<div align="center"><font size="4">ALLEN IVERSON'S TOP 10 CAREER MOMENTS</font></div> <div align="center"><font size="2">~ A career in retrospect. ~</font></div> [imgl]http://www.nba.com/media/sixers/ai_no10_140.jpg[/imgl] <u>NUMBER 10</u> November 12, 2004 - He hit his first career game-winning shot, a 14-footer at the overtime horn, to give the 76ers a thrilling 106-104 victory over the Indiana Pacers. [imgr]http://www.nba.com/media/sixers/ai_no9_140.jpg[/imgr] <div align="right"><u>NUMBER 9</u> Two weeks after winning the game at the buzzer, Iverson did it again. This time, he stole Jarvis Hayes' inbounds pass and drove for a layup with just two-tenths of a second left in overtime, giving the 76ers a 116-114 victory over the Washington Wizards.</div> [imgl]http://www.nba.com/media/sixers/ai_no8_140.jpg[/imgl] <u>NUMBER 8</u> The Sixers 18-64 record in 1995-96 had the second-worst record in the NBA, giving them the second-best chance to win the first overall pick in the NBA Draft Lottery. When Iverson declared for the NBA Draft after his sophomore season, the stage was set for the Sixers to use that No. 1 pick on Iverson. [imgr]http://www.nba.com/media/sixers/ai_no7_140.jpg[/imgr] <div align="right"><u>NUMBER 7</u> The Sixers were not bound for the playoffs in Iverson's second year, but he still could generate excitment as the 1997-98 season came to a close. Iverson caught a flight on this play, skying out of the paint over Toronto's Marcus Canby for a put-back jam off a missed jumper.</div> [imgl]http://www.nba.com/media/sixers/ai_no6_140.jpg[/imgl] <u>NUMBER 6</u> Six All-Star games and two MVP awards. Iverson won his first award in 2001 with a 25-point performance, also adding five assists and four steals. In 2005, he won his second award with 15 points, nine assists and five rebounds on the day. [imgr]http://www.nba.com/media/sixers/ai_no5_140.jpg[/imgr] <div align="right"><u>NUMBER 5</u> On May 9, Iverson scored 54 points to lead the Sixers to a 97-92 victory. A week later, after receiving his MVP award during a pregame ceremony, Iverson drained 52 points in a 121-88 win. He became just the second player to score 50 or more twice in the same series, joining Michael Jordan.</div> [imgl]http://www.nba.com/media/sixers/ai_no4_140.jpg[/imgl] <u>NUMBER 4</u> February 12, 2005 - Iverson scored a career-high 60 points in a 112-99 victory over the Orlando Magic, becoming only the second player in franchise history (first was Wilt Chamberlain) to record a 60-point game. [imgr]http://www.nba.com/media/sixers/ai_no3_140.jpg[/imgr] <div align="right"><u>NUMBER 3</u> May 16, 2001 - Riding the wave of a magical season, Iverson received the MVP Trophy before Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against Toronto.</div> [imgl]http://www.nba.com/media/sixers/ai_no2_140.jpg[/imgl] <u>NUMBER 2</u> After being dogged by Tyronn Lue throughout Game 1 of the 2001 NBA Finals, Iverson shook Lue in the right corner and hit the jumper, and then stepped over a sprawled Lue on his way back down the floor to a Sixers victory. [imgr]http://www.nba.com/media/sixers/ai_no1_140.jpg[/imgr] <div align="right"><u>NUMBER 1</u> Crossing-over the legendary Michael Jordan The Sixers were playing host to the Bulls when Iverson came up the floor and was encountered by Jordan. In a play that perhaps represented the passing of a torch, Iverson faked to his left, then crossed-over to his right and blew past Jordan before sinking a jumper.</div> <div align="center">-------------------- ~ Courtesy of Sixers.com ~ --------------------</div> I'm extremely dissapointed in this list. I chose to post it because I think you guys will agree with me. This list was put together by more than 8,000 fans, and they made some huge mistakes. Is it just me or does the average Iverson fan just look at him as a crossover machine, and a flashy player? Sure, his shot percentage is not the greatest, but the guy does so many different things than just flashy moves and the such. The main reason I'm upset is pretty evident -- the last two spots. Both of those spots are "crossover spots," meaning they just showcase his crossover and nothing else. Sure the Tyronne Lue moment was entertaining and cocky as we watched it, but for an overall concensus on his career does it deserve to be ranked so high? Same with the Michael Jordan crossover, the most popular crossover in the history of basketball. Some signify it as a passing of the torch, but I somehow view it as being disrespectful. Not so much that he unleashed it on Michael, but so much that it's glorified to that extent by the fans. With that crossover alone many people sum up his career, which is wrong. People fail to realize that he is an extraordinary player because of his street persona, and the average street player outlook is evident as being flashy with no filling as the And 1 mixtapes and the such showcase. What do you guys view him as, and please be honest? I know many of you here are attracted by his streetball skills and flashy moves, but to you is there more to him than the media says there is?
I believe he is very street, and I love those moves but what i prefer even more is how much of a leader he is and how much he loves the games. I can't count the number of times I've seen him dive to the ground to get a loose ball. And the ammount of effort he puts in is amazing! You can see that on his face and expression when he plays.
Great thread Sasha! That dunk on Camby is one of my favorites. I also like that Lue shake up, I use it on the court too.
I really have no problem with the list but I know how many of Iverson fans may be attracted by the moves he has up his sleeve. When I first saw that crossover he pulled on Jordan I think we can all agree our jaws practically dropped. But Sasha...I`m not 100% sure if I know what your talking about...
how how is crossing over MJ the best moment in his career? winning the MVP was better as was leading them to a eastern conference championship
Read what I have to say, and you'll know that it's not. I didn't put together the list, I put it up so we can get a discussion going on and to see how many people agree and how many disagree with it. I thought we could, guess I was wrong.
