Tag: Allen Iverson

Sixers to honor iconic Allen Iverson with a statue on ‘Legends Walk’

The Philadelphia 76ers will honor the iconic Allen Iverson with a sculpture on their “Legends Walk”.

When one thinks of Allen Iverson, the thought immediately goes to the Philadelphia 76ers. The 6-foot guard from Georgetown played 11.5 seasons with the Sixers in his 16-year career and averaged 27.6 points and 6.1 assists as a member of the organization.

He won an MVP award in 2001, guided the franchise to the finals that season, was inducted into the Hall of Fame, and his No. 3 hangs from the rafters at the Wells Fargo Center.

On Friday, the Sixers announced that they would add another honor to Iverson’s resume as they will build a statue for him on the franchise’s “Legends Walk” outside of their training complex in Camden, New Jersey. They will build the sculpture and unveil it on April 12.

Iverson ranks in the top five in franchise history in 3-pointers made, points, steals, and assists. His 19,931 points rank second in franchise history behind only Hal Greer.

His sculpture will join other Sixers greats such as Charles Barkley, Wilt Chamberlain, Mo Cheeks, Billy Cunningham, Julius Erving, Greer, Bobby Jones, Moses Malone, and Dolph Schayes.

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Q&A: Tyrese Maxey on his first All-Star Weekend, Kevin Durant’s praise and more

“I’m able to channel it because it’s real joy,” Tyrese Maxey told For The Win.

Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey is enjoying his best professional season yet and just made his first appearance in the NBA All-Star Game.

The 23-year-old former Kentucky standout is having a breakout season and has emerged as a second star alongside Joel Embiid for Philadelphia. He was chosen to represent the Eastern Conference after averaging a career-high 25.7 points and 6.4 assists per game.

While he was in Indiana for the festivities, Maxey received deserved praise from many around the league, including Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant, who said the guard could eventually become one of the faces of the NBA.

For The Win chatted with Maxey on Saturday to discuss his time at All-Star Weekend, his goals for the remainder of the season and more.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

Allen Iverson: Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant are the two greatest NBA players ever

Allen Iverson said that late Lakers legend Kobe Bryant is the second greatest NBA player ever, behind only Michael Jordan.

For many years, Michael Jordan was considered the greatest NBA player by many people, and it really wasn’t much of a debate. But during the past several years, LeBron James has encroached on that accolade. A growing number of people now believe James is the greatest basketball player of all time.

One all-time great who has been forgotten or even disrespected in this debate is late Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant. While his legend has seemingly grown in recent years, many do not seem to rank him as one of the five greatest players ever.

But Allen Iverson, a fellow Hall of Famer and one of his contemporaries, said he’s the second greatest NBA player behind only Jordan. Iverson said this to Rachel Nichols while recalling a time during their rookie seasons when Bryant trashed his hotel room after playing poorly against him.

Bryant helped lead the Lakers to five world championships during his 20 seasons in the league, all of which were with the Purple and Gold. He’s still fourth in career points and first in that category among full-time guards.

Sixers icon Allen Iverson ranked 2nd-best player at 6 feet or under

Philadelphia 76ers icon Allen Iverson comes in ranked as the 2nd-best player at 6 feet tall or under.

Philadelphia 76ers legend Allen Iverson is not just an icon in the history of the franchise, but also in the NBA as a whole. The 6-foot guard out of  Georgetown is a Hall of Famer, and he played his heart out on a nightly basis doing everything he could to help the Sixers come out on top.

Overall, Iverson averaged 26.7 points, 6.2 assists, and 3.7 rebounds while winning MVP in 2001. He was an 11-time All-Star and was named to the All-NBA team seven times.

