Allen Iverson Responds To His Fans
We’ve been down with Allen Iverson since the beginning. From the cover of Dime #1 up until now, there has probably never been a player that meant more to us. Personally, the walls of my bedroom growing up are still covered with poster of A.I. (in seemingly every different iteration of a Sixers jersey), and my AAU teammates can attest to the headbands, arm sleeves and even temporary tattoos I wore during games. That’s why after all that has surfaced in the past week, it’s so hard to read this:
“To my fans: You all know that my life isn’t perfect. I am going through some very tough times right now, like I am sure that we all do from time to time. However, I will stand tall like always with “rhino” thick skin. Even though I have become used to hearing people say things about me that aren’t true, it still hurts. I encourage you to continue your ongoing support and I want you to trust that this is another obstacle in my life that, with God’s help I will overcome. God Bless You All.”
The following statement came across Iverson’s Twitter feed last night, and it speaks volumes of where his head is at. If half of the rumors are true, then Iverson “going through some very tough times right now” is an understatement. As Austin wrote last week, who knows what the future may bring for A.I., but at least we know we’ll always have the past.
What do you think? Will the end of Iverson’s career tarnish his legacy?
Other Iverson Related Stories:
- Create-A-Two: Build The Perfect NBA Shooting Guard
- Allen Iverson: We Were There For The Beginning Of The End
- The NBA’s 10 Toughest Players
Follow Aron on Twitter at @the_real_aron.
Follow Dime on Twitter at @DIMEMag.
Become a fan of Dime Magazine on Facebook HERE.
March 9th, 2010 at 9:48 am
geoluhread says:
i’m still a fan of AI regardless.
March 9th, 2010 at 9:52 am
loc says:
First ballot hall of famer.
Thats my dude.
March 9th, 2010 at 9:55 am
Chitown 23/33 says:
I think this is his legacy. AI never tried to adjust his image to fit into what mainstream ideals were. The NBA’s marketing started to adjust to him and the legion of fans he had more than the other way around. Even when he was at the top of his game as a player I don’t think news of an AI controversy was ever thought to be far fetched. He was a great NBA player with a lot of baggage. That is will always be the legend of AI. I hate that its ending this way, but I’m not surprised.
March 9th, 2010 at 9:57 am
karizmatic says:
I think due to media portrayals of Iverson, and his own reckless actions his image will always be a mixed bag. For those of us that appreciate the game though his legacy will be bittersweet.
On the one hand he was just an exceptional athlete with incredible God given talent and no one is ever going to be able to take away what he did on the court, the many people he touched with his tough as nails play and his unyielding attitude, and the passion that he approached the game with.
On the other hand, there will always be that feeling of what if. What if he had been able to overcome his demons, fully dedicate himself to the game, and maximize what we all saw as his potential? He would have been a much greater player than he is and in some ways that fills me with a certain sense of loss. In any case, it makes me sad to read all this stuff about him and I hope it’s not as bad as they say.
Iverson’s career was kind of like a reckless racecar driver, while he was racing you loved what he was doing and in the back of your head you wondered how long he could keep it up, but you knew one day he would crash. We all pulled for him to somehow avoid that inevitable crash. Now it seems like that crash is finally here, and it’s like the wreck that is disgusting to look at but you still can’t look away from it. I just hope he’s resilient enough to survive it.
March 9th, 2010 at 10:15 am
Celts Fan says:
The end of AI’s career won’t tarnish his legacy any more than having to be the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd option and never winning a chip did. People knew what he was, which is still a top 30-40 player ever. The end’s sad, but one that will be washed over soon enough (hell, look at how Pat, Hakeem, and MJ ended up. No one ever mentions the abomination that was Hakeem’s Raptors days or Pat’s Sonics days.)
March 9th, 2010 at 10:24 am
life-p says:
Always had an affinity for AI…the “underdog”. In so many ways he epitomized that role and if you didn’t love him, by the end of the game you had to respect him.
As someone who loves the Lord, I hope that he truly gets the help he needs and he truly employs Jesus as his source.
March 9th, 2010 at 10:48 am
The Journeyman says:
I hope he comes out ok, but I sincerely doubt he will go into the HOF.
