The Answer Is?…
Posted by Jim Vassallo on March 27, 2008
Allen Iverson, the face of the Sixers franchise up until December 2006, returned to the Wachovia Center last Wednesday night. It was his first visit to the arena since his trade to the Denver Nuggets. The reception from the crowd: incredible. Iverson received a standing ovation for what seemed like three minutes in length (51 seconds). One of the most beloved Sixers in recent history, he led the 2001 squad to the NBA Finals against the Lakers, eventually falling 4 games to 1.
With the fanfare that the return of a city’s former superstar brings this article will examine the career of Iverson in a Sixer uniform from draft day to trade day in 2006 to his return Wednesday night. Career stats as a Sixer, accomplishments as a Sixer, and what he has done since the move to Denver will all be covered in this article.
Despite the current success of the 76ers, the fans really haven’t bought into the team’s impressive run and plenty of seats have remained empty at the Wachovia Center. That wasn’t the case last Wednesday night when the arena saw a sellout crowd for the first time in close to three years. The reason: The Answer was back in town. Allen Iverson returned to take on the franchise that originally drafted him.
The outcome was a 115-113 Sixers victory and a happy birthday for the man the Sixers received in return from the Nuggets, Andre Miller. But this isn’t so much about the game or even the trade but a look back at what 10-plus seasons looked like with Allen Iverson at the helm of the franchise on Broad Street.
Iverson was drafted out of Georgetown University in 1996 by the Sixers as the No. 1 overall pick.
Since then he has:
- Played on nine all-star teams and was named the MVP twice (2001 and 2005)
- Won three* scoring titles (*:1998-1999 was a strike shortened season, 2000-2001 and 2001-2002)
- Was named the MVP in 2001
- Played in the NBA Finals against the Lakers in 2001.
Iverson was named the rookie of the year for the 1996-1997 season, was named to the All NBA First Team three times and the second team three times.
- He is third all-time in the NBA in career PPG with a running 27.9. He trails only Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain in that category.
- He is one of 30 players in history to score over 20,000 points and was the sixth fastest in the game’s history to reach the feat.
Iverson left an indelible mark on a storied franchise when he was traded to the Denver Nuggets on December 19, 2006 with Ivan McFarlin for Andre Miller, Joe Smith, and two first-round picks in the 2007 Draft. Aside from his countless off the court struggles (which we will not delve into in this article) and disagreements with various coaches, Iverson goes down as one of the greatest Sixers to ever wear the uniform even though he never won a championship in Philadelphia.
To finish out this article we will look back at some of Iverson’s greatest moments on the court. Enjoy!!
