Allen Iverson 2001 NBA Finals highlights

[Lebron23]

http://www.ioffer.com/img2/item/131/818/077/gXwHfCu0iUYWQG0.jpg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79WSHpMU894

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQvbLbGOSI4&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0_NDd7aado&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0_NDd7aado&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PT7QCSzOawU&feature=related

Allen Iverson was the last NBA Player to scored 48 or more points in the NBA Finals.

He averaged 35.6 ppg on 41 FG%, 5.6 rpg, 3.8 apg, 1.8 spg, and 0.2 bpg in 5 games.

Can you imagine if Iverson had a much better supporting cast in the 2001 NBA Finals?

[sipitri]

5.6 Rpg, the guy had a big heart..

[griffmoney1784]

figures youd like iverson since his career has gone pretty much exactly like lebrons

overrated stat padder mvp 1 finals .... got spanked... after never getting back to finals ended up ring chasing and giving up on his team.

[kputs]

You idiot- AI got to the finals w a bunch of scrubs. And took game 1 in LA by himself basically. AI>>>>LeBron

[brownmamba00]

You idiot- AI got to the finals w a bunch of scrubs. And took game 1 in LA by himself basically. AI>>>>LeBron
while lebron played a horrible finals.

[griffmoney1784]

You idiot- AI got to the finals w a bunch of scrubs. And took game 1 in LA by himself basically. AI>>>>LeBron


bah..... lakers had a 12 day layoff cause they swept the first 3 rounds

sixers caught the lakers sleeping.

no way can a team take 2 weeks off and be expected to perform at a championship level

lakers woulda been a perfect 15-0 instead of 15-1 if the sixers got through the playoffs faster

but i do agree iverson was a more tallented player than lebron ever will be

[Javat_90]

Nice thread OP.

Appreciate it really, because Allen Iverson gets awfully disrespected around this place. People seem to forget pretty quick what he did, and what he meant to the game of basketball.

Those Finals oh boy, I still remember Game 1 like it was yesterday, even downloaded the game and watched it at least 2 more times in the last five years or so. One of the best individual performances in Finals history, absolutely amazing.

Its even more incredible when you factor in that those Lakers were unbeatable in the Playoffs, breaking all kinds of records, but of course, then they faced The Answer.

[griffmoney1784]

Nice thread OP.

Appreciate it really, because Allen Iverson gets awfully disrespected around this place. People seem to forget pretty quick what he did, and what he meant to the game of basketball.

Those Finals oh boy, I still remember Game 1 like it was yesterday, even downloaded the game and watched it at least 2 more times in the last five years or so. One of the best individual performances in Finals history, absolutely amazing.

Its even more incredible when you factor in that those Lakers were unbeatable in the Playoffs, breaking all kinds of records, but of course, then they faced The Answer.


because for every 1 good thing iverson did he had 10 bad things

possitives=

- great scorer


negatives=

- ball hogged
- cried
- complained about having to practice
- quit on his team to ring chase
- refused a smaller role with the nuggets so they traded him to detroit
- refused to come off the bench so they detroit traded him to memphis
- quit the team
- cried and said all he wanted to do was play basketball
- got signed by the sixers and soon after quit again
- waited all summer wondering why no one would sign him like an idiot
- went to europe and wasnt even one of the 10 best players in his league
- quit

the end


iverson is a moron

[markymark]

because for every 1 good thing iverson did he had 10 bad things

possitives=

- great scorer


negatives=

- ball hogged he only "hogged" when he had crappy offensive teammates. so kobe, durant, dirk, etc. are all hoggers as well?
- cried when?
- complained about having to practice that was a press con that was blown out of context. know your fckin history.
- quit on his team to ring chase ring chasing = going to denver, detroit, memphis, then back to philly? QFT.
- refused a smaller role with the nuggets so they traded him to detroit he willingly coexisted with melo. he was arguably the best player on that team at that time.
- refused to come off the bench so they detroit traded him to memphis why the fck should rodney fckin stuckey start over him?
- quit the team when?
- cried and said all he wanted to do was play basketball he does love to play basketball. admirable compared to other players who just want to cash in the checks.
- got signed by the sixers and soon after quit again something was obviously happening behind the scenes. he was forced out by stern et al.
- waited all summer wondering why no one would sign him like an idiot see previous comment
- went to europe and wasnt even one of the 10 best players in his league out of shape, obviously
- quit you love using that word don't you?

the end


iverson is a moron

I guess you're the moron then ;)

[sipitri]

I guess you're the moron then ;)
Don't feed the troll.