If he does great, but I believe it won’t be handed to him.
just my 2 cents
March 9th, 2010 at 10:57 am
killa cam says:
Report: Iverson Banned From Several Casinos
Allen Iverson is facing alcohol and gambling issues that have derailed his career, according to a number of sources.
Still… he better get in the HOF
March 9th, 2010 at 10:57 am
Ko_Peso says:
I hope he gets everything together. Despite all the negative things that were out there about him, I never thought he was a bad guy. Btw, Stephen A. was super foul for that “story” he did yesterday.
March 9th, 2010 at 11:11 am
Big V says:
Regardless of what you think of him as a person, hes undoubtedly one of the greatest to play the game. He has his flaws both on and off the court, but as an MVP, 2X All Star MVP, Rookie of the Year, and 4X Scoring Champ, he belongs in the HOF, regardless of how the tail end of his career ends up.
March 9th, 2010 at 11:59 am
asmaticasiatic2 says:
Man I was just starting college when the Iverson questions first came out and he was the main dude everyone was trying to ball like and be like. I ran into a few peeps who cut up socks (a horrible look) and wore them as arm sleeves before they were sold,lmao and of course all the tats peeps were getting just to be like AI…Its sad for him to go out like this but atleast he got to do it his way; its crazy to see how much his game has dropped but I think the lack of practice and conditioning along with age just caught up to him….
March 9th, 2010 at 11:59 am
fallinup says:
10, 15 years down the road. They won’t be talking about his ‘practice’ comments… or his ‘thuggish ways’. They’ll be talking about how he changed the game… how he crossed up MJ… and was a wonder to watch when he first came into the league.
Even then… we knew it was only a matter of time that his body would fall to all the punishment he took on the court. He got judged unfairly for staying true to his roots by the media… and was always a target… he was the ‘example’ of the modern NBA bonehead athlete.
I never bought it. He weighed 185 soaking wet… 6 feet tall… and dominated like he was 300lbs. and 8 feet tall. All the rest of this crap is what it is. And his personal life will never tarnish his legacy as one of the greatest players in the game ever.
We all have short memory spans. When time passes, and he’s up for HOF vote.. there’s no doubt he’s first ballot.
Biggups AI. Get better, get on with life.
March 9th, 2010 at 12:14 pm
life-p says:
@fallinup
“…He weighed 185 soaking wet”
Yeah, maybe with all his jewelry, hoodie, Tims, a basketball made out of stone in his hands $2000 in nickles in his pocket!
155-165lbs and 5′10-5′11
…AI is small man…
March 9th, 2010 at 12:21 pm
RC says:
One of the most fearless players to ever played the game. This dude has unlimited talent and heart. I remember being mesmerized by him in his rookie year where he rises up and does crazy put back jams with one hand over 3 guys and that clipped where he crossed MJ really bad. Every kid that saw that clipped wanted to learn the crossover move he perfected. The dude looks so small compared to everybody else on the court and he destroys teams. A.I. will always be respected because of his ability. But him not wanting to play team ball on and off the court is his choice and he has to face the things the come with it. The game of basketball will always be bigger than any player who played it.
The only answer to the player nicknamed “The Answer” is within himself.
March 9th, 2010 at 12:35 pm
control says:
I don’t really get why everyone is all about AI’s “game”…who cares how the guy is personally, and all of his off the court shit. That is all his personal business and don’t mean shit.
His game ON the court is what I really can’t stand about the guy. He is just one of those guys who didn’t make his team better, and might be the most selfish guy to ever play in the NBA.
His career average of 26ppg is good, but he has a career average of 22fgs per game. How many guys could score 26ppg if they jacked up 22 shots a game? For a “point guard” he only averaged 6 assists a game, and yet turned it over 3.5 times a game. He averaged 2 steals per game, yet probably gave up 3 or 4 baskets a game due to his gambling.
Breaking down the numbers, AI really wasn’t that good. Damn near anyone in the NBA can average those numbers, given 41mpg to fuck around, and a free pass to jack and do whatever he wants because he ‘has heart’ and ‘inspires’ people. Honestly, a guy like Nate Robinson could average those numbers.
