“The Sixers damn sure owe Allen Iverson some money!!!”: Stephen A Smith eulogizes the Philly superstar’s impact on the league from a monetary perspective

Akash Murty | 08/10/2021
"The Sixers damn sure owe Allen Iverson some money!!!": Stephen A Smith eulogizes the Philly superstar's impact on the league from a monetary perspective

Given that he was the face of the league in the 2000s, Stephen A Smith believes that Allen Iverson was underpaid by the Philadelphia 76ers.

One of the best players that ever played in the NBA, Allen Iverson changed basketball and the NBA forever. He was the league’s face even if the NBA liked it or not.

Allen Iverson was the number one draft pick of the 1996 draft class over the likes of Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, and Ray Allen. He was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers.

Despite getting an MVP in 2001, AI was never paid what he should have been.

Also read: “If LeBron James is the GOAT then he’s gotta belong on AI’s list”: Skip Bayless cites recent Allen Iverson take as ultimate ‘gotcha’ argument against stans of the Lakers superstar

AI’s time in Philly was packed with magic and high-class performances but he didn’t get paid enough

Just 5 years in, AI took Sixers closest to the NBA Championship they’ve ever been in 18 years. Philadelphia finished that 2000–2001 season with a record of 56–26, the best record in the East and “The Answer” won the MVP.

He was leading the league in points averaging 31.1 points to go along with 5.5 assists and nearly 3 steals. AI even had a 54-point season-high game against the Cavaliers. That was all insane for a 6-foot guard then. 

That season gave the NBA one of the best highlight reels ever,

In the playoffs, the Sixers made it to the finals but lost to the Lakers 4–1. In the game that Philadelphia won, Iverson showed up big time with 38 points. 

Stephen A Smith believes Sixers did not pay Iverson the money he deserved

Iverson was only getting paid $10.1 million at the time he was troubling the Lakers starring prime Kobe Bryant & Shaquille O’Neal coached by Phil Jackson. And NBA analyst Stephen A Smith seems to be bothered about that,

Iverson and Smith share a great relationship, Stephen A covered AI’s career for 10 years closely. Smith is famous around the league and media for his wild views and rants. Though this might be one of his good analogies. 

In the 10 years in Philly, the 11-time All-star, one of the faces of the NBA at the time, only once he was the top-5 best-paid player. Philly saved a lot of money on AI and obviously made tons because of him. 

Also read: “Allen Iverson said LeBron James is a killer and it goes without saying”: Taylor Rooks tells Skip Bayless to watch her entire interview with The Answer

“The Answer” notoriously though never managed his hard-earned money wisely. He struggled with finances after his time in the NBA and was reportedly broke as soon as 2012, just 2-years after his last NBA season. 

Post Edited By: Amulya Shekhar
Allen Iverson Philadelphia 76ers Stephen A Smith

About the author

Akash Murty

An Electrical and Electronics Engineer by degree, Akash Murty is an NBA Editor at The SportsRush. Previously a Software Engineer, Murty couldn’t keep himself away from sports, and his knack for writing and putting his opinion forward brought him to the TSR. A big Soccer enthusiast, his interest in basketball developed late, as he got access to a hoop for the first time at 17. Following this, he started watching basketball at the 2012 Olympics, which transitioned to NBA, and he became a fan of the game as he watched LeBron James dominate the league. Him being an avid learner of the game and ritually following the league for around a decade, he now writes articles ranging from throwbacks, and live game reports, to gossip. LA Lakers are his favourite basketball team, while Chelsea has his heart in football. He also likes travelling, reading fiction, and sometimes cooking.

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