CAMDEN, N.J. — The Philadelphia 76ers honored the career and legacy of Allen Iverson with a statue outside of their practice complex. Over a decade has passed since Iverson last took the court for the Sixers but the mutual love between him and the team remains strong.
Iverson was an MVP, Rookie of the Year, four-time scoring champion and seven-time All-NBA player with the Sixers. For many fans, he is the most iconic player in the history of the franchise. Several teammates, plus former head coach Larry Brown and former NFL star Terrell Owens, descended upon the 76ers' facility to commemorate Iverson's latest honor.
The new Allen Iverson sculpture at the Legends Walk at the Sixers training complex: pic.twitter.com/iQe1D6h5yq
— Sam DiGiovanni (@BySamDiGiovanni) April 12, 2024
As the NBA transitions further away from the heydays of superstars like Iverson, Kobe Byrant, Tracy McGrady and more, fans today often wonder how those stars would have played in the modern NBA. Iverson pointed to a facet of the game that would have allowed him to remain a dangerous scorer.
“I look at it as the court being so wide open,” Iverson said. “Like, even when I beat my man, a lot of times you got centers outside the three-point line, so they're way out there on the perimeter. And all I have to do is beat the first guy? Then I'm laying the ball up. I mean, that's the way I look at it. In our era, you beat the first man, then you got the big man sitting in there waiting on you. You got Shaquille O'Neal standing right there waiting on you.”
Iverson said recently that he would average over 40 points per game if he played today. It is interesting to wonder what The Answer could do with more spacing, higher paces and no hand-checking in games. Although he would have to face more complex and intricate defenses and work on his outside shooting, his quickness and tenacity make him a timeless superstar guard.
But, in a fashion typical to Iverson, he didn’t belittle the current NBA. With shoutouts to Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic – and later saying that he loves watching Tyrese Maxey — Iverson said that he enjoys where the game is headed. He said that Doncic is going to be the next face of the league given how difficult he is to guard.
“I think it's just changed dramatically,” the 76ers legend said. “I love the direction that the game is going. I think we are only going to evolve. The players are gonna get better and better. Just when you think you've seen it all, you're gonna see something else. Like, when you look at players like Joel, a big man that can do what he can do. Look at Joker. I love Luka for what he does out there on the basketball court. I mean, guys scoring 70 points, man. This game is wide open.”
Allen Iverson discusses how NBA has changed since his playing days
On top of the game on the court being different, Allen Iverson was asked if he would have participated in load management, resting on specific games to avoid overworking his body.
“Yeah, right,” Iverson scoffed. “You know me.”
Iverson routinely played over 40 minutes per game throughout his career and tried to play in every game he could. The 76ers depended heavily on him, fueling his desire to take the court regardless of any injury or sickness that held him back.
“As far as load management, just sitting out of a game, I can sit out of practice,” Iverson said with a laugh, observing how players today get criticized for not playing in games while he got famously criticized for not practicing.
The press conference Iverson gave on May 7, 2022 — the one where he said the word “practice” 22 times — is something he continues to be remembered for. It was then, and still occasionally is now, taken out of context. The rant against being asked about the same non-issue amidst a backdrop of genuine difficulties in his life led to a soundbite that every basketball fan has heard at some point or another.
Iverson admitted that he would have gone about his infamous rant about practice differently to better articulate his viewpoint. He laughed thinking about all the times people ask him “Practice?” in public, pointing out that it's his infamous press conference, not his basketball achievements, that they often bring up.
“I don't regret too many things in my life but I wish I had the opportunity instead of reacting in a negative way or just getting frustrated,“ he said. “I wish I could have explained, like, how can you become an MVP, how can you become an All-Star, how can you become a Hall of Famer and do all of these great things that I accomplished if I didn't practice? How do you think I got that good? I had to practice.”
Before Allen Iverson was presented with his new statue, several speakers at the ceremony — including 76ers managing partner Josh Harris, head coach Nick Nurse and former play-by-play commentator Marc Zumoff — mentioned Iverson's relentlessness on the court. Standing just six feet tall didn’t stop him from going as hard as he could every single game. When people walk past the new sculpture of him, that’s what he hopes to continue inspiring.
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