Allen Iverson is “The Answer”

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SteemSports Presenter:@dwin0603

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SteemSports Editor:@scottybuckets

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Allen Iverson is arguably the best 6-foot guy in the history of the NBA. He arguably has the best handles the league has ever saw. He’s one of the most exciting players to watch back in the 90’s and the 2000’s. He was idolized by most of the 90’s kid out there. But unfortunately, he wasn’t able to take home a championship and a championship ring in his hands. He was a Hall of Famer but he failed to win it all the way in the Finals. He also hasn’t finished his career in a great way. He signed in different teams in the last years of his career and his reputation is decreasing very fast in the verge of his retirement.

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I think it’s very familiar. This thing is also happening to Carmelo Anthony right now. His skills are declining but he still thinks of himself as a superstar. Same happened to Allen Iverson. He also didn’t want to go off the bench in the last years of his career and people are hating him that time. But despite all that, people are missing Iverson play in the hard court. He’s still a very respectable icon in the NBA today. A Hall of Famer. One of the greatest of all-time.

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Now let’s talk about practice. Lol. Just kidding. Let’s talk about Allen Iverson and how he reached the Hall of Fame Class.

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Iverson’s Background

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Allen Iverson was born on June 7, 1975 in Hampton, Virginia. Her mother gave birth to him at the age of 15 and his Father left him early. A.I. didn’t have a nice living when he was young. He also struggles in life and grow in a place where crimes and drugs are part of his everyday life. In Highschool, he went to Bethel high school where he started to love sports. But it’s now basketball at first. He first played football as quarterback. But later on, he became interested in basketball also. In his junior year, his talent was already showcased as he led his teams to Virginia state championships. What’s more interesting is, I’m talking about both of his teams. The basketball team and the Football team.

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In College basketball, Iverson played his first season with Georgetown. He won rookie of the year award and led his team to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament but unfortunately, they lost to South Carolina. In his final year in college, Iverson took his team closer and reached the Elite 8 of the NCAA Tournament but then lost again. After that, Iverson declared for the 1996 NBA Draft where he was selected number 1 overall by the Philadelphia 76ers.

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Achievements

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Let’s now talk about his career achievements. Iverson was named the 2001 NBA Most Valuable Player. I can say that winning the MVP that time was tough because there is a lot of tough guys in the league at that time. There is Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal and more. For a guy 6-feet tall, it’s almost impossible but Allen Iverson is in a whole different level. Let’s elaborate that later on. Iverson is an 11-time NBA All-star, 4-time NBA Scoring Champion, 7-time All-NBA Selection, Rookie of the Year in 1997 and 2-time NBA All-star Game MVP.

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A.I.’s best years are with the Philadelphia 76ers where he brought the mediocre Sixers team all the way to the Finals and upset the power house Los Angles Lakers led by Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal in Game 1 at Staples Center. But the Lakers came back and took away the hopes of Iverson and the Sixers to win a championship. It was an amazing experience watching that series. I never saw Iverson that good and that was the best performance I think in his whole career where he beat the Lakers in Game 1 of the Finals all by himself. He was in a different level there and no one can stop him at that moment.

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A.I.’s Skillsets

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Allen Iverson is one of the filthiest ball handlers you will ever see. That is what makes him so good in offense. He is so good in changing direction and using hesitations to freeze the defenders or make them move backwards scared of Iverson’s quick first step. When you analyze how he attacks the basket, you will see that he uses his quickness towards the opponents then quickly stuns the defender and make it step backwards then he will quickly pull up for a jumper or step back to create a lot of space. He’s a deadly mid-range shooter so when he saw the defender put its feet backwards, he will immediately take action and make the opponent pay with his shooting.

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Iverson is also great in protecting the ball while observing his defender at the same time. Sometimes he uses the hesitation by stopping from a quick drive then fakes that he will pull up for a jump shot, and when the opponent moves forward thinking that he will take a shot, he will immediately blow by his defender with a quick change of direction for an easy layup. He reads his opponents movement excellently and he explodes strongly and attack the rim.

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A.I. is very smart that he can think quickly in the game and in a certain situation where he can avoid the help defense and beat his man off the dribble. He had a lot of moves up his sleeves and uses those skills from what situation he’s in. He always looks for the open space and shoot a high percentage shot than taking it against multiple defenders. Iverson is one of the most intimidating guys in the history of the NBA. He will stare you down before even taking a shot and he will show his emotions especially in big games. Remember the stepping over on Ty Lue in the Finals? That was one of the best highlights of his career.

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The Answer loves going baseline. He loves that spot because he can use his quickness more effectively from the baseline and avoid the help defense by taking a reverse layup or a quick shot after blowing by his defender. He’s a great finisher and an acrobat. He can change his shot in mid-air and still remain in balance to finish a shot decently. His vertical is quite under rated. I think he’s one of the most athletic point guards especially by looking at his height of 6-feet. He can dunk and get some put back dunks. He’s a monster. The NBA is lucky that Iverson is only 6 foot tall. If he is 6’4 or 6’6 I think he can be the Greatest of All-time. He can be unstoppable and will easily dominate the league if he grew more inches.

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Iverson is the master of the Killer Cross Over. Remember the time when he crosses over Michael Jordan? That was a nasty one and will be remembered forever by basketball fans. His change in speed when crossing over is exceptional. And the way he hangs it slowly and crosses it back is just unpredictable. He uses his shoulder and his body to sell a blow by then shifts direction using a cross over as the defender couldn’t recover from being misdirected. Another one of his favorite moves is the hop-step where he uses it to create space and at the same time to misdirect opponents to finish with a great look closer to the rim. He also uses that to avoid the shot blocker to reach his shots.

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You think A.I. is just a dominant ball handler? That was wrong because Iverson is also a nice catch and shoot player. If you watched A.I. a lot when he was still playing, I’m sure you know what I’m blabbering here. Watch some of his highlights and you will only see cross overs, layups and mid-range shots but if you watch a whole game, you can see him playing around screens and looking for a great look for an immediate score. He can set his feet quickly that helps him get more rhythm for more accurate shot.

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Thoughts

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Iverson has brought so much to the game of basketball. He influences young ballers greatly that his signature moves have been passed down to the next generation and being used by some of the active players today like, John Wall, Kyrie Irving, Stephen Curry, Rajon Rondo and more. He is now a Hall of Famer and he deserved that well. This man’s talent is a once in a generation only and cannot be replaced. I never saw a man 6-feet tall that plays at his level. I think nobody will and he will surely be remembered forever in the history of basketball.

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Thank you for following @steemsports and you can find me @dwin0603

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