Allen Iverson is by far the best player under 6’0 to play in the NBA. His crossover against Michael Jordan his rookie season will never be forgotten. The way he willed his 76ers to the Finals against LA and his unforgettable ability to score at will. This must have been forgotten by many in the NBA. It saddens me to say that is why he is headed to Turkey to play for Besiktas.
Some say owners and coaches alike didn’t want him because he was a cancer a Some say he want accept his role coming off the bench. Some say he had lost his quick first step. Well they can say alot about him, but I’m going to blog about what he is and what he’s not. He’s not an overseas player. He’s not done. He is still more talented then some of the over paid guys in the league now. He will easily score more points then the average overpaid player in the NBA who practices everyday. Ya’ll wanna talk about practice.
Allen always played every game like it was his last. He had his off-court issues and maybe he missed a few practices but that’s no reason to count him out. That’s just how it goes in professional sports when your up your up but when your down. If your not careful, don’t say all the right things, aren’t politically correct. Then your not just down your out.
Allen Iverson’s career started to derail in his time with Detroit and their new coach’s inexperience in dealing with a superstar. For the first time in my life I saw Allen lose confidence in himself in Detroit. He was one, if not the most confident athletes in the history of the NBA until he got to Detroit.
His stint with the young Memphis Grizzles also help his career’s downward spiral. Iverson a seasoned and opinionated vet playing for a coach still trying to earn respect from his young players wasn’t a good match. On top of that they wanted to start an unproven rookie in his place just so he could gain confidence.
Are you serious? That’s like telling Brett Favre yeah come back to the Vikings and help our rookie quarterback out by coming off the bench. Once Iverson denounced ever accepting coming off the bench there was no turning back.
Even though he had a short stint back with Philly rumors spread around the league. The media had it out for him and he became a veteran star who had lost his status. He was no longer a starter, he had lost a step and his chance to retire from the NBA the way he wanted.
Allen has been quoted as saying that he wanted to play for a team where he was wanted and respected. A team that knew the caliber player he was and what he has done for the NBA. Its hard to believe the 11 time NBA All-Star , 4x scoring champion, 2x All-star MVP, was all wanted by Besiktas Turkey.
Sure Iverson wasn’t perfect but we shouldn’t forget what he has done for the game of basketball. He loved the game and when he played it showed. When he lost you saw in his face how much he hated it. When he won you saw that beautiful smile. I already miss seeing the passion he played with in the NBA today. The stars of today are talented but not many showcase the talent and passion that Allen Iverson played with night in and night out.