NBA's Greatest - Allen Iverson

"Good things come in small packages"

Listed at 6'0, Allen Iverson is one of the shortest players to ever grace the hardwoods of the NBA, but definitely not small in stature. He has ranked 6th all time in Points per game in the history of the league at 26.7 ppg and is second only to the legend Michael Jordan in Playoff ppg at 29.7. But numbers only tell half the story about the man from Virginia.

Iverson was a star for his high school in both football and basketball, but decided to pursue basketball. At only 17 years of age, he was involved in a mass brawl and sentenced to prison for 15 years. However, after spending only 4 months in the facility, he was granted leave because of insufficient evidence. After such a tumultuous start to his early life, no one would have thought that this guy would one day be enshrined in the Basketball Hall Of Fame. Iverson was drafted in 1996 and won the Rookie of the Year in one of the deepest drafts in NBA history. Iverson also broke Wilt Chamberlain's rookie record of most consecutive games with at least 40 points, having 5 such games compared to 3 for the 'Big Dipper'. You know you are special when you are breaking records set by Chmaberlain and Jordan and that is exactly what he did. Going toe to toe with some of the biggest, baddest and greatest players, Iverson truly proved that Heart wins over brawn. His impact was immediate for the Philadelphia 76ers, as he won 4 scoring titles in 8 years with the club, including back to back in the 2000-01 and 2001-02 seasons. He would also become the shortest player ever to win the NBA MVP honors in the 2001 season. Iverson guided his club to an unexpected NBA Finals trip in the 2000-01 seasons, losing out to the Los Angeles Lakers in the summit clash.

What really made Iverson a fan favorite and a standout performer was his tenacity and attitude. Despite his size, he would repeatedly drive to the basket and look for contact. When bigger players started fouling him and drawing heavy contact, Iverson would get more determined to prove himself. He was one of the best finishers near the rim and an elite shooter from inside the arc. But is was his crossovers that made him a household name. Iverson's handles and crossovers were the best in the league in his prime and he was unstoppable on his day. He could go off for 40,50,60 points at any time and no team was safe. His speed, agility, reflexes are second to none, and he famously crossed over Jordan in their first meeting, leaving the great man out of sync for once. Between 1998-2004, there was no better scorer than Iverson, and all this came inspite of the fact that he was on one of the middle ranged teams. His transformed the 76ers franchise, turning them from a lottery bound team to a perennial contender. Although the Eastern Conference was pretty thin at that time, but Iverson and the Sixers could take on any time.

Iverson would later go and play for the Denver Nuggets, the Detroit Pistons and the Memphis Grizzlies, but he could not replicate the same form as he showed in his beloved Philadelphia. One of the standout moments in his career came in the 2001 NBA Finals, when he lead his team to victory over the unbeaten Lakers in the first game at Staples Center. It was the only loss that the eventual Champions suffered in the entire post season, and it was all down to one man. He famously crossed over Tyronne Lue and stepped over him once he sank the shot. He took over the game in OT and his performance is considered one of the most famous moments in Playoff history. Although the Sixers did not win the title, a run to the finals for the first time since 1983 was a stellar achievement in itself. The Sixers and Iverson would not make another Finals appearance, they would however return to the playoffs again.

Iverson was involved in numerous bust ups with the support staff, and was famously almost traded to the Pistons before the 2000-01 season. After the Sixers acquired Chris Webber and Andre Iguodala, they were competitive for a while before AI was transferred out to the Nuggets. After disappointing stints with various clubs, Iverson returned for one final swansong to Philly and eventually ended his career after spending sometime playing in Turkey for Besiktas.

Iverson was kniwn as "The Answer" for his ability to to always have a response when the chips were down. He went through a lot of adversity in his life to become one of the greatest players the league has ever seen. He is considered a top 5 shooting guard all time and played both the Point Guard and Shooting Guard positions with aplomb. Unorthodox in his style of play, Iverson was a unique talent, the sort of player who is unlikely to be seen again. Crossovers, determination and an unwavering attitude, Iverson is held in the highest respect by his peers and left the game a lot richer than before.