It’s just sick how AI gets a free pass on all the bullshit he pulls. Kobe gets called selfish for not getting his teammates involved, etc, yet AI made a career out of that. LeBron gets hated on for just bulling his way into the lane constantly to get foul calls, but AI made a career out of having refs bail him out because he’s a “little guy in the trees” while LeBron is built for that shit.
AI been getting free passes his whole career, it’s disgusting. I just hope he doesn’t get a free pass into the hall of fame.
March 9th, 2010 at 12:53 pm
Austin Burton says:
@control — You could argue that “damn near anyone” could have averaged 26 points, 6 assists, and 2 steals over a 13-14 year career, but it’s pure speculation. Iverson actually did it, so you can’t just write off his accomplishments. And being “given 41 mpg to fuck around” over such a long period doesn’t happen by accident. It’s not like A.I. never had good teammates, and it’s not like he never had good coaches. Larry Brown, HOF coach, decided that Philly’s best chance at winning was to feature A.I. Same for John Thompson, same (to an extent) for George Karl.
There have been a ton of small, quick scoring guards to come through the League, but only a couple of them put up numbers comparable to Iverson. His career wasn’t just a stroke of luck and convenient playing time.
And I don’t think he gets a free pass. Iverson has always been called selfish, even more than Kobe. The difference is that Kobe always had a Shaq or a Gasol; Iverson’s best big men were defensive-minded Mutombo and washed-up Webber. You could say “damn near anyone” could have done what he did, but until “damn near anyone” actually does it, Iverson deserves his H.O.F. spot.
March 9th, 2010 at 1:02 pm
kudos says:
ey austin, how many players put up those kind of numbers and accomplished so little?? answer:Allen iverson.
March 9th, 2010 at 1:02 pm
control says:
AB
I get what you are saying, but what I’m saying is the same thing that happened yesterday. Some Reggie something guy put up 28 points, because he got playing time. How many guys are there out there that can break through and really tear shit up if they just had their break?
The thing is, WHY was AI given free reign to “fuck around” for those 41mpg?
My opinion is that it was his off court popularity and the impact that he had as far as bringing the “hip hop” scene to the NBA more than anything else.
As most of the posters have touched on in prior comments on this site, AI had a HUGE impact because he was an “underdog”, because he was a “tiny 5′10 155lb guy playing a big boy’s game” and because people could relate to him and relate to the average “inner city” person.
THAT is the reason he got his time…and my point is that damn near anyone who gets that time would have comparable stats. If he gets into the Hall of Fame, it will be more because of his impact off the court than his stats and playing ON the court.
March 9th, 2010 at 1:26 pm
TIP says:
karizmatic put it best.
March 9th, 2010 at 1:26 pm
Austin Burton says:
@kudos — By accomplishing “so little” do you mean not winning a championship? Because that list is long: Barkley, Malone, ‘Nique, Alex English, Iceman, Reggie, T-Mac…
@control — Any scorer who is good enough to make the NBA can come in and get numbers for one game, maybe even a month or maybe even a season. But 13-14 straight seasons? And it’s not like A.I. played in Nellie/D’Antoni-like systems; he was the guy defenses were entirely focused on. I don’t think Larry Brown cared about A.I.’s popularity, he cared about his talent and how that could help Philly win games. As far as the refs, it’s not like A.I. wasn’t getting fouled. Did he know how to play the game to draw fouls? Sure. So does Wade, TP, Kobe, LeBron, Jordan, CP3, Kevin Martin, etc. That’s part of the game now.
March 9th, 2010 at 1:27 pm
Vinny Del Negro says:
A tremendously gifted athlete who got a lot of help and breaks along the way to make it to the league and never stopped whining.
March 9th, 2010 at 1:43 pm
JAY says:
@fallinup
You’re kidding yourself when you wrote, “They won’t be talking about his ‘practice’ comments… or his ‘thuggish ways’. They’ll be talking about how he changed the game… how he crossed up MJ… and was a wonder to watch when he first came into the league.”
