Allen Iverson

Allen Iverson
Iverson in 2008
Personal information
Born (1975-06-07) June 7, 1975 (age 49)
Hampton, Virginia, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Listed weight165 lb (75 kg)
Career information
High schoolBethel (Hampton, Virginia)
CollegeGeorgetown (1994–1996)
NBA draft1996: 1st round, 1st overall pick
Selected by the Philadelphia 76ers
Playing career1996–2011
PositionShooting guard/point guard
Number3, 1
Career history
1996–2006Philadelphia 76ers
2006–2008Denver Nuggets
2008–2009Detroit Pistons
2009Memphis Grizzlies
2009–2010Philadelphia 76ers
2010–2011Beşiktaş
Career highlights and awards
Career statistics
Points24,368 (26.7 ppg)
Rebounds3,394 (3.7 rpg)
Assists5,624 (6.2 apg)
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Basketball Hall of Fame as player
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 2004 Athens United States
FIBA Americas Championship
Gold medal – first place 2003 San Juan United States
Summer Universiade
Gold medal – first place 1995 Fukuoka United States

Allen Ezail Iverson (/ˈaɪvərsən/ EYE-vər-sən; born June 7, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player.[1][2] Nicknamed "the Answer", he played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) at both the shooting guard and point guard positions. Iverson won NBA Rookie of the Year Award in 1997 and was an 11-time NBA All-Star, won the All-Star Game MVP Award in 2001 and 2005, and was the NBA's Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 2001. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016. In October 2021, he was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.[3] Iverson is regarded as one of the game's greatest scorers, ball handlers, guards, and one of the most influential athletes in American sports.[4][5][6][7][8][9][10]

Iverson attended Bethel High School in Hampton, Virginia, and was a dual-sport athlete. He earned the Associated Press High School Player of the Year award in both football and basketball, and won the Division 5 AAA Virginia state championship in both sports.[11] After high school, Iverson played college basketball with the Georgetown Hoyas for two years, where he set the school record for career scoring average (23.0 points per game) and won the Big East Defensive Player of the Year award both years.[12]

Following two successful years at Georgetown University, Iverson declared eligibility for the 1996 NBA draft, and was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the first overall pick. He was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in the 1996–97 season. A four-time scoring champion, winning the NBA scoring title during the 1998–99, 2000–01, 2001–02, and 2004–05 seasons, Iverson was one of the most prolific scorers in NBA history, despite his relatively small stature (listed at 6 feet, 0 inches, or 183 centimeters). His regular season career scoring average of 26.7 points per game ranks seventh all-time, and his playoff career scoring average of 29.7 points per game trails only Michael Jordan and Luka Dončić. Iverson was also the NBA Most Valuable Player of the 2000–01 season, and led his team to the 2001 NBA Finals the same season. Iverson represented the United States at the 2004 Summer Olympics, winning the bronze medal.[13]

Later in his career, Iverson played for the Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, and the Memphis Grizzlies, before ending his NBA career with the 76ers during the 2009–10 season. He was rated the fifth-greatest NBA shooting guard of all time by ESPN in 2008.[14] He finished his career in Turkey with Beşiktaş in 2011. He returned as a player-coach for 3's Company in the inaugural season of the BIG3.

  1. ^ 2009–10 Memphis Grizzlies media guide Archived November 9, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, p. 22.
  2. ^ Cronin, Brian (September 12, 2012). "Was Allen Iverson once sued over his 'The Answer' nickname?". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Archived from the original on January 4, 2018. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  3. ^ nba.com/75
  4. ^ Martin, Gus (July 23, 2020). "Ranking The Top 10 Pure Scorers In NBA History". Fadeaway World. Archived from the original on June 3, 2021. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  5. ^ "20 greatest shooting guards ever: The HoopsHype list". hoopshype.com. September 24, 2021. Archived from the original on November 7, 2021. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  6. ^ Bitar, Eddie (May 29, 2020). "Ranking The 15 Most Influential Players In NBA History". Fadeaway World. Archived from the original on August 14, 2021. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  7. ^ Stark, Charlie (June 17, 2021). "Top 5 most influential NBA players of all time". Sports Retriever. Archived from the original on July 24, 2021. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  8. ^ Lynch, Josh (February 17, 2021). "10 most Influential Players in NBA History". www.sportskeeda.com. Archived from the original on August 14, 2021. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  9. ^ "Game Changers: Ranking the 100 most influential NBA players ever". ESPN.com. March 28, 2018. Archived from the original on August 14, 2021. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  10. ^ Tan, John (November 11, 2019). "Is Allen Iverson Most Influential Player In NBA History?". International Business Times. Archived from the original on August 14, 2021. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  11. ^ LYNN BURKE 247-4961 September 24, 2004 (September 24, 2004). "3. Allen Iverson". dailypress.com. Archived from the original on November 1, 2013. Retrieved August 4, 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  12. ^ "Allen Iverson". Georgetown Basketball History. December 3, 2010. Archived from the original on February 14, 2012. Retrieved November 19, 2011.
  13. ^ Masisonet, Eddie (September 5, 2017). "The Miseducation of the 2004 US Mens Olympic Basketball Team". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on April 18, 2020. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
  14. ^ "Special Dime: Greatest shooting guards of all time". ESPN. March 11, 2008. Archived from the original on March 14, 2008.