The Question

Why all the hate for Allen Iverson?

It's a simple question really, but one that even The Answer probably has no simple answer for. Is it really just because of the way he looks, or how he has come across as a person, or his game on the court? Where others see problems, I see a player. A great player. A player who has gone vastly underappreciated considering all he has accomplished in his career. Love him or hate him, Allen Iverson has been arguably the most influential basketball player in the last 15 years, both on and off the court. You look at the NBA now, and you see basketball culture fused with hip-hop culture. Why? The answer is The Answer. Literally. Allen Iverson ushered in the hip-hop era of basketball. From his flashy game, to his his style, to the way he carries himself (And even his failed attempt at rapping, but let's not speak of that again), Iverson was the first to merge the two now inseparable movements. Magic and Jordan never brought to mind hip-hop. Bird was the opposite of it. It all started with Iverson, and now there's hardly a player in the league whose iPod isn't dominated by the likes of Jay-Z and Kanye West. For better or worse, this made Iverson more than a ball player. It made him an icon. His style was profoundly emulated, from the full-body tats, to the baggy shorts, to the jersey 3 sizes too large, to the corn rows, to the nasty crossovers, to the arm sleeves now unnecessarily worn by too many players, A.I. was the pioneer for it all. He changed the game in a way that perhaps no player before him ever did, and something has to be said for that.

On the court Iverson has achieved a lot as well. All Star appearances, MVPs, scoring titles, a trip to the Finals, his resume only lacks a ring. People have always been on him about being a ballhog and a selfish gunner, but is he so much different than other superstars? Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Dwyane Wade always have the ball in their hands, and they too love jacking up shot after shot. Why does the "selfish" label not follow them? They dribble around for 20 seconds before passing out of triple-teams to get their assists. Why does that make them team players when Iverson does the same thing?

You have to give the guy some credit now. He has played every game like it was last. You can never question his will or desire the way you can with some other superstars. The injuries he played through were numerous. No one hit the ground more times than he did, and no one got up more times than he did. Despite being the smallest guy on the court virtually every time he played, he was always the most feared. He is quite possibly the greatest scorer in the history of the game. Listed at just 6 feet tall (Yeah right, maybe standing on a phone book), the guy won FOUR scoring titles, averaged over 30 points per game 4 times in a 5 year span, and boasts the SIXTH best career scoring average of ALL TIME. No other player in the top FIFTY of that illustrious list is under 6-foot-3, or within a good 4-5 inches of Iverson. Think about the insane disparity there. How great of a scorer does he have to be to overcome a physical limitation like that which has so clearly affected that aspect of the game historically. Imagine for a second if he was just 6 inches taller. Would he average 30 a game for his career? 32? 34? The possibilities are staggering.

There's a knock on him that he never led his team to a championship. You don't need me to tell you that other great players have gone ring-less as well (Barkley, Malone, Stockton, Ewing, Reggie, Dominique, Kidd, Nash). And he came pretty darn close, getting to the 2001 NBA Finals, and handing the Lakers their ONLY loss of that postseason in spectacular fashion on the road in Los Angeles (48 points and the Tyronn Lue shot). People say that a team can't win when they are based so solely around a single player. I submit to you the current Cleveland Cavaliers. Now THAT is a team based solely around one guy (LeBron). As has been made clear throughout his career, he's the only one on that team. He single-handedly led them to the Finals in 2007. He was the only reason they were not swept in last year's Eastern Conference Finals. Watch the Cavs play when LeBron is on the bench. They're terrible. I don't know if this Cleveland team sans LeBron would make the playoffs even in the East. And yet, James is surrounded by more talent than Iverson ever had. Why does no one talk about his failings as a leader or a team player? Why does no one say LeBron's style isn't conducive to winning titles? Because he averages 7 assists a game? The ball is always in his hands. He's the only one on that team who can even GET assists, just like Iverson in his heyday. I don't see much of a difference in their careers to date (Statistical monsters who fall short in the postseason), yet James gets all praise and Iverson gets all ridicule.

A lot of that ridicule goes towards Allen Iverson the person. I agree that he's made his fair share of mistakes, but why keep harping on them? How many players go through their careers without problems off the court? It's pretty rare. And as Iverson has gotten older, those problems haven't cropped up, yet it is still impossible for him to escape their shadow. His personality and lifestyle make him who he is, even on the court. He has been called out for being defiant and being a rebel, but that force of personality is a common thread among most NBA greats, whether it's Kobe's frigid arrogance, LeBron's pompous dance moves, Shaq's lyrical barbs, or KG's incessant chirping. Even Michael Jordan's Hall of Fame speech dripped with contempt for his peers. Yet more criticism is heaped on A.I. than any of them. What about the positives of his personality? He wears his heart on his sleeve. He is never afraid to speak his mind. Hardly any athlete of this generation has given us as much access to their own mind and heart, something all of us crave in this day and age of Twitter and Facebook. He's always been a terrific interview and has given us the greatest press conference of all time (As well as this great spin-off video). His love and passion for the game has always been apparent, and he has shown contrition for his previous errors. Instead of looking down on him in contempt, people should appreciate how media and fan-friendly he has been throughout his career, and how easy he has made it to follow him, even before the age of Twitter. It's part of the reason why Iverson has been so influential and had such a huge impact on so many people and players throughout the nation.

I predicted before the season started that Allen Iverson would get his revenge this year. A man with so much pride and and defiance badly wanted to show that he could still play at a high level in the NBA. So far, it hasn't happened. But it's not his fault. Memphis clearly did not use him properly and it was best for both sides that he left. Now hopefully the Sixers will give him the opportunity he craves. The team and the city needs it. With Elton Brand's career falling off a cliff and the injury to Lou Williams, Philadelphia finds itself lacking playmakers and guys who can get their own shot. While Andre Iguodala is a great player, he's not a guy you want to go to as your number one option on offense. He's too inefficient and has a very inconsistent jump shot. Iggy is much better suited to slashing when he has the chance, cutting to the basket, running his lane, and catching and finishing around the rim (Think Shawn Marion on the Suns a few years ago). The emerging Thaddeus Young has similar strengths and weaknesses. Add Iverson to the mix, and not only can he get his own shot more effectively than they can, he can also create for them and get them easier looks at the basket. While he may still be a "selfish" gunner, he can keep the team in games by himself. And with good defenders behind him, he can go after steals like he has always excelled at. If used properly, there's no way he can't help the Sixers. I don't understand how people got the idea that his game has totally diminished and that he's lost a few steps. We haven't even seen the guy play in 2 years. He hasn't this year, and don't tell me last year's disaster season in Detroit counts. That wasn't him and everyone knows it. The last time we saw the real Iverson play, he was putting up over 26 points, 7 assists, and 2 steals in nearly 42 minutes per game for the Nuggets. I've seen nothing in his game or abilities to show me that he can't come close to those numbers now (After he gets back in game shape of course). He's had significant time off the last year and a half so you know he's fresh, and you certainly know that he's motivated.

Allen Iverson has been one of my favorite players in the league throughout his career and I have loved following him for who he is, a great player and a fascinating person in his own right. Instead of dwelling so much on his shortcomings and criticizing his personality and decisions (Because he is who he is and that's clearly not going to change), let's celebrate his achievements and pull for him to go out with a bang in true Iverson fashion. I wish him nothing but great success in his last hurrah, and I wish that more people did the same.