Many expected a heroes' welcome for two legends of the City of Brotherly Love in the BIG3 homecoming of Julius “Dr. J” Erving and Allen Iverson, as their teams Tri-State and 3's Company faced off on Sunday at the iconic Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
Iverson walked onto the hardwood and put his hand to his ear, like he did through his first decade with the Philadelphia 76ers, hearing a familiar roar from the city's faithful, but by the start of the game, all the fans were screaming was “we want A.I.” as he assumed his usual role at the sidelines.
While the crowd expected to see a myriad of isolation magic from the 42-year-old, “The Answer” made his best Larry Brown impression, commanding the troops but failing to get on the court due to his doctor's advice for unspecified reasons, according to The Associated Press.
“I'm glad I had a chance to come back home,” Iverson told the crowd after introductions. “Ain't nothing like this relationship we have. I love you for supporting me throughout my career, and still today you're still supporting me.”
A roaring Philly crowd made it sound like it was the 2001 NBA Finals, with their aged 2001 NBA MVP limited to blowing kisses, smiles, and waving at the crowd as he went to work, commanding his troops from the sidelines.
While much of the BIG3 was marketed around Iverson and his fan appeal — it has proved to be a disappointment for those hoping to see the four-time NBA scoring champion lace them up again, totaling only six points on 3-of-13 shooting during the first three games, before sitting this one out to the despair of those present at the Wells Fargo Center.
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