Remember a guy named Dennis Rodman? 5-time NBA champ. Widely consider as the greatest rebounder of all-time… but… his character precedes him. It will be the same for Iverson. Media loves the bad-guy story. It’s what sells TV. People buy into it. He has to do something to help people forget about this current image of AI. Like Kobe did. If he doesn’t and he leaves the public eye with his current image, the majority of the world will remember him as the guy with cornrows who didn’t like to practice.
March 9th, 2010 at 1:50 pm
control says:
AB
AI had whole defenses focused on him. He has very good court vision. He is a very good passer. Why the hell did he not average 15apg?
This is my whole reason for disliking AI’s style on the court, the guy was double and triple teamed every second he was on the court, and he STILL thought he had to do it all himself. His talent is obvious, his skills and speed unquestionable…but he was and is and always will be mentally ill. He COULD have been the greatest point guard in the history of the NBA if he wasn’t so selfish, but there wasn’t even ONE guy in the NBA who AI made better, ever. He only hurt his teams with his mental outlook of the game, he only hurt his teams because he couldn’t look past “ME”.
If he would have used his gifts, and adapted is role even an inch for the team, instead of being so selfish…he’d still be playing the game he loves. He was a good scorer, but he shouldn’t have been the #1, #2 and #3 scoring options on ANY team that he played for. He was always about Him, and I just don’t think that is good enough to make the HoF. He always wanted to play alone, let him be alone…
March 9th, 2010 at 2:23 pm
JAY says:
@control
I respectfully disagree with 100% of what you wrote. You think ANYone could average what AI did?!? Like lead a crappy Sixers team all the way to the Finals? Nobody played with as much heart and determination on the court as AI did. If guys like T-Mac, Glenn Robinson or Vince played with half as much fire as Iverson did, they’d be hall-of-famers. Talent means nothing if there’s nothing to motivate the player, ask Tim Thomas. Iverson had both the talent, and determination.
I don’t understand you can seriously think ANYBODY can do what Iverson accomplished in their careers. Nobody gets a free pass in the NBA. Especially not somebody 6′0″.
March 9th, 2010 at 3:06 pm
control says:
JAY
I think nearly any decent scorer in the NBA who takes 22 shots a game, over 41mpg and had as much of the ball handling time for his team as AI did WOULD average close to, or maybe even better, numbers than AI did.
You pretty much touched on all of the things I mentioned as reasons why people adore him so much. He was under 6′0, he played with heart, etc.
Answer this honestly, how did AI make his team better? How did AI make his teammates better?
This is a guy who people say is a Hall of Fame “point guard”. Take a look at real Hall of Fame point guards and tell me that AI does anything other than score better than any of them? He COULD have, but he just DIDN’T. He just falls into the category of being a volume scorer, and a jacker. There are 100s of those guys that have come and gone through the NBA. He ain’t a winner, and that is what the Hall of Fame is for…
March 9th, 2010 at 4:27 pm
ed says:
“temporary tattoos i wore” wow. just another reason to not read dime mag anymore.
March 9th, 2010 at 4:29 pm
eyes says:
Control if he were all the things you spoke about. He wouldn’t be A.I. You ever wonder where he got the F the world attitude & why. Do you know his story to judge him? You think people across the world wanted to be him just because they could relate. He was mesmerizing. A different being at that time.
He was fresh,cool & himself. Which is a lot more than can be said for Kobe & Lebron. They’re great at being what media & public want them to be. Not everybody is willing to do that. A.I. doesn’t own anybody anything. Off the court most of the times with him was all negative. I cannot even remember a positive story about the lil man. Only people I care to listen to are his peers. The players that complained struggle with & w/o him. Step your damn game up. Lebron & Kobe only wish they had what A.I. had without it being forced upon us. He chose & we followed. The league chose the latter of the two & some of us are still don’t get it. A.I. was the hype.
Even lil man put up a more respectable fight against the monster Lakers with George Lynch,Eric Snow,A.Mckie,Geiger & Mutombo. Bron Bron gets swept in series in today’s game. I understand not liking the guy for your reasons. You’d almost think you have a say or not if he gets voted in.
