Modern-day basketball has seen the point guard position evolve more than any other. Once upon a time, the point guard’s responsibility was strictly to initiate offense for others. As time has progressed, that prototype has changed to allow room for scoring-oriented players. This didn’t happen overnight. One of the main pioneers for change was Philadelphia 76ers legend Allen Iverson. He blossomed in the perfect era, as LeBron James believes Iverson wouldn’t have been himself if he had played in a different time.
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Before the 2000s, the philosophy for NBA teams followed tradition. Teams placed players into a position based on their height. Shorter athletes were guards, and taller athletes played frontcourt positions. Now, players like Luka Doncic play point guard at 6-foot-8.
Allen Iverson didn’t have that luxury when he entered the NBA ahead of the 1996-97 season. Due to his 6-foot frame, the Sixers slotted him at point guard. That didn’t last long after he showcased that he is a natural-born scorer.
Near the conclusion of his rookie season, Iverson had a stretch of four consecutive 40+ point games. LeBron referenced Iverson’s scoring outburst in the recent episode of Mind The Game with Steve Nash. He brought up Iverson to highlight how he changed the game for small guards to take on the role of scorer.
“You’re 6-foot, 180 [pounds], you’re the point guard,” LeBron said. “Throughout his rookie year, he goes five straight games with 40 points, like oh sh*t, he’s not the f**king point guard.”
Although Iverson never won a championship, he proved that a team can experience success with an undersized guard at the helm. Nash added his opinion on how he has witnessed the change in this era’s mindset in comparison to Iverson’s.
“In our era, we would just be like, ‘The ball is in his hands,'” Nash said. Now the league has witnessed the rise of score-first point guards. Players such as Derrick Rose, Ja Morant and Jalen Brunson have redefined what it means to be a point guard.
The difference is, if Iverson played in the late 1980s, he wouldn’t have had the opportunity to blossom into a score-first guard. He would have had to compromise his game for the sake of the team. LeBron believes the game has taken a positive direction in terms of progression in that specific area.
Throughout the years, the league has shifted to positionless basketball. As a result, LeBron’s statement holds significant weight in truth. If the NBA carried the same mindset as it had in the past, someone like Brunson wouldn’t be able to thrive in the way he has. Iverson is a key component to the development of the modern-day point guard.
