Allen Iverson was one of the greatest players in NBA history. Despite being one of the shortest players on the court, Iverson’s incredible handles and scoring abilities allowed him to rack up one of the most decorated resumes ever. Recently, taking to Instagram, AI showed off all of his achievements from his illustrious 14-year NBA career.
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Allen Iverson used a David & Goliath analogy to flex his impressive resume. Standing at 6ft, the Philadelphia 76ers legend made it to 11 All-Star Games, was selected to 7 All-NBA Teams, won the 2001 MVP, and four scoring titles. Iverson, who stood at 6ft, compared his size to David (4ft 10” – 5ft) and implied that his game allowed him to stand as tall as Goliath (around 10ft).
Even though Iverson never won the coveted NBA championship, the all-time great point guard has often displayed faith in his greatness. In 2002, following his 58-point performance, the shifty guard revealed that he even believed he was the best player in the world.
“I believe in my heart I’m the best player in the world. I’m just a scorer. I try to put the ball in the basket for my team. I’m just confident in my ability to play ball,” Iverson said.
There is a lot of merit in ‘The Answer’s statements. By 2002, only six seasons into his NBA career, AI was regarded as one of the best guards. Apart from winning the Rookie of the Year in 1997, the Philly leader also won the MVP, three scoring titles, and averaged a staggering 26.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game.
Allen Iverson was also one of the most influential players
There is no doubt that Allen Iverson is one of the most elite players in NBA history. His unique style of play also made him a deeply influential character in the NBA, something that stands to this very day. The revolutionary athlete was responsible for bringing about a cultural change to the association, by introducing the hip-hop culture to the sport.
Iverson was often seen wearing durags, baggy clothes and showing off his tattoos and jewellery. At the time, the league wasn’t a huge fan of AI’s unorthodox behavior. However, it was soon accepted after the players and the fans tried imitating Iverson’s style.
Apart from dubbing himself as one of the greatest players in the league, Iverson holds himself accountable for being the biggest cultural figure in NBA history.
“I was the first one do all that stuff, and I took an ass-whooping for it. Tattoos, cornrows, headbands, hip-hop. I never meant to start any trends. I got my butt kicked, but if that meant that the guys who came after me could be themselves, then it was worth it,” AI said.
Shaquille O’Neal was one of the players who tried copying Iverson’s style. In his podcast, Shaq admitted to getting a tattoo only because of AI.
Allen Iverson often gets slack for not winning the NBA championship. However, no other player has had a larger impact than he has. From the way he carried himself on and off the court to his approach to the game, there’s never been another personality quite like Iverson.