[coin24]

I guess you're the moron then ;)


THIS... Iverson is one of my all time favourites.. I cant believe the hate he gets from retards on here that didnt even watch bball 5 years ago:facepalm

[bootsy]

bah..... lakers had a 12 day layoff cause they swept the first 3 rounds

sixers caught the lakers sleeping.

no way can a team take 2 weeks off and be expected to perform at a championship level

lakers woulda been a perfect 15-0 instead of 15-1 if the sixers got through the playoffs faster

but i do agree iverson was a more tallented player than lebron ever will be
Yet they had a 5 point lead in overtime and let Raja Bell and Eric Snow beat them. Look you won the series and the title stop with the excuses in that one game. Jeez. You need one of these.:violin:

[Rake2204]

You idiot- AI got to the finals w a bunch of scrubs.
Boy, isn't that the truth. I just recreated the '01 Sixers on NBA 2K11 and it's honestly kind of hard to use them unless you go to Iveson 100% of the time (sounding eerily similar to real life). After AI, it's just ... where do you go? George Lynch? Tyrone Hill? Jumaine Jones, maybe. I'm pretty impressed that team was as successful as they were.

What's always been stranger to me about the 2001 playoffs was the prospect of the Bucks coming one game away from being in the Finals themselves. Can you imagine the Milwaukee Bucks being in the NBA Finals in the 2000's? Yes, I understand they had Big Dog, Ray, and Sam. But still, it just seems odd to imagine.

Almost just as odd, what if Vince Carter had hit that gamewinner against Philly in the 2nd round? A Bucks-Raptors series to see who would play the Lakers in the Finals? Bizarre.

[Javat_90]

Boy, isn't that the truth. I just recreated the '01 Sixers on NBA 2K11 and it's honestly kind of hard to use them unless you go to Iveson 100% of the time (sounding eerily similar to real life). After AI, it's just ... where do you go? George Lynch? Tyrone Hill? Jumaine Jones, maybe. I'm pretty impressed that team was as successful as they were.

What's always been stranger to me about the 2001 playoffs was the prospect of the Bucks coming one game away from being in the Finals themselves. Can you imagine the Milwaukee Bucks being in the NBA Finals in the 2000's? Yes, I understand they had Big Dog, Ray, and Sam. But still, it just seems odd to imagine.

Almost just as odd, what if Vince Carter had hit that gamewinner against Philly in the 2nd round? A Bucks-Raptors series to see who would play the Lakers in the Finals? Bizarre.

Very weak era in the Eastern Conference.

[PowerGlove]

He carried that team offensively. He scored like 40% of the teams points during that series.

[Scholar]

Don't feed the troll.

This

[beermonsteroo]

41 FG%, , 3.8 apg

ballhogging at it's worst :facepalm :facepalm
and i was an Iverson homer back then

[B-Low]

41 FG%, , 3.8 apg

ballhogging at it's worst :facepalm :facepalm
and i was an Iverson homer back then

Again, who the f*ck was he gonna pass it to? McKie? Eric Snow? Hill? AI passed the ball plenty but you only get an assist if the player you pass it to SCORES. When he would dish off to the other players one of two things would happen the majority of the time: A. They would stand there for a sec then give it back to him cuz they had no idea what to do with it, or B. They would shoot and miss.

Me and my friends were actually talkin about this series the other night, saying how the Lakers blew through the "mighty" West in the playoffs that year, and even though he only won one game, Iverson alone did more that postseason than any Western team combined could manage.

Iverson on Philly = the most passionate, determined player I've even seen in the NBA. These are the injuries that he PLAYED THROUGH. Note from the record at the bottom that of course he didn't win most of the games that he played injured in, but he knew that his team was doomed without him so he still went out there and tried for Philly

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn200/nbacardDOTnet/zz%20NBA%20Photo%20Gallery/Allen%20Iverson/iversoninjury.jpg

[rodman91]

Great thread.. Everybody know how great was Iverson except morons and young ones never watched him.

