AI was not underappreciated. If anything, he was overappreciated. The guy was not a very good basketball player, if you rate a basketball player by how much he helps his team win. He had tremendous ball handling skills and could make defenders look ridiculous, but that never translated into a good shooting percentage or points-per-possession. In reality, he was a ball hog, shot way too much, and was an erratic defender at best (sometimes he flat out gave up on D because he spent all of his energy trying to throw up ridiculous shots). Basketball has moved on from this era. Guys that are in the AI mold, like Westbrook, J.R. Smith, and Monta Ellis, are now recognized for what they are - players with tremendous skills who are unfortunately too inefficient with their shots to be considered offensive threats. Entire defenses are constructed around letting these guys ball hog because the opposing team knows that it can easily win that war of attrition by taking the ball out of the more efficient players' hands.
I dont think AI is the greatest (though he may have been the most fun to watch), but I am going to point a few things out. He had 3 seasons (out of 20) where he shot below 50T%, and of those three seasons, there was .489,.496., .478, so its not like it is all THAT terrible. Hell, Lebron had a season (his rookie) he shot under 50T% and most of his baskets came off dunks. Melo shot .525% last year. In 94-95 MICHAEL FREAKIN JORDAN shot .493, so its not the end of the world. Especially when you consider that his team was butt, and he was being double teamed almost non-stop (when the defense could catch him). That being said, the man played 43.7 MPG (where this season, nobody manged to play more then 39), and still managed a 21.9 PER. His season stats that year were 31,6,5,3. Do you remember who was on his team? I'd bet you couldn't name a starting lineup from any of his teams without Googling it. The Reggie Miller led Pacers, the Vince Carter led Raptors...that was in a period where the Western Conference dominated, literally (7 out of 10 ships from 94-03, where the other 3 were MJ led Bulls). Actually in 2005, Iverson averaged 47.6MPG in the playoffs, and scored 31 per game, and dished out 10 apg. In all actuality, had he one player worth a damn on his team, they could have won a title or two. Tumbo was good and all, but when it came down to it, in the 01 Finals Shaq had some MONSTER games, to the tune of 34 and 14, 44 and 20, and game 2 where Shaq almost tallied a quadruple double 28 points, 20 rebounds, 9 assists, and 8 blocks. He was a unique player, that is for certain.
I love the Answer; always will be one of my favorite players ever. If he hadn't been mistakenly put in jail, he would have never played basketball. However, he is not broke; he has a fund that he can't touch at all
He can't touch his trust fund from Reebok until 2030, when he turns 55. So essentially, he is broke. Having money you can't use means you are broke.
Unappreciated, try most overrated. He was a volume chucker that didn't play D and involved his teammates as a last resort. He was the primary cause for a brand of basketball that almost made the league unwatchable for a few years. Not to mention acting like a perpetual high schooler off the court. His whole practice rant was all i needed to hear. He was genuinely mystified by the concept of making the team better in practice, not the individual. Worst thing in recent memory to ever happen to the league.
Allen Iverson and the 25 Greatest Undersized Players In NBA History Allen Iverson and the 25 Greatest Undersized Players In NBA History http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...est-undersized-players-in-nba-history/page/26
With all the accolades that Iverson has, Chauncey Billups has taken his teams just a little further than Iverson. And they're both the same age. Iverson, Nuggets 50 wins, 1st round playoffs exit 1 year after - Billups, Nuggets 54 wins, conference FINALS Iverson, went to NBA Finals Billups, WON an NBA Finals (and Finals MVP) Billups played on more talented teams no doubt. And using the same measure, that doesnt necessarily mean a player like Tony Parker is better than Iverson who of course has Tim Duncan and Greg Pops. ut Iverson's bottom line effect on winning and making teams better doesn't match his prestige. Its almost like the Steve Nash MVPs was a direct statement against all that saying "THIS is how a REAL PG IMPROVES his teams"
I remember after Game 1 of the Finals in 2001, I was with a bunch of my boys and even though it was like 10 or 11, we were so hyped, we went down to some outdoor courts in West Philly. The courts were PACKED and everyone was repping AI and the Sixers. Don't remember how many we won or lost, just remember everyone had a smile on their face. No fights, no beef, just basketball and good times. We balled until 3AM and even as we were leaving, people were STILL showing up to run pick-up. I know the series ended badly, but I will never forget that night. That's what AI meant to Philly. You can focus on his attitude or shot selection, but the dude was just such a joy to watch. And he is not absolutely broke, he has a trust that he can't get to for a few more years. He is HURTING now though, and it does make me sad.
He's 12th in all time steals in NBA history. He was top 10 in steals 10 seasons, top 6 in 8 seasons, and led the league in steals twice. There's that.
And is actually 8th in SPG in NBA history at 2.2, one of only 10 players in NBA history who averaged more then two steals per game. Meant to put that in the last post, but I can't edit. My bad.