HoopsHype compiled a list of the top players at 6 feet or under, and Iverson comes in ranked second on the list:

A cultural icon for his exploits on and off the court, Allen Iverson has to be considered one of the best athletes in NBA history not just for his elite quickness and speed but also his overall strength, as he thrived in an era full of enforcers and hard fouls despite being one of the smaller players out there most nights. Iverson was a menace getting to the basket and no matter how hard he got knocked down or how often it happened in any given game, he was still always ready for his next rim attack.

Iverson’s impact was felt in big waves for the Sixers and the NBA. He presented Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade for his Hall of Fame induction and is adored by basketball fans all over the globe.

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Allen Iverson reacts to Andre Iguodala’s retirement from basketball

Philadelphia 76ers icon Allen Iverson reacts to Andre Iguodala retiring from basketball.

Former Philadelphia 76ers star Andre Iguodala announced his retirement on Friday after 19 seasons in the league. He spent his first eight seasons in Philadelphia, which drafted him with the ninth pick in the 2004 NBA draft. He was an All-Star with the Sixers in 2012.

Iguodala was traded to the Denver Nuggets in the Andrew Bynum mega-deal before he joined the Golden State Warriors. He won four championships in Golden State and he was named the 2015 finals MVP.

During some of his days with the Sixers, Iguodala played with franchise icon Allen Iverson. The two played together for parts of three seasons and they built a bit of a relationship on the floor.

Iverson took to Instagram to give his love to Iguodala on his retirement. He even mentioned a Hall of Fame possibility.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CyoGDW7g7PZ/?img_index=1

Iverson and Iguodala guided the Sixers to the playoffs in 2005 before they were upended by the Detroit Pistons in the first round. Who knows what they could have accomplished if Iverson was not traded to the Nuggets early in Iguodala’s second season?

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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has Sixers’ Allen Iverson in all-time starting 5

Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has Philadelphia 76ers star Allen Iverson in his all-time starting lineup.

Philadelphia 76ers legend Allen Iverson has etched his name into basketball lore. The 6-foot guard from Georgetown had an incredible career of his own. He has career averages of 26.7 points, 6.2 assists and 3.7 rebounds while winning MVP in 2001. He guided the Sixers to the finals that season before they fell to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Iverson was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2016 and he has inspired an entire generation of basketball players due to his fearless style of play and electric scoring ability.

Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was asked to make his all-time starting 5. He included himself with Iverson, Michael Jordan, Kevin Durant, and Shaquille O’Neal.

Gilgeous-Alexander, obviously, missed a lot of great players, but his starting 5 is still very strong. Including Iverson in his lineup just goes to show the impact he has had not only on the Sixers, but on the NBA as a whole.

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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander lists his all-time starting lineup

What are your thoughts on SGA’s all-time starting lineup?

Debating legacies and being asked to name the greatest players ever is inherently a subjective topic that’ll guarantee long and emotional conversations in the aftermath.

No matter who is listed, there will always be pushback as the opinionated topics don’t have any definitive answers.

In a video with NBA 2K, Oklahoma City Thunder franchise guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tackled this issue when he was asked to name his all-time starting lineup.

The 25-year-old listed off his starting five in the short clip:

  • Allen Iverson
  • Kobe Bryant
  • Michael Jordan
  • Kevin Durant
  • Shaquille O’Neal

This is a pretty unique take by Gilgeous-Alexander. The most notable absence is LeBron James, who is on the Los Angeles Lakers. The only active player in Gilgeous-Alexander’s five is Durant, who spent the first nine seasons of his career with the Thunder.

The least surprising inclusion in Gilgeous-Alexander’s all-time starting five is Bryant, who he famously said is like MJ but “on steroids.” Considering his age, Gilgeous-Alexander likely grew up watching Bryant’s prime with the Lakers.

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Sixers icon Allen Iverson ranked 30th-best player in history of the NBA

Philadelphia 76ers icon Allen Iverson comes in ranked as the 30th-best player in the history of the game.