But you are gonna make a lot of people mad.. :lol
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn200/nbacardDOTnet/zz%20NBA%20Photo%20Gallery/Allen%20Iverson/VS/3be1d928.gif
http://www.gifsoup.com/webroot/animatedgifs4/1130127_o.gif
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn200/nbacardDOTnet/zz%20NBA%20Photo%20Gallery/Allen%20Iverson/VS/Kobe%20Bryant/vs2.gif
http://loulaw.tripod.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/iverson.gif
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn200/nbacardDOTnet/zz%20NBA%20Photo%20Gallery/Allen%20Iverson/VS/Kobe%20Bryant/vs3.gif
http://www.gifsoup.com/webroot/animatedgifs4/1388011_o.gif
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http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn200/nbacardDOTnet/zz%20NBA%20Photo%20Gallery/Allen%20Iverson/VS/giforvs.gif
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn200/nbacardDOTnet/zz%20NBA%20Photo%20Gallery/Allen%20Iverson/VS/Whole%20Team/5c6bfc55.gif

[Rake2204]

Again, who the f*ck was he gonna pass it to? McKie? Eric Snow? Hill? AI passed the ball plenty but you only get an assist if the player you pass it to SCORES. When he would dish off to the other players one of two things would happen the majority of the time: A. They would stand there for a sec then give it back to him cuz they had no idea what to do with it, or B. They would shoot and miss.
I feel like the truth may lie somewhere in the middle of these too arguments (ballhog vs. necessary shooting). On a much, much, much, much smaller scale, I can relate to AI on the '01 Sixers. Have you guys ever been "the man" on a team or playground? Where, for one reason or another, you're vastly superior to all your teammates? None of them can shoot or create for themselves and it seems if you don't score, no one will?

I've been there, and my field goal percentage in those games is considerably lower than the contests where I'm surrounded by players on or above my level. The better my teammates are, the better shot opportunities I see and take. It's not on me to create all the time, it's on all of us.

I'm not saying that must explain and excuse Iverson's low field goal percentage, but I think it's worth considering.

Or then again, maybe a lot of those '01 Sixers were considered so offensively inept because they never had an opportunity.

[rodman91]

Again, who the f*ck was he gonna pass it to? McKie? Eric Snow? Hill? AI passed the ball plenty but you only get an assist if the player you pass it to SCORES. When he would dish off to the other players one of two things would happen the majority of the time: A. They would stand there for a sec then give it back to him cuz they had no idea what to do with it, or B. They would shoot and miss.

Me and my friends were actually talkin about this series the other night, saying how the Lakers blew through the "mighty" West in the playoffs that year, and even though he only won one game, Iverson alone did more that postseason than any Western team combined could manage.

Iverson on Philly = the most passionate, determined player I've even seen in the NBA. These are the injuries that he PLAYED THROUGH. Note from the record at the bottom that of course he didn't win most of the games that he played injured in, but he knew that his team was doomed without him so he still went out there and tried for Philly

:applause:
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn200/nbacardDOTnet/zz%20NBA%20Photo%20Gallery/Allen%20Iverson/VS/Whole%20Team/aivskbnshaq.gif
and still...
35.6 ppg on 41 FG%, 5.6 rpg, 3.8 apg, 1.8 spg, and 0.2 bpg in 5 games.

[rodman91]

1 Shaquille O'Neal $19,285,715
2 Kobe Bryant $10,130,000
3 Horace Grant $6,500,000
4 Robert Horry $4,800,000
5 Rick Fox $3,400,000
6 Derek Fisher $3,380,000
7 Brian Shaw $2,250,000
8 Ron Harper $2,200,000
9 Greg Foster $1,760,000
10 Chuck Person $1,200,000
11 Tyronn Lue $865,800
12 Devean George $849,720
13 Isaiah Rider $736,000
14 Mark Madsen $707,040
15 Stanislav Medvedenko $316,969
16 Mike Penberthy $316,969
17 Sam Jacobson $270,000

