He has not won another game in the Finals. In fact, he has not made it out of the second round of the playoffs since that magical run in 2001. It did not matter to me though. I grew up with Allen Iverson and knew that he was doing everything he thought he needed to do to win. (That is not the same thing as doing everything he needed to do to win. Iverson’s thoughts and what are actually right for winning are not exactly on the same page.)
Times were tough early in his career, but I stood by him. When he was pulled over in his Mercedes with a concealed handgun and marijuana in his possession I shrugged it off because he was young and stupid. When he threw his wife out of their house naked, and then went and banged on doors supposedly brandishing a gun to go find her, I shrugged it off because, hey, who doesn’t have marital problems? I only have to say the word “practice” and you can form your own opinion on that subject and Iverson. When he sat out fan appreciation night with Chris Weber despite both of them not being hurt during his last full season in Philadelphia, I shrugged it off because he was still my favorite player and I gave him the benefit of the doubt.

At this point in my life and Allen Iverson’s career, I know that he no longer deserves the benefit of the doubt. Iverson is 34 years old and has not been healthy in 2 years. The last season he was healthy he was teamed with superstar Carmelo Anthony on a Nuggets team that was swept by the eventual Western Conference Champion Lakers in the first round. Melo was the top dog on that team and they still could not do anything substantial in the playoffs, so where does Allen Iverson’s ego stop? Does he really think he can carry a team that is centered around his me-first style? He only did that one year when he was at the peak of his career and was surrounded with guys who wanted to defend, rebound, and PASS HIM THE BALL! So he signed a contract with the flailing Memphis Grizzlies because no one else in the league wanted to handle his baggage. Instead of swallowing his pride and coming off the bench for a team with some young talented players, Iverson almost immediately took a leave of absence from the team because he was not happy with his role as a reserve. He then was waived by Memphis in an effort to alleviate the situation.

He has left himself with two options.

Option 1. He finds a team that will allow him to start and play him big minutes. Any team like this will not be making the playoffs this year and just looking to sell some tickets (read New York Knicks). He cannot possibly lead a team to the playoffs being the best player on it, but if he wants to try, more power to him. Why would you want to do that at this point though if you are Allen Iverson? He has accomplished pretty much everything an individual can accomplish, four-time scoring champion, league MVP, three All-NBA first teams, two All-Star Game MVPs, 10 time All-Star, the list could continue.

Option 2. He bites the bullet. He goes to an elite team’s owner, GM, and players and says: “I will play for you and do whatever it is you want me to do. I will come off the bench. I will not complain. I will be a good teammate in practice and during games. I will not sulk, pout, or throw temper tantrums when I do not play 40 minutes a game.”

Who would not want to inject their offense with some quick scoring like Iverson can provide? Apparently no one because Iverson is sitting at home without a team. I stopped buying Allen Iverson shoes and jerseys and paraphernalia years ago because I was growing up. It is time for Iverson to finally grow up and do what others are telling him to do. If he does not, he will tarnish the legacy of one of the best guards to ever play the game of basketball.