5 greatest moments of Allen Iverson’s career

With the NBA Draft only two weeks away, and with the Philadelphia 76ers selecting first overall, we take a look at the top 5 on-court moments of their last No. 1 pick, Allen Iverson.

When the Philadelphia 76ers selected Allen Iverson first overall in the 1996 NBA Draft, it was a monumental moment in the history of the franchise. In a draft that included at least four Hall of Famers, Iverson was the lightning rod of the draft, and his NBA career did not disappoint. One of the best number one draft picks of all-time, AI would transcend the game, leaving his mark as one of the best guards in NBA history.

The first round of the 1996 draft produced some of the best guards the NBA has seen since.  Selected in that first round were Ray Allen (pick 5, Minnesota Timberwolves), Kobe Bryant (pick 13, Charlotte Hornets), and Steve Nash (pick 15, Phoenix Suns), all of whom should receive a call from the NBA Hall of Fame at some point in the near future. Iverson has already been selected for the Hall, and will be inducted on September 9 of this year. A final piece to an incredible puzzle of a career.

An 11-time All-Star, Iverson was an unstoppable force at the guard position, leading the league in scoring four times. The 2001 NBA Most Valuable Player, he did not let his diminutive size (6’0”) affect his play, going toe to toe against bigger competition on a nightly basis. His competitive fire captured 76ers fans, bringing the crowd to their feet every night. When all was said and done, he would be named All-NBA First Team three times, All-Star Game MVP twice, and would lead the Sixers to their first NBA Finals appearance (2001) since 1983.

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Iverson’s career was a wild ride, that started with him being named the 1997 NBA Rookie of the Year, and ended with him making a triumphant return to the Sixers in 2009, after playing for the Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, and the Dallas Mavericks. However, his return was shortlived, as Iverson left the Sixers to be with his daughter in February and never returned. That season, fellow 1996 draft pick Kobe Bryant would be named the MVP of the NBA Finals.

His Sixers story would have a happy ending as the team retired his No.3 in February of 2014. The man they called “The Answer” did it all in his NBA career, and here is a look at his top five moments on the hardwood.

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