It wasn’t that long ago that Allen Iverson had contemplated retirement, until Philadelphia asked him to rethink his decision and return to the city where his NBA Career Started.
On Dec. 3, 2009 A-I signed a free agent contract with the Sixers and to date has started 16 games, averaging 14.8 points, 4.5 assists and 2.9 rebounds in 33.5 minutes per game. He is also shooting a career-high tying 46.1% from the floor this season.
Tonight, the 34 year old Iverson was named a starter for the Eastern Conference All Star Game. It is Iverson's 11th straight All-Star appearance and his first as a Sixer since 2006, which is also the last time Philadelphia has had a player in the All-Star Game.
"I just want to thank everybody for their support this season and it's an honor that the fans have voted me into the All-Star Game as a starter," Iverson said. "The fans are who make us and make the NBA so popular. This year is even more special because that I'll be representing a city and fans that I love and a team that has been such a big part of my life throughout my career."
Iverson finished second among Eastern Conference guards with 1,269,568 votes, trailing only Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade at the position, despite appearing on the All-Star ballot among Western Conference guards.
A two-time All-Star Game MVP in 2001 and 2005, Iverson becomes just the 26th player in league history to earn at least 11 All-Star appearances. The 34-year-old made his first All-Star team at the age of 24 back in 2000.
I was actually at last nights Sixers-Trail Blazers game here in Philly and while it’s clear Allen has lost a step or two, there were still flashes of the Iverson that NBA fans had come to appreciate over the years, like that vintage fall away jumper.
Iverson recently played the 900th game of his career vs. Toronto on January 8, 2010. He is 24 steals away from becoming the 12th player in league history to accumulate 2,000 career steals.
The Sixers selected Iverson with the first overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft. In 2001, he helped guide the Sixers to the NBA Finals, earning the league's Most Valuable Player award that season for his efforts.
Iverson has been named to a total of seven All-NBA teams (First Team in 1998-99, 2000-01 and 2004-05; Second Team in 1999-00, 2001-02 and 2002-03; Third Team in 2005-06). He led the NBA in scoring four times as a Sixer, becoming one of only four players in league history to capture four-plus scoring titles. Iverson is also the second leading scorer in franchise history, trailing only Hal Greer.
Note: Iverson quote courtesy Philadelphia Seventy Sixers.
On Dec. 3, 2009 A-I signed a free agent contract with the Sixers and to date has started 16 games, averaging 14.8 points, 4.5 assists and 2.9 rebounds in 33.5 minutes per game. He is also shooting a career-high tying 46.1% from the floor this season.
Tonight, the 34 year old Iverson was named a starter for the Eastern Conference All Star Game. It is Iverson's 11th straight All-Star appearance and his first as a Sixer since 2006, which is also the last time Philadelphia has had a player in the All-Star Game.
"I just want to thank everybody for their support this season and it's an honor that the fans have voted me into the All-Star Game as a starter," Iverson said. "The fans are who make us and make the NBA so popular. This year is even more special because that I'll be representing a city and fans that I love and a team that has been such a big part of my life throughout my career."
Iverson finished second among Eastern Conference guards with 1,269,568 votes, trailing only Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade at the position, despite appearing on the All-Star ballot among Western Conference guards.
A two-time All-Star Game MVP in 2001 and 2005, Iverson becomes just the 26th player in league history to earn at least 11 All-Star appearances. The 34-year-old made his first All-Star team at the age of 24 back in 2000.
I was actually at last nights Sixers-Trail Blazers game here in Philly and while it’s clear Allen has lost a step or two, there were still flashes of the Iverson that NBA fans had come to appreciate over the years, like that vintage fall away jumper.
Iverson recently played the 900th game of his career vs. Toronto on January 8, 2010. He is 24 steals away from becoming the 12th player in league history to accumulate 2,000 career steals.
The Sixers selected Iverson with the first overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft. In 2001, he helped guide the Sixers to the NBA Finals, earning the league's Most Valuable Player award that season for his efforts.
Iverson has been named to a total of seven All-NBA teams (First Team in 1998-99, 2000-01 and 2004-05; Second Team in 1999-00, 2001-02 and 2002-03; Third Team in 2005-06). He led the NBA in scoring four times as a Sixer, becoming one of only four players in league history to capture four-plus scoring titles. Iverson is also the second leading scorer in franchise history, trailing only Hal Greer.
Note: Iverson quote courtesy Philadelphia Seventy Sixers.
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