VS

76ers

1 Allen Iverson $10,130,000
2 Theo Ratliff $7,800,000
3 Matt Geiger $7,515,840
4 Tyrone Hill $7,300,000
5 Toni Kukoc $6,000,000
6 Eric Snow $3,380,000
7 George Lynch $2,200,000
8 Aaron McKie $1,818,000
9 Vernon Maxwell $1,000,000
10 Speedy Claxton $936,000
11 Nazr Mohammed $739,080
12 Jumaine Jones $735,600
13 Todd MacCulloch $423,500
14 Jermaine Jackson $423,500
15 Ademola Okulaja $316,969
16 Pepe Sanchez $316,969
17 Mark Karcher $50,000

Matt Geiger $7,515,840,Tyrone Hill $7,300,000 >>>> Horace Grant $6,500,000,Robert Horry $4,800,000 ?!?!?!?!?!?! :roll:

There was a huge difference between 2 teams rosters.Everybody thought its a sweep..except iverson.

i would post playoff averages of that sixers but its useless. When Lakers had to worry about A.Mckie, 76ers had to worry about Kobe.:roll: (I respect Mckie and he did his best but come on.. if your second scoring option is Mckie instead of Kobe,good luck with that.)

[crisoner]

http://www.ioffer.com/img2/item/131/818/077/gXwHfCu0iUYWQG0.jpg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79WSHpMU894

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQvbLbGOSI4&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0_NDd7aado&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0_NDd7aado&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PT7QCSzOawU&feature=related

Allen Iverson was the last NBA Player to scored 48 or more points in the NBA Finals.

He averaged 35.6 ppg on 41 FG%, 5.6 rpg, 3.8 apg, 1.8 spg, and 0.2 bpg in 5 games.

Can you imagine if Iverson had a much better supporting cast in the 2001 NBA Finals?

And he lost..........1-4

:confusedshrug:

[silenc]

Allen Iverson is in my top25 and future HOFer. He was most popular 00s player, even more famous than Kobe and Lebron. Idol of millions and have the biggest influence in NBA after Magic/Bird and MJ.

[ShaqAttack3234]

You idiot- AI got to the finals w a bunch of scrubs. And took game 1 in LA by himself basically. AI>>>>LeBron

It still amazes me how stupid the average fan is. Scrubs? They were an elite defensive team and rebounding team. That cast complemented Iverson very well. Hell, even having Eric Snow helped a lot because he could defend shooting guards which allowed Iverson to play shootinig guard offensively, which was the best position for him.

[rodman91]

And he lost..........1-4

:confusedshrug:

you expected Sixers to win against that Lakers? seriously? how old are you anyway?

[rodman91]

It still amazes me how stupid the average fan is. Scrubs? They were an elite defensive team and rebounding team. That cast complemented Iverson very well. Hell, even having Eric Snow helped a lot because he could defend shooting guards which allowed Iverson to play shootinig guard offensively, which was the best position for him.

They played good together but except Mutombo none of them could be starter in an elite team.Iverson & L.Brown made team play good.

[Rake2204]

you expected Sixers to win against that Lakers? seriously? how old are you anyway?
Nothing wrong with expecting the unexpected. At the time, no one expected the Pistons to beat the Lakers in '04 either (yes, it's easy to rationalize it now, but for most in 2004, it was not).

[rodman91]

Allen Iverson is in my top25 and future HOFer. He was most popular 00s player, even more famous than Kobe and Lebron. Idol of millions and have the biggest influence in NBA after Magic/Bird and MJ.

Top25 and HOFer? sure. Most popular player in 00s? No.In early and mid 00's it was all about Iverson,Kobe,Carter/T-Mac.Idol & biggest influence in NBA adter Magic/Bird & MJ ? yes. in a league everybody want to be Jordan, he was the only guard act like himself.While that made him idol in young ballers,also that made him never hyped by NBA like Kobe & Lebron.

This is why we see a lot of copycats of AI.Wears number 3,big size uniforms,cornrows,sleeves.He was the only superstar not try to look like a good guy since Barkley.

[kaiiu]

Damn so much AI hate:facepalm dude had heart and did what he could for a guy who was barely 6'0 tall playing the SG in the NBA. Fvck fg% AI didnt care about stats he had a scorers mentality that he needed to succeed.

[Disaprine]

A.I. at his best. :applause:

[rodman91]

Nothing wrong with expecting the unexpected. At the time, no one expected the Pistons to beat the Lakers in '04 either (yes, it's easy to rationalize it now, but for most in 2004, it was not).