Also notice Larry Brown doesn’t get along with rookies & PG’s. So it just wasn’t A.I. being a malcontent. Sometimes these coaches & execs get the pass. I still don’t get why they banned his move. The only way to slow him down. The league wanted to move away from his league. I’m waiting for the C.B.A. to want bleaching. No hip hop music,They’re going to choose your wife,No Escalades. Nothing that our FANS cannot relate. He had people that would never braid they’re hair. Getting cornrolls. Do you really understand that. Everyone wore 3 even if they didn’t play basketball. He embodies Philly which is rare for Players. How many player embody their respective city their playing for. Philly claimed him as their own.
He was like a Baby Jordan with all the rings & Scottie Pippen. I’d take him still now ahead of a lot of guards in the league today. A lot of how his career played out wasn’t all him. They wanted him gone. The word spread to make it difficult for him. Use them up. Spit them out. Even if he doesn’t make the H.O.F. Who do they think they’re hurting. In Today’s game they’ve rid teams of talent for Corporate Sponsors & Globalizing.
If it continues the game will never be a sport again & have the effect it once did. It used to be about the game.
March 9th, 2010 at 4:39 pm
Big V says:
@Control:
If you think that AI’s popularity among inner city people and the fact that he was short contributed to his coaches giving him additional playing time that he normally wouldn’t have deserved, I don’t know what to tell you except that that’s a preposterous theory.
Also, why does he need to average 15 apg? Is that the standard for a great PG? If so, who makes that cut?
March 9th, 2010 at 5:09 pm
control says:
The biggest impact AI had, and IMO the WORST impact anyone has ever had on the game of basketball ever, is his impact on pickup games everywhere. Who hasn’t played a game of pickup basketball with some short little idiot wearing an arm band, elbow sleeve, AI jersey and/or a pair of AI shoes, who is double and triple teamed and will ALWAYS jack it up? The guy who doesn’t know how to pass, always tries those lame ass crossovers and loses the ball. The guys who are 5′10 or shorter, usually a little chubby, not slow at all but think they can do ANYTHING because they seen AI do it.
If you haven’t seen those guys playing pickup, then you either don’t play pickup, or you ARE that guy and you should just go kill yourfuckingself.
AI ruined pickup basketball games with average, short players, THAT is his legacy.
eyes
Don’t care about his story, his life, or whatever else he does off the court. In this case, I am looking at him ON the court, for 48 minutes a game and that is it. He’s a greedy and selfish person on the court, and a horrible teammate who, if he had adapted his role and playing style slightly to suit his team, would have had a hell of a lot more success. I really don’t see how anything that might have happened to him in his past, or anything that could have happened to him off the court could have forced him to compensate by being a jacker.
The guy is selfish and didn’t adapt, and now he’s extinct. You got guys like Jerry Stackhouse and Michael Finley who have adapted their roles, and they still in the league playing the game they love…AI just couldn’t get over himself, he’d sacrifice his body all day, but he couldn’t sacrifice his ego even one inch. If he had all that heart and desire to win, then why couldn’t he do the right thing and change himself SLIGHTLY for the better of the team? He couldn’t because he’s a selfish and greedy motherfucker.
Big V
His popularity, impact off the court and the fact he is a ‘little guy’ is 90% of the reasons people give on why he is great and deserved to be in the Hall of Fame. Not a far stretch to think it had something to do with his playing time, etc.
I didn’t say he needed to average 15apg, nor did I say that was the standard for a great PG. All I said is that he COULD have averaged 15apg, he DID have that potential. You see him on the 2004 Olympic team? The guy was a fucking amazing point guard, his passing and vision were remarkable…but in the NBA all he had eyes for was the rim.
March 9th, 2010 at 5:32 pm
sh!tfaced says:
He was an underdog. He was a rebel. He had heart. He was one of the coolest motherfuckers ever to play in the L.
March 9th, 2010 at 5:33 pm
arnie wexler says:
View Participant’s Press Room Page
When Will the N.B.A. Confront the Gambling Problems of Its Own Athletes? Boynton Beach, FL Monday, March 08, 2010
Multiple NBA sources say Allen Iverson is facing alcohol and gambling issues that have derailed his career and threaten his post-basketball well-being,
Ten years ago, as a compulsive-gamblers counselor, I was asked to fly to N.Y.C to the National Basketball Association office in Manhattan and met with league officials, players and union officials, concerned about players’ gambling. I was told, “We have a problem, and we’re trying to find out how bad the problem is” Officials asked me to keep my calendar open for the spring of the following year and said to me that they wanted me to address every team and player in the league.
