Allen Ezail Iverson (born June 7, 1975, in Hampton, Virginia) is an American professional basketball player for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association. As the first pick in the 1996 NBA Draft for the Philadelphia 76ers, Iverson became one of the most prolific scorers in NBA history, despite his small (6'0") stature. His career scoring average of 27.7 points per game is third all-time behind Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain. Iverson was also the 2000-2001 NBA Most Valuable Player and lead the 76ers to the NBA Finals that postseason.
Player profile
verson ranks third all-time in points per game. He has averaged 27.7 points per game in his career, trailing all-time leader Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain in this category by only 2.4 points per game. Iverson is one of only 30 players in NBA history to score over 20,000 points in his career, and he was the sixth fastest in the history of the game to achieve this feat.[21]
Iverson is also very proficient in provoking shooting fouls, regularly one of the NBA's leaders in free throws attempted, and in free throw percentage.[22] On defense, Iverson has won three steals titles an averages over two steals per game for his entire career. Iverson is recognised as an elite allround player and was voted to seven All-NBA Teams. He also took the league and All-Star MVP and led the Sixers to the Finals in 2001.[23]
2002–2006
The next season, the Sixers failed to repeat their success. Iverson and others struggled with injury, and despite averaging a league high 31.4 points per game. The Sixers fell to the sixth seed in the 2002 Playoffs, where they fell to the Boston Celtics in the first round.
Denver Nuggets
On December 19, 2006, the Philadelphia 76ers sent Iverson and forward Ivan McFarlin to the Denver Nuggets for Andre Miller, Joe Smith, and two first-round picks in the 2007 NBA Draft. At the time of the trade, Iverson was the NBA's number two leading scorer with teammate Carmelo Anthony being number one.[15]
On December 23, 2006, Iverson played his first game as a Nugget. He had 22 points and 10 assists in a losing effort to the Sacramento Kings. [16] In Iverson's first year as a Nugget they made the playoffs. They won the first game and lost the next four to the San Antonio Spurs. [17]
Iverson returned to Philadelphia on March 19, 2008 to a sell-out crowd and received a standing ovation in a 115-113 loss. [18]
Detroit Pistons
On November 3, 2008, Iverson was dealt from the Denver Nuggets to the Detroit Pistons for guard Chauncey Billups, forward Antonio McDyess and center Cheikh Samb.[19]
Iverson, who had worn a number 3 jersey his entire NBA career, switched to number 1 for the Pistons. The number 3 was being worn by Rodney Stuckey, and although he stated that he would be willing to give up the number, the NBA ruled that a change in numbers cannot take place until after the season.[20]
2004 Olympics
| Olympic medal record | |||
| Men's basketball | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Competitor for  United States | |||
| Bronze | 2004 Athens | United States | |
The team's performance at the Olympic Games, however, would ultimately prove to be a disappointment. During the exhibition period prior the Games, Iverson and LeBron James were benched for a game for having arrived late to a practice session. The United States' team had played a dismal game versus Germany, which had failed to qualify for the Olympic competition. Iverson did succeed in keeping the game from going into overtime with a miraculous half-court shot in the closing seconds. Despite the dramatic win, the team continued to struggle.
After losing to Puerto Rican team during round robin play, they would ultimately claim a bronze medal.
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