September 12, 2013

By Donald Hunt

Special to the NNPA from The Philadelphia Tribune

 

Allen Iverson is preparing to officially announce his retirement from the NBA soon according to a SLAM Web report. Iverson hasn’t played an NBA game since 2010 when he played for the Philadelphia 76ers. In 2011, he played professional basketball in Turkey.

Iverson, 38, played 13 seasons in the NBA. He averaged 26.7 points a game for his career during the regular season. In the playoffs, he tallied 29.7 points a game. Interviewed at a Sixers’ game on March 30, Iverson told SLAM, “My No. 1 goal is trying to accomplish to be the best dad that I can. And if basketball is in my near future, then God will make that happen. But if not, I had a great ride and I’ve done a lot of special things that a lot of guys have not been able to accomplish and people thought I couldn ‘t accomplish.”

Iverson played six years (1997-2003) for head coach Larry Brown with the Philadelphia 76ers, who now coaches SMU. Brown has vivid memories of coaching one of the NBA’s most explosive players.

“He might be the greatest athlete I’ve ever seen,” Brown told SLAM. “I don’t think there will be another one like him.”

Iverson was a tremendous scholastic basketball and football player at Bethel High School in Hampton, Va. He played his college basketball at Georgetown University from 1994 to 1996. The 6-foot, 165-pound shooting guard, was chosen by the Sixers with No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft. He was selected the NBA Rookie of the Year during the 1996-97 season. Iverson was named Most Valuable Player during the 2000-2001 season. That year, he led the Sixers to the NBA Finals.

He won four league scoring crowns. Iverson was selected to 11 NBA All-Star Games. He won the MVP honors in the 2001 NBA All-Star Game as well as 2005. He played for the Sixers from 1996 to 2006.

In 2006, he was traded to the Denver Nuggets. He played two seasons for the Nuggets. In 2008, he was traded to the Detroit Pistons where he played for one season. In 2009, he signed with the Memphis Grizzlies. That same year, the Sixers re-acquired him.

According to SLAM, Iverson will be eligible for enshrinement into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015.

Category: Sports