Nah I agree with you Sasha, those top two crossovers shouldn't be ranked that high. Its pretty ridiculous to me, how can those be ranked above his MVP award and the Eastern Conference Title run? True is, a lot of people do see Iverson as a flashy guy with crossover and scoring. They fail to see his defensive abilities and hustle. For an example, I remember this one time against the Pacers when it was a pretty close game (pretty early in his career) and Iverson just kept hounding the Pacer with the ball. The when he did get it, he passed to Mckie with a few seconds left and Mckie popped in the three pointer. Phenomenal. Plus I don't think this years Pacers game (Number 10) should be up there. Its just plain stupid, he was playing horrible that entire night and just made the layup for the buzzer.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting JWohl:</div><div class="quote_post">how is crossing over MJ the best moment in his career? winning the MVP was better as was leading them to a eastern conference championship</div> i hafta agree with that...But crossing over MJ should also be in the top 5,i thnk...
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting JWohl:</div><div class="quote_post">how is crossing over MJ the best moment in his career? winning the MVP was better as was leading them to a eastern conference championship</div> gotta agree. even the 60pt game has got to be better than making one good move. just my .02...
I don't think you guys understand the magnitude of "crossing over jordan". Let's keep in mind here that Jordan wasn't just any basketball player, he was the best of all time. And not only the best, but one of the best defensive stopper the league has seen. When players went face to face with Jordan on the perimeter, the first thing they do is pass it to someone else, not take the legend one on one. Unless if your name was Iverson. Let's keep in mind here that Iverson was still a rookie and he was facing Jordan in the late-prime of his career. If it was anyone else in that position, they wouldn't have taken on the challenge. "Crossing over Jordan" wasn't just a flashy move, it was a statement, and a bold one at that. It basically said, "I'm not backing down from anyone, even if it's the greatest player of all time".
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting subrock:</div><div class="quote_post">I don't think you guys understand the magnitude of "crossing over jordan". Let's keep in mind here that Jordan wasn't just any basketball player, he was the best of all time. And not only the best, but one of the best defensive stopper the league has seen. When players went face to face with Jordan on the perimeter, the first thing they do is pass it to someone else, not take the legend one on one. Unless if your name was Iverson. Let's keep in mind here that Iverson was still a rookie and he was facing Jordan in the late-prime of his career. If it was anyone else in that position, they wouldn't have taken on the challenge. "Crossing over Jordan" wasn't just a flashy move, it was a statement, and a bold one at that. It basically said, "I'm not backing down from anyone, even if it's the greatest player of all time".</div> Sure, that makes sense. However to your avid Allen Iverson follower -- a kid from the urban surroundings who witnesses streetball daily or a suburban kid trying to rectify the glory of what is the urban lifestyle and streetball being a part of it, is different. The editors of Sixers.com put the list on without any type of explanation, and that's the point I'm trying to get across. Your average reader will look at this and say "sure, that's right" or "sick crossover," but they fail to realize that they are just categorizing this basketball player based on a single characteristic of his. How does one's nine year career come back to a rookie move, when that one's nine year career is spawned with a trip to the finals, a most valuable player award, multiple scoring titles, multiple all-star game titles, and other accomplishments? How does the official website of the team that, that one player plays for diminish his whole career for a certain moment in which a rookie stood up to the greatest the game has ever seen? How do you do the same thing? Is it not better in your eyes to see a player such as Iverson reach the level he is at, receive such accomplishments as the ones mentioned above then stand up to a legend? Is it not better to establish yourself as being yourself by the very game you have played for nine years than to succumb to a Sportscenter highlight? Maybe I miss the whole point of evolution within sports. Is it that our eyes and our minds would rather see a sheer moment of excellence than one of a span of nine years?
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting subrock:</div><div class="quote_post">I don't think you guys understand the magnitude of "crossing over jordan". Let's keep in mind here that Jordan wasn't just any basketball player, he was the best of all time. And not only the best, but one of the best defensive stopper the league has seen. When players went face to face with Jordan on the perimeter, the first thing they do is pass it to someone else, not take the legend one on one. Unless if your name was Iverson. Let's keep in mind here that Iverson was still a rookie and he was facing Jordan in the late-prime of his career. If it was anyone else in that position, they wouldn't have taken on the challenge. "Crossing over Jordan" wasn't just a flashy move, it was a statement, and a bold one at that. It basically said, "I'm not backing down from anyone, even if it's the greatest player of all time".</div> first, I do understand the "magnatude" of it.... I just think that using terms like magnatude to describe that one play in and of itself is just a bit over the top. As for the part about if anyone else were in the same position as Iverson? that is just pure BS... There would have been plenty of players that would have loved to step up and give it a try. That is not to say they would have succeeded, but there are always those that think they have the game it takes to pull it off when they are in that kind of a situation. Perhaps I'm too pragmatic, but if you ask me, Iverson crossing over jordan makes less of a statement than 60 points in a game.
If you can talk to Iverson himself right now I bet even he wouldn't say that crossing over MJ isn't his number one greatest moment of his career. How about getting to the finals? Or winning the MVP? Last time I checked, there wasn't a stat counting how many times you crossed a player over and I think that Iverson or anybody would rather go to the NBA finals then cross over Jordan. Good thread Sasha, with a lot of great Iverson moments. But there is no way that crossing over a player is a greater feat then going to the finals or winning the MVP.