They then flew my wife in and we had a second meeting they asked us develop questions that were going to be given to the players
to answer “We need to know how big the gambling problem is in the N.B.A,”
When I hadn’t heard from the N.B.A, I called and asked, “When do we start?” The talked were cancelled, and the response I got was this: “They said that the higher-ups didn’t want the media to find out”
It is a problem they hope you don’t think about. The time to fix it is now, say an obsessive-gambling expert.
Athletes may be more vulnerable than the general population when you look at the soft signs of compulsive gambling: high Levels of energy; unreasonable expectations of winning; very competitive personalities; distorted optimism; and bright with high IQs
It is time for college and professional sports to outline and executive a real program to help players who might have a gambling problem or gambling addiction problem. Yet college and professional sports still do not want to deal with this. They do not want the media and public to think there is a problem.
And over the years, I have spoken to many college and professional athletes who had a gambling problem. One NCAA study a few years ago reported: “There is a disturbing trend of gambling among athletes in college” You can’t think that these people will get into the pros and then just stop gambling.
Compulsive gambling is an addiction just like alcoholism and chemical dependency, and all three diseases are recognized by the American Psychiatric Association’s diagnostic and statistical manual. Nevertheless, we treat compulsive gambling differently than the other two addictions. Society and professional sports treat people with chemical dependency and alcoholism as sick persons, send them to treatment and get them back to work. Sports looks at compulsive gamblers as bad people and gets barred them from playing in professional sports.
If colleges and professional leagues wanted to help the players, they would run real programs that seriously address the issue of gambling and compulsive gambling. Education and early detection can make a difference between life and death for some people who have or will end up with a gambling addiction.
One sports insider said to me: “Teams need to have a real program for players, coaches and referees, and they need to let somebody else run it. When you do it in-house, it’s like the fox running the chicken coop. You must be kidding yourself if you think any player, coach or referee is going to call the league and say, ‘I’ve got a gambling problem, and I need help.’ ”
When you look at the headlines about professional athletes, coaches and referees on the perils of gambling, odds are very good that might be looking at the tip of the iceberg. Here are several from the recent past:
= Pete Rose [on the Donahue show, November 1989]: “I didn’t seek help for my gambling problem until the middle of September, and I know it’s something I can’t lick by myself. I need help”
= Charles Barkley troubled by gambling addiction problem.
= Dolphins’ Will Allen investigated for pulling out gun in dispute over gambling debts.
= Antoine Walker has a scheduled court in Las Vegas in a case involving an $822,500 gambling debt.
= An arrest warrant for Shawn Chacon as a result of his alleged failure to pay Caesars Palace $150,000 in gambling markers.
= John Daly says gambling problem will “ruin me” and says he has lost between $50 million and $60 million during 12 years of heavy gambling .
= Russia’s Nikolay Davydenko was at the center of the match-fixing controversy in tennis.
= Michael Jordan was spotted at the baccarat pit of an Atlantic City casino in the wee hours of the morning before game two of the Eastern Conference Finals.
= Art Schlichter spent a decade in prison: “Ten years, seven months and two weeks, inside 44 various jails or prisons” because of gambling addiction.
= NBA referee Tim Donaghy is now in recovery for his gambling addiction. (From Tim Donaghy’s book if ever released: “I kept waiting for a Knicks game when Stafford, Bavetta and Kersey were working together. It was like knowing the winning lottery numbers before the drawing!”)
= March 1991: Lenny Dykstra, a notorious high-stakes bettor, was linked to a gambling probe in Mississippi.
= Paul Lo Duca says he bets with off-shore bookies, which, he claims, is legal. Running up big gambling debts — or even being perceived as a heavy gambler — leads to serious trouble. (What’s interesting about is that neither Major League Baseball nor the Mets seem bothered about the reports. Oh, the commissioner’s office mumbled something about gambling being bad.)
