The Answer Turns 50

Allen Iverson in 2006. Photo credit: Lisa Blumenfeld, Getty Images.

One of the NBA’s greatest celebrates a milestone birthday on June 7 as Allen Iverson turns 50. 

When he came out of Georgetown University in 1996 as the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft, Iverson was fresh off a Big East Final appearance. He was an explosive guard with a low fade who had averaged 25.0 points, 4.7 assists, and 3.4 steals as a sophomore on his way to 1st team All-American honors. In his freshman season, Iverson averaged 20.4 points, 4.5 assists, and 3.0 steals. Accolades that Iverson rung up in college included 2-time All-Big East, 2-time All-Region, 2-time All-Big East Tournament, 2-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year, Big East All-Freshman and being named the 1994-95 Big East Rookie of the Year. 

Before Georgetown, Iverson was a star athlete at Bethel High School in Hampton, Va., where he excelled at both basketball and football, a two-way superstar playing quarterback and defensive back on the Bruins’ football team. Iverson was the Associated Press High School Player of the Year in both sports and led both the Bruin basketball and football teams to the Division 5 AAA State Championship. 

The ‘96 Draft is regarded as one of the best in NBA history, with Iverson the toast of a class that included Kobe Bryant, Ray Allen, Steve Nash, Jermaine O’Neal, Peja Stojakovic, Stephon Marbury, Antoine Walker, Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Zydrunas Ilgauskas. Four Hall of Famers and 10 All-Stars. Five Hall of Famers and 11 All-Stars if you include the undrafted Ben Wallace. 

Iverson won Rookie of the Year honors in 1996-97, averaging 23.5 points, 7.5 assists, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.1 steals on 42% in 74 starts, playing 40.1 minutes per game. It was his first of 13 seasons in his career averaging at least 40 minutes per game. To put in perspective how much pride he took in playing as much as he could, the NBA minutes leader in 2024-25 was Tyrese Maxey who averaged 37.7 minutes per contest. 

In his third season of 1998-99, Iverson took a leap, averaging 26.8 points per game (his first of four scoring titles), 4.9 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 2.3 steals on 41% shooting. A 28-22 finish in the lockout-shortened campaign was a huge improvement on a 31-51 Sixers’ season in 1997-98, and for his efforts Iverson garnered a fourth-place MVP finish behind Karl Malone, Alonzo Mourning, and Tim Duncan and made All-NBA 1st team. 

Iverson’s first all-star season would commence in 1999-00, his first of eight consecutive all-star campaigns and first of 11 overall career all-star appearances. He played 70 games, averaged 40.8 minutes, 28.4 points, 4.7 assists, and 2.1 steals on 42% shooting. All-NBA 2nd team and seventh in MVP voting. 

By now, the intrigue of Iverson had already morphed into established stardom. He had been looked at as a sort of problem child by some media coming into the league after a high school incident. His image was different. He didn’t wear suits. Wore jewelry, baggy clothes. Durags to keep his cornrows tight. Some could not handle it. They didn’t like the fact that he was his own man. Authentic. True to himself. Changing the game in more ways than just on the court. 

2000-01 was the official arrival of Allen. Whatever your question, simple or complex, he was the Answer. In March of 2008, when Fifth Avenue’s NBA Store celebrated its 10th anniversary, Iverson’s No. 3 stood as the third most sold jersey at the store since its September 18, 1998 opening. Only Michael Jordan’s No. 23 and Kobe Bryant’s No. 8 were desired more frequently. For a generation that never saw Wilt Chamberlain or Slick Watts, AI popularized the headband. The arm sleeve and baggy shorts, too. 

In 2000-01, Iverson was the league’s MVP, dissolving all doubt about whether a small guy could win Most Valuable Player or lead his team to a Final. 31.1 points, 4.6 assists, a league leading 2.5 steals. 71 games. 42.0 minutes. 42% shooting. All-NBA 1st team. The 76ers won 56 games, seven more than the year prior. Six times in the ‘01 postseason, Iverson scored 40 or more points. In a seven game duel with Vince Carter in the second round, Iverson poured in 54 points in Game 2 and 52 points in Game 5. In Game 7, he posted 21 points and 16 assists. In the Eastern Conference Finals against former Big East rival Ray Allen and the Milwaukee Bucks, Iverson scored 46 and 44 in Games 6 and 7. 

On June 6, 2001, 24 years ago yesterday, he scored 48 points (18-of-41) in 53 minutes in the 76ers’ 107-101 win over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of the Finals. The AI highlight from the game is his crossover of Tyronn Lue, but more impressive is the six-point Sixer win. It was the only loss the Lakers suffered that postseason, as Iverson prevented history from a 56-win team. Iverson was limited to 10-of-29 in Game 2, but scored 35 (12 rebounds), 35, and 37 in Games 3, 4, and 5. 

Iverson again led the NBA in scoring (31.4 points) and steals (2.8) for the second consecutive season in 2001-02, while also leading in minutes per game (43.7) and field-goal makes (11.1). He also averaged 5.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds. All-NBA 2nd team and a top 10 MVP finish (9th) as the Sixers won 43 games. 