Philadelphia 76ers icon Allen Iverson had one helluva career. On his way to the Hall of Fame, he had career averages of 26.7 points, 6.2 assists and 3.7 rebounds while winning MVP in 2001. He guided the Sixers to the finals that season before they fell to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Iverson dazzled on the floor as his scoring ability was second to none. He played with the heart of a lion, and he did whatever he could on a nightly basis to lead the Sixers to wins. He battled through injuries and other nagging ailments to be on the floor with his team.

As HoopsHype lists the top 77 players in the history of the game, Iverson comes in 30th:

A cultural icon as well as one of the best lead guards of his era, Allen Iverson has to be one of the most ridiculously explosive athletes the sport has ever seen, especially out of a player generously listed at 6-feet tall. Iverson’s crossover was devastating (just ask Jordan), and his bombastic styler as a scorer made for thrilling viewing throughout his prime. Iverson was one of the most influential players ever both on and off the court and in his prime, was one of the most exciting players to watch. He could really score with the best of them in such an unorthodox package.

Iverson will go down as one of the best players in the history of the game and a Sixers legend.

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Sixers’ Allen Iverson tells story of him trying to foul Shaquille O’Neal

Philadelphia 76ers icon Allen Iverson tells a story of how he tried to stop Los Angeles Lakers star Shaquille O’Neal.

NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal is considered by some to be the most dominant big man in the game. For good reason, too, as there was not much teams could do when O’Neal caught the ball in the post. He either was dunking or he was getting fouled. No in-between.

Philadelphia 76ers legend Allen Iverson knew this and tried to do something about it. Iverson sat down and told a story about trying to foul O’Neal when he caught the ball in the post.

Now, one must picture this. Iverson was 6-feet tall and 170 pounds. O’Neal was 7-foot-1 and roughly 325 pounds. Iverson told a story of how he tried to jump on O’Neal’s back to foul him, but O’Neal carried him up with him on the slam. Kobe Bryant laughed at Iverson and asked him what he thought he was doing.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CxWA5cNgnso/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D

Iverson, of course, had his own great moments against O’Neal. He led the Sixers to the finals in 2001 and handed the Los Angeles Lakers their only loss of that playoff run in Game 1 of that series. Of course, O’Neal and the Lakers got the last laugh.

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Magic coach Jamahl Mosley has praise for Sixers legend Allen Iverson

Orlando Magic coach Jamahl Mosely has high praise for Philadelphia 76ers legend Allen Iverson.

Philadelphia 76ers legend Allen Iverson left an undeniable impact on the game of basketball. The Hall of Famer has done a lot in his career to become one of the best players the game has ever seen from incredible scoring numbers to Herculean efforts to doing things his way.

Before Jamahl Mosley became head coach of the Orlando Magic, he had to work his way up the ladder to get to where he is now. Mosley worked with George Karl and the Denver Nuggets early in his coaching career and was able to see Iverson and Carmelo Anthony up close. Between stints with the Sixers, Iverson was putting up great scoring numbers with Anthony in Denver.

Mosley had high praise for Iverson when he hopped on the “HoopsHype podcast”:

Being able to see Chuck (one of Iverson’s nicknames) and Melo at the Hall of Fame for Dirk Nowitzki’s induction was great to visit with them, the smiles on their faces and journeys they’ve been through. The time they were in Denver was such a joy and competitiveness. There was always a level of competition, whether it was a shooting game or one-on-one. They were highly competitive. Every night you walked on the floor with them, you knew you had a chance to win. People also didn’t see the work ethic. People see the lights and the fun, but there was work behind it.

There were summers spent with Melo going to Baltimore and time with Iverson in the gym after practice. They worked at their craft, and it showed being Top 75 players to ever play the game. They didn’t get there by chance. They loved the game and had a high competitiveness level every day.

Iverson has career averages of 26.7 points, 6.2 assists, and 3.7 rebounds while winning MVP in 2001. He guided the Sixers to the finals that season before they fell to the Los Angeles Lakers. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016.

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