Fansided

NBA: 2000s All-Decade second team

By Gerald Bourguet

Nov 15, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Dallas Mavericks power forward Dirk Nowitzki (41) shoots as Miami Heat shooting guard Dwyane Wade (3) looks on during the first quarter at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 15, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Dallas Mavericks power forward Dirk Nowitzki (41) shoots as Miami Heat shooting guard Dwyane Wade (3) looks on during the first quarter at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /
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NBA
Mar 1, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers former guard Allen Iverson during his jersey number retirement ceremony at halftime of game between the 76ers and Washington Wizards at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports /

Second Team: G – Allen Iverson:

2000s Resume: 10 seasons, one NBA Finals appearance, one regular season MVP award, two-time All-NBA First Team, three-time All-NBA Second Team, one-time All-NBA Third Team, three-time NBA leader in scoring, three-time NBA leader in steals, 10-time NBA All-Star, 27.9 PPG, 6.2 APG and 2.2 SPG, 21.1 average PER

Allen Iverson was the closest thing in NBA history to a real-life Mighty Mouse, only if Mighty Mouse had corn rows, wore baggy clothes, swore at officials who pissed him off and enraged an older generation of basketball fans while simultaneously speaking to a whole new one. For the younger basketball fans, he was the Answer; for others, he was the problem. But no matter where you stand on his controversial career, no one can deny the heart and talent that was on display every night A.I. took the court.

Iverson carried his Philadelphia 76ers to the 2001 NBA Finals — the year he won his MVP award — in a way that no one other than LeBron James has done since. He ran into the Kobe Bryant-Shaquille O’Neal buzz saw, but he was magnificent in the series, averaging 35.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game. And who could forget his transcendent Game 1, when he capped off a 48-point performance with the infamous Tyronn Lue stepback and stomp to lead Philly to its lone victory of the series?

Advanced statistics tell us now that Iverson was an inefficient high-volume scorer, but he was more enjoyable to watch jack up impossible shots than anyone in NBA history. At 6’0″, Iverson was one of the league’s fiercest warriors, he was a cultural icon for a new era of NBA superstars (for better or worse) and though he never captured that NBA title, he’s one of the all-time Philly greats. He may have peaked in the early half of the decade, but doesn’t the Practice Rant more than make up for it?