Tag: Allen Iverson

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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Celtics legend Kevin Garnett, And1 icon The Professor pick their all-time starting five

They also discuss the athleticism and skills of players from different eras.

When it comes to Hall of Fame Boston Celtics big man Kevin Garnett and And1 street ball legend The Professor, you would be hard-pressed to find two greater scholars of the game of basketball.

In a recent episode of the Showtime Basketball “KG Certified” podcast, the duo discussed their all-time NBA starting five teams and reflect on the evolution of the game. KG selected a team consisting of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Shaquille O’Neal, while The Professor went more old school with Allen Iverson, Kobe, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for his squad.

They also discuss the athleticism and skills of players from different eras, recognizing the physicality and underestimated abilities of past generations.

To hear the logic behind each of their selections and their talk about how the league has changed over the decades, check out the clip embedded above.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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1996 NBA re-draft: The way it should have been

The 1996 draft class is one of the best in NBA history: Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Allen Iverson… Its draftees combined for four MVP awards, 42 All-NBA selections and a whopping 68 All-Star appearances.

The 1996 draft class is often mentioned as one of the best in NBA history – and rightfully so. Its draftees combined for four MVP awards (two for Steve Nash, one apiece for Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson), 42 All-NBA selections and a whopping 68 All-Star appearances.

Looking back at Allen Iverson’s dominant 2001 playoff run for Sixers

Here is a complete look back at Allen Iverson’s dominant 2001 playoff run to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to the finals.

The 2000-01 Philadelphia 76ers were a scrappy bunch led by one dominant little man, Allen Iverson. The 6-foot guard from Georgetown was one of the best players in the league, and the Sixers built a title contender around him.

After a summer of discontent between he and coach Larry Brown in which trade rumors swirled, Iverson dominated for Philadelphia. He led the league in scoring at 31.1 points per game, and he led the league in steals at 2.5 per game while averaging 4.6 assists and 3.8 rebounds. That allowed him to win the MVP award and gave way to a dominant playoff run.

Considering coach Brown’s comments that Iverson could have been the GOAT, here is a look back at how dominant “The Answer” was in the 2001 playoffs:

Larry Brown believes Sixers’ Allen Iverson could have been the GOAT

Larry Brown believes Philadelphia 76ers legend Allen Iverson could have been the GOAT of the NBA.

Philadelphia 76ers legend Allen Iverson is one of the best players the game has ever seen. Even at his small size, he was a giant in the game. The Hall of Fame guard averaged 27.6 points and 6.1 assists during his time in a Sixers uniform and he took home an MVP award in 2001.

Iverson and coach Larry Brown bumped heads a lot. The two of them loved the game of basketball, but they did not see eye-to-eye on many topics about the game. Their unlikely marriage worked to the point of Philadelphia reaching the finals in 2001 with Iverson on a rampage.

NBA TV created a documentary on the ’01 Sixers called “Everything but the Chip,” and Brown and Iverson discussed their relationship. Brown even mentioned Iverson could have been the GOAT of the NBA if he did a better job of helping Iverson:

Allen Iverson: I was the cause of 99.9% of it. Now his, what was it .1? Might have been major, but my (expletive) just overrode all of that.

Larry Brown: If I would have done a better job of making Allen understand, then we might be talking about the greatest player who ever played the game.

Iverson still carved out one helluva career in the NBA. He was a feared player every time he stepped on the floor. Despite he and Brown not having the smoothest relationship, they made it work enough for the Sixers to succeed.

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NBA TV to release a documentary on Allen Iverson, 2001 Sixers

NBA TV will release a documentary on Allen Iverson and the 2001 Philadelphia 76ers who reached the NBA Finals.

The 2000-01 Philadelphia 76ers will always have a special place in the hearts of fans in the City of Brotherly Love who are old enough to remember their run.

Franchise icon Allen Iverson had a helluva run. He averaged 31.1 points, which led the league; 2.5 steals, which also led the league; 4.6 assists; and 3.8 rebounds on his way to winning the MVP award. Iverson led the Sixers to a 56-26 record and the No. 1 seed in the East.

The Sixers then battled their way to the finals. They defeated the Toronto Raptors in Game 7 in the conference semifinals, and they defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in another Game 7 in the Eastern Conference finals. They were then dispatched by the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals.

Per Warner Bros., NBA TV will release a documentary on that run:

NBA TV will premiere a new special “Everything But the Chip: the 2001 76ers,” which revisits one of the most iconic teams in Philadelphia sports history – the 2001 Philadelphia 76ers – on Wednesday, May 31, at 8 p.m. ET. Led by 2001 NBA MVP Allen Iverson and 2001 NBA Coach of the Year Larry Brown, the 76ers won their first 10 games and never looked back in the Eastern Conference, eventually reaching the NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers.

The documentary will include interviews with the likes of Iverson, coach Larry Brown, Shaquille O’Neal and Stephen A. Smith.

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