Yeah but lakers in 2001 was a juggernaut.I don't like Lakers much but i admit in their threepeat they were like unbeatable.Especially in 2001 playoffs.

Western Conference Finals (4-0) versus San Antonio Spurs.
NBA Western Conference Semifinals (4-0) versus Sacramento Kings.
NBA Western Conference First Round (3-0) versus Portland Trail Blazers.

And all of those teams would be favorite in finals.

[ThePointGuard11]

Has Iverson ever played on a good team? I mean really, sit down and think about that. Oh and let's not forget what happen from game 2 on, Tyron Lue was allowed to literally hold Iverson, his jersey, him, scratch, claw, bite, put him in a Million Dollar Dream/Cobra Clutch, whatever he wanted to do...I'm not saying the 76ers could have won the series BUT if this wasn't allowed to happen I think the series would have been a bit more interesting. Phil Jackson & Shaq influenced officiating in the post game press conference of game 1, all of Shaq's offensive fouls became defensive fouls on Mutombo and then there's the Iverson thing. I never understood why the Lakers got the benefit of the doubt when it came to calls, I mean what's the point? The team was already good enough to win it without that crap. I love the way people downplay Iverson's career, it's hilarious lol but I guess his recent antics really did tarnish his "legacy".

[ShaqAttack3234]

They played good together but except Mutombo none of them could be starter in an elite team.Iverson & L.Brown made team play good.

They weren't the most talented team on paper, but they were a team which is what many forget.

Larry Brown always gets the most out of those types of teams, good defenders and rebounders who hustle and play hard.

Look at the 2010 Bobcats, 6th worst offensive team in the league and nobody who you could call a true go to guy, yet they were the best defensive team in the league, they finished at 44-38, and they didn't even have the defensive personnel that Iverson's Sixers did.

Personally, I've never considered Iverson a cancer or selfish. He was a volume shooter, that's how he played and Philly built their teams around that. But it's not easy to build a team around a 6'0" shooting guard who is at his best with 25+ shots per game. Philly's cast was ideal for that with the exception of a couple of good shooters who could still defend which would have made them even better, IMO.

We all know that Iverson could go on incredible hot streaks, but he could also go ice cold. People forget that he shot a ton of jumpshots, but Philly having such a good defensive team and having players that didn't care about their shots could allow Iverson to play his game and keep Philly in the game when he went cold because of their defense.

They were also the 2nd best offensive rebounding team in the league so when Iverson missed shots, they still had a grellat chance to get a new possession or an easy basket off a rebound. And they certainly had a great shot blocker anchoring the paint, first with Ratliff and later with Mutombo as well as good defenders throughout the team like Snow, Lynch, McKie, Hill, Bell ect.

Also, the team had an identity. They were a tough team, Iverson was tough and gave his all and so did his cast with the dirty work defensively and on the boards.

They certainly had a championship-caliber defense. Their defensive rating was 98.9 while the Spurs had a defensive rating of 98, a difference of less than a point allowed per 100 possessions.

And it's not like nobody could produce. McKie was a 15/5/5 guy during the playoffs and the 6th man of the year during the regular season and Mutombo was a 14/14/3 guy during the playoffs and the defensive player of the year during the regular season.

I just think that his cast gets far too little credit because Philly was much more of a defensive team than an offensive team.

I still don't think people understand Iverson as a player, both his haters and his fans. His haters don't understand that Iverson wasn't playing selfishly, that was how he was most effective and how his team was built. But his fans don't understand that another star most likely wasn't what Iverson wasn't needed and that he wasn't your typical franchise player who you build around in the same way as most franchise players.

He was a great player(and I still think he could be effective in the right role), but he should be appreciated for what he was. People shouldn't be calling him a cancer and they shouldn't be saying he "carried scrubs" either. Both are false statements.

[XxSMSxX]

I've never considered Iverson a cancer or selfish. He was a volume shooter, that's how he played and Philly built their teams around that. But it's not easy to build a team around a 6'0" shooting guard who is at his best with 25+ shots per game. Philly's cast was ideal for that with the exception of a couple of good shooters who could still defend which would have made them even better, IMO.From what i remember about that season Iverson was more forced to be that type of scorer because of their lack of guys who can create their own offense. Having one of the most dominant defensive squad is a great + to have but those Sixer teams were so horrible at creating offense outside of Iverson i used to cringe anytime someone other than Iverson had the ball in his hands. We saw what he did when he had reliable scorers around him. I don't think those teams were ideally built for Iverson simply cause they didn't have enough offensive firepower. They were pretty much asking a sub 6 foot, 165lber to take an absolute ass whooping every night (who hit the deck more than 2001 Iverson?) and carry them offensively. very painful to watch :(

[az00m]

41 FG%, , 3.8 apg

ballhogging at it's worst :facepalm :facepalm
and i was an Iverson homer back then

Kobe shoots 41% in teh finals too.

[az00m]

figures youd like iverson since his career has gone pretty much exactly like lebrons

overrated stat padder mvp 1 finals .... got spanked... after never getting back to finals ended up ring chasing and giving up on his team.

Know who else shoots the same way he does in the finals? His name starts with a K! he is in ur profile picture!

[rodman91]

Know who else shoots the same way he does in the finals? His name starts with a K! he is in ur profile picture!

:roll: :cheers:

[griffmoney1784]

I guess you're the moron then ;)


did you honestly try and make an excuse for every single failure iverson has had during his career?

did you honestly just say none of iversons mistakes were his fault?

did you honestly just retionalise quitting and refusing his coaches orders?

did you honestly just say that everything i just listed is false and iverson had a storied career of brilliance and perfection personified?




get the efffffffffffffing mother EFFFFFFFFING fFFFFFFFFFF*******k off of my F*ing INTERNET

[Javat_90]

Well, Kobe raped a white girl, but that has nothing to do with how good he is as a basketball player.

[Ne 1]

Well, Kobe raped a white girl, but that has nothing to do with how good he is as a basketball player.

Agreed.

Just like Jordan had his pops blasted, but that dosen't change that he was still a great player.

[griffmoney1784]

Well, Kobe raped a white girl, but that has nothing to do with how good he is as a basketball player.


lol where did i mention anything non basketball related?

did i mention his assult on his wife and gun charges?

i said the dude was a joke in the second half of his career with constant defiance to regulation and order and also spit in the face of every guy who ever came off the bench later in their careers. he disrespected the game. and he quitting ( litterally ) 2 times just because you werent getting your 30 shots a game is an absolute joke

i admit he has great skills and was a HOF'r and a top player from 1999 till the mid 00's.... but he fell off entirely because of his own stupidity. he could verry well be a nice backup right now for a contender. but his selfishness cost him any chance at that. hes .....a ......MORON

[bdreason]

I'll never forget game 1 of the 2001 NBA Finals. Vintage AI.

[griffmoney1784]

im starting to think this whole retirement "boost" thing is a valid argument

i saw a thread about it before... but it seems legit

iverson was a joke and laughed at most of his career for being a lazy selfish sack

now that hes gone everyone loves him

[bdreason]

I don't know why people always argue about Iverson and the 2001 Sixers.


Look, everyone is right. AI was a ballhog and a chucker... but that's what his team needed. The Sixers, in comparison to other NBA Finalists, was a scrubby team, but they were also a great defensive team and scrappy as hell.



The only thing that matters is that IT WORKED. Who cares if AI was a chucker? He was NBA MVP and his team made the NBA Finals. Who cares if nobody else on the team could hit a shot (outside of Mckie)? They were great defensively, and won enough games to make the NBA Finals.


My point is that whatever shit you want to talk about the 2001 76ers, about Iverson, about his teammates... it's all pointless. They won games, and got to the NBA Finals. They didn't win it all, but they did win 1 game against a team with Prime Shaq that had just dominated the Western Conference.


Watching prime AI was one of the most amazing things in sport. Everyone owes that guy mad respect, if only from an entertainment perspective alone.

[griffmoney1784]

I don't know why people always argue about Iverson and the 2001 Sixers.


Look, everyone is right. AI was a ballhog and a chucker... but that's what his team needed. The Sixers, in comparison to other NBA Finalists, was a scrubby team, but they were also a great defensive team and scrappy as hell.



The only thing that matters is that IT WORKED. Who cares if AI was a chucker? He was NBA MVP and his team made the NBA Finals. Who cares if nobody else on the team could hit a shot (outside of Mckie)? They were great defensively, and won enough games to make the NBA Finals.