There are people in various sport’s halls of fame who are convicted drug addicts and alcoholics, yet compulsive gamblers are unable to get into these halls of fame. In fact, as far as professional sports goes, an alcoholic and chemical dependent person can get multiple chances, whereas a gambler cannot.
I am a recovering compulsive gambler who placed my last bet on April, 10, 1968, and I have been fighting the injustice of how sports, society and the judicial system deal with compulsive gamblers for the last 40 years. I run a national help line: 1-888-LAST BET.
Arnie Wexler ( aswexler@aol.com)
Arnie & Sheila Wexler Associates
Boynton Beach FL
Office #: 561-200-0165
Cell#: 954-501-5270
Arnie Wexler
Arnie & Sheila Wexler Associates
Boynton Beach, FL
561-200-0165
Contact Arnie Wexler
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March 9th, 2010 at 7:02 pm
Mark says:
People denounce AI for what he was off the court so the supporters rationalize by reminding what he did on the court.
Fact is, AI WAS the NBA for a long time. His off court demeanor transcended to the on-court culture of the league and almost single-handedly changed the culture. He changed the game for better or worse.
March 9th, 2010 at 8:56 pm
fallinup says:
@fallinup
““…He weighed 185 soaking wet”
Yeah, maybe with all his jewelry, hoodie, Tims, a basketball made out of stone in his hands $2000 in nickles in his pocket!
155-165lbs and 5′10-5′11
…AI is small man…”
Which is ever more the reason to marvel at how he dominated in his prime. As was said earlier.. he was the NBA for a stint.
March 9th, 2010 at 10:36 pm
Promoman says:
Amen Control. Especially post #29.
March 9th, 2010 at 11:36 pm
QQ says:
Here’s how I see Iverson’s legacy. He’s always been a great player, but the ’selfish’ label will always follow him around, and that’s largely his own doing. No one should ever take away the 2001 Sixers season from him, but people should also not forget alot of shit that he did these past years.
Bottom line: Fucking great player, but a whole lot of baggage.
March 10th, 2010 at 9:53 am
Chicagorilla says:
@Austin and Jay and the rest of the AI supporters.
Control hit it right on the head and he even laid out plenty of points to prove his point and proves yours wrong, yet your blind faith in AI will not waver. Amazing.
You guys say there aren’t guys who can just score but you forget about Corey Maghette, Ricky Davis, John Salmons, Bob McAdoo, Nate Robinson, Tiny Archibald and Michael Adams to name a few. Guys who could just score. Tiny and Michael were not as selfish as Tiny led the L in assist and Adams was 20-10 for a couple season, but those little (6′1 and 5′9) got buckets. Throw in the fact that David Stern made sure AI got fouls calls which led to softer defense or more Ft’s (or both!) and you get 26ppg easy.
AI is one of the biggest jagoffs to ever step foot in the NBA. So what if he ran hard off screens or drove the lane against bigger players and took a lot hits and played with injuries. He also got $h!tted on while playing defense by even the worst of PG/SG’s, only hustle for his shots and if the play wasn’t for him he stood around on offense, refused to allow his team to get involved in the game and only worried about scoring points which is the actual reason he doesn’t have a chip.
Watching him take a game I’ve given my knees to, Reggie Lewis gave his life to, M.Jordan gave up his family to, Bill Russell took racial abuse for, Larry Bird gave his Back to, Grant and Isiah gave their ankles to, and for the thousands of other YMCA/open gym players who play like its game 7 of the NBA finals every Sunday, the little kid who has .00001% chance of playing NBA ball but dedicates himself to trying to make it anyway, to AI and supporters of his game I am happy he is out of the game.
1) Bush-out of office
2) Lil Wayne – going to jail
3) Gucci – going to jail
4) Starbury – out of the game
5) AI – out of the game
Next up
6) Roach infestation in hip/hop terminated
March 10th, 2010 at 6:25 pm
Colton says:
As long as some crazy stories dont come out. Allen Iverson is still a great player and a trooper on the court. Anything behind the scenes isnt too big of a deal as far as tarnishing his nba career. i wish the best for him and hope life starts back to workin out.