Over the next two seasons, Iverson averaged 27.6 points, 5.5 assists, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.7 steals in 2002-03 (2.7 steals and 42.5 minutes were tops in the league) and 26.4 points and 6.8 assists and 2.4 steals (42.5 minutes again, tops in the league) in 2003-04. All-NBA 2nd team in 2002-03. 

In 2004-05, Iverson in 75 games led the league in scoring for his fourth and final time (30.7 points per game) and averaged 7.9 assists, the most of his career. He also averaged 2.4 steals for the second consecutive season. As he did in 2001-02, he led the NBA in makes and attempts (10.3, 24.2). All-NBA 1st team for the final time. On February 12, 2005, Iverson scored a career-high 60 points against the Orlando Magic on 17-of-36 shooting and 24-of-27 from the line in 42 minutes. 6 assists and 5 steals, too. The 2004-05 Sixers won 43 games and made the playoffs. A veteran Chris Webber aided Iverson with 15.6 points per game. 

After the 2002-03 season, Larry Brown was out as 76er head coach, and the team went through Randy Ayers and Chris Ford in 2003-04 before Jim O’Brien for one season, 2004-05. 

The 76ers drafted Andre Iguodala ninth overall in 2004, who formed a dynamic pairing with Iverson, now 30. 

Iverson averaged a career-high 33.0 points in 2005-06 on 44.7% shooting, along with 7.4 assists. He led the league in minutes at 43.1. All-NBA 3rd team. 

In 2006-07, going into year two with Maurice Cheeks as head coach, the 76ers traded Iverson, one of their true veterans after Webber and Kevin Ollie, to the Denver Nuggets fifteen games into the season on December 19, 2006. In return, the 76ers received guard Andre Miller and 1995 No. 1 overall pick Joe Smith. 

Iverson saw a decrease in shots in Denver as he teamed with star forward Carmelo Anthony, and in 50 games to finish out that season averaged 24.8 points and 7.2 assists on 19 shots per game (45.4%). The Nuggets lost in the first round in five games to the San Antonio Spurs. 

The following season, 2007-08, Iverson started and played in all 82 games for the second time in his career (2002-03). 41.8 minutes per game led the league. 45.8% shooting on 19 shots. 26.4 points, 7.1 assists. An All-Star for the ninth time. 

Though an explosive scoring duo, Iverson and Anthony were a tricky combination of two primary scorers. The 2007-08 Nuggets won 50 games but lost in the first round to the Los Angeles Lakers. 

After 141 games as a Denver Nugget and still productive at age 33, Iverson was traded on November 3, 2008 to the Detroit Pistons for Chauncey Billups, Antonio McDyess, and Cheikh Samb. Iverson played 54 games as a Piston, played 36.5 minutes per game, and averaged 15 shots for 17.4 points. 

In 2010, Iverson was voted in as a starter to the All-Star Game but did not play. That season, he spent three games with the Grizzlies and a farewell 25 games back with the 76ers, where he reunited with Iguodala and also played alongside 10-year veteran Elton Brand. In his final 25 NBA games, Iverson played 31.9 minutes per game and shot 41.7% on 12 shots per game for an average of 13.9 points. In 2010-11, Iverson played 10 games for Besiktas J.K. of the Turkish Super League. 

Iverson’s 26.7 points per game average over the course of his career was for a long time the fifth-most in NBA history behind Michael Jordan’s 30.2, Wilt Chamberlain’s 30.1, Elgin Baylor’s 27.4 and Jerry West’s 27.0. Iverson’s four scoring titles are tied with Kevin Durant and George Gervin for the third most in NBA history behind Jordan’s 10 and Chamberlain’s seven. 

Over his 14 seasons, Iverson averaged 6.2 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.2 steals, shooting 42.5% and playing 41.1 minutes per game and starting 901 out of 914 games. 

In his 76er career, Iverson averaged 27.6 points and 6.1 assists along with 2.3 steals. His tenure in Philly included his four scoring titles and three steals titles. He averaged 41.4 minutes per game as a 76er and 42.0 minutes as a Nugget, and between both teams started 851 out of 857 games.

In 2016, Iverson was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. 

Iverson’s imprint on the game is forever etched as one of its greatest and most fearless competitors. As a rookie, he crossed over Jordan. In his prime, he took a Finals’ game from the last NBA team to 3-peat. He kept you off balance. You go one way while he goes the other. Listed at 6 foot, 165 pounds, Iverson might have been smaller and lighter than that. In an era that still had your giant centers and big men commanding the middle, Iverson was a fearless finisher, a lethal scorer. While the current era has rampant load management, Iverson prided himself on playing all the time and giving the game everything that he had - “I play every game like it's my last” was often his saying. 

A culture re-setter. A symbol of individuality. An everlasting example of drive. Passion. Heart. A legend of the game in a sport that not long before him was known for giants. The small guy with a strong beating heart. One of the most competitive. The most fearless. 

Happy 50th Birthday, Allen Iverson.