My point is that whatever shit you want to talk about the 2001 76ers, about Iverson, about his teammates... it's all pointless. They won games, and got to the NBA Finals. They didn't win it all, but they did win 1 game against a team with Prime Shaq that had just dominated the Western Conference.


Watching prime AI was one of the most amazing things in sport. Everyone owes that guy mad respect, if only from an entertainment perspective alone.


so his career worth of me first ball hogging and chucking should be overlooked because it "almost" worked once back in 2001


na


give anyone 14 years of stat padding and theyel probably make it to the finals and lose atleast once

hell even lebron did that

[silenc]

im starting to think this whole retirement "boost" thing is a valid argument

i saw a thread about it before... but it seems legit

iverson was a joke and laughed at most of his career for being a lazy selfish sack

now that hes gone everyone loves him
Look at Muhammad Ali, same thing.

[Ne 1]

im starting to think this whole retirement "boost" thing is a valid argument

i saw a thread about it before... but it seems legit

iverson was a joke and laughed at most of his career for being a lazy selfish sack

now that hes gone everyone loves him

Sort of agree.

Iverson was a unique talent, one of the best scorers we have seen, and perhaps pound-for-pound the best player ever at his position, but he's defiantly living off that 2001 season. I mean outside of that one year he has never been past the 2nd round of the playoffs and led his team to 50+ wins once in his whole career (which was that year). Not to mention the east was a vastly inferior conference back then.

As far as 'being loved' don't forget he was one of the most popular players in the league back in the day. Your right he was criticized for being selfish, lazy and not being able to get along with his coaches etc, but he had a lot of heart and usually gave it his all on the court.

[silenc]

Top25 and HOFer? sure. Most popular player in 00s? No.In early and mid 00's it was all about Iverson,Kobe,Carter/T-Mac.Idol & biggest influence in NBA adter Magic/Bird & MJ ? yes. in a league everybody want to be Jordan, he was the only guard act like himself.While that made him idol in young ballers,also that made him never hyped by NBA like Kobe & Lebron.

This is why we see a lot of copycats of AI.Wears number 3,big size uniforms,cornrows,sleeves.He was the only superstar not try to look like a good guy since Barkley.
Worldwide AI was more famous than any of those guys. THe only one who came close was Shaq.

[Blzrfn]

Boy, isn't that the truth. I just recreated the '01 Sixers on NBA 2K11 and it's honestly kind of hard to use them unless you go to Iveson 100% of the time (sounding eerily similar to real life). After AI, it's just ... where do you go? George Lynch? Tyrone Hill? Jumaine Jones, maybe. I'm pretty impressed that team was as successful as they were.

What's always been stranger to me about the 2001 playoffs was the prospect of the Bucks coming one game away from being in the Finals themselves. Can you imagine the Milwaukee Bucks being in the NBA Finals in the 2000's? Yes, I understand they had Big Dog, Ray, and Sam. But still, it just seems odd to imagine.

Almost just as odd, what if Vince Carter had hit that gamewinner against Philly in the 2nd round? A Bucks-Raptors series to see who would play the Lakers in the Finals? Bizarre.

With the Bucks being in that Final instead of the Sixers, you may have seen a lot of a Mr. Bavetta(the Laker lover who brought Phil Jackson cookies before a game) officiating most of the games in an attempt to cheat Milwaukee.

[markymark]

im starting to think this whole retirement "boost" thing is a valid argument

i saw a thread about it before... but it seems legit

iverson was a joke and laughed at most of his career for being a lazy selfish sack

now that hes gone everyone loves him

he had, and still has millions of fans WORLDWIDE. not sure what universe you live in :confusedshrug:

[RoseCity07]

That game 1 he had was on of the most impressive games ever played. Just considering that the Lakers mission should have been to stop Iverson and make someone else beat them. Yet he still owned them.

It just proves though, you have to have a team, no one can do that for 4 games.

[Lebron23]

That game 1 he had was on of the most impressive games ever played. Just considering that the Lakers mission should have been to stop Iverson and make someone else beat them. Yet he still owned them.

It just proves though, you have to have a team, no one can do that for 4 games.


Never underestimate Iverson's heart, and his willingness to win.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1o2ZvXWoRsY

48 points, 6 steals, 5 assists