Allen Iverson

Michael Curry tryes to keep Detroit away from rumours consequences

2009-02-06T23:39:00.000-08:00

The NBA trading deadline is in less than two weeks, which means trade rumors will float around regardless of how baseless or unsubstantiated they might be.

In fact, it makes for good water cooler conversation, but there is a potential downside for the players mentioned and their squads.

It’s interesting to mention that trade speculation can get in the way of player performance, and also how a squad plays.

But the topic of trade rumors is not one Pistons coach Michael Curry will address with his players.

"I leave that up to management," Curry told reporters after Friday's practice. "A lot of times, the more you talk about things, the more they become a theme or whatever. I never worried about it as a player, so maybe that's where I draw it from."

The Pistons already made a blockbuster trade this season at the time they sent captain Chauncey Billups and forward Antonio McDyess along with Cheikh Samb to Denver for Allen Iverson on Nov. 3.

More than three months have passed since the trade, and the Pistons still are figuring out how to mesh Iverson's talents with the current group of Pistons.

As we said, Detroit is 22-21 since the trade with Iverson in the lineup, and 4-0 without him.

Joe Dumars, Detroit's president of basketball operations, has heard several players linked to Detroit as possible trade targets.

While he will not rule out another important trade, Dumars expressed in an e-mail Friday there is "nothing but the usual chatter" between him and fellow league executives leading up to the Feb. 19 trade deadline.

If the squad does consider making a move, Dumars must weigh the deal's impact on a roster that has not handled change particularly well this season.

"To be really good, you have to be able to handle change," the Coach expressed. "You have to be able to handle trade rumors, just anything that comes up; just stay steady. The steadier you can be, the better you perform."

Allen Iverson still thinks about final victory

2009-02-06T23:37:00.000-08:00

Asked about Detroit Pistons' prospects after their latest loss -- Sunday's 90-80 defeat by Cleveland -- Allen Iverson responded as expected.

Indeed, despite losing nine of their past 12 clashs and watching the Cavaliers and Boston Celtics dominate late in their last two losses, the Pistons still have plenty of time, Iverson expressed.

"I'm sure everybody's confidence is still up because we got a long way to go," expressed Iverson, who scored 22 points against the Cavs. "At this point, even before the All-Popular player break, if we lose our confidence there isn't any reason to even come back after break because we would be going out there playing for nothing.

"My confidence is at an all-time high, honestly, because I still feel good about the guys I play with and our coaching staff."

But it's tough for others to share Iverson's bravado.

It’s good to say