Allen Iverson salutes the Philadelphia crowd as the 76ers retired his No. 3 jersey on Saturday night. High above the Wells Fargo Center court, Iverson’s banner fit between Maurice Cheeks’ No. 10 and Charles Barkley’s No. 34.
Perennial all star, NBA lightning rod, Reebok reviver, little man with big heart. Allen Iverson is one of the most influential ballers to hit the floor. The type of player you see in a pick up game who laces it up from 2pm to 7pm on the unforgiving street courts. The type of player who took what many considered a selfish style and transformed it into a accomplished career. Iverson’s greatness does not come by way of Larry O’Brien trophies but by being the first to take a street style and make it successful on the hardwood.
The recent ESPN: 30 For 30 documentary featured a break down of former athletes discussing the downfalls of their financial situations since leaving the game. Names such as Allen Iverson, Andre Rison and Antoine Walker are shown to be victims of either their own ignorance or illegal actions ffrom the people they trusted.
It’s never been a surprise that the crossover dribble is one of the more electrifying moves in basketball today. The New York Times decided to do a breakdown of the explosive move by speaking with several NBA players that have revolutionized the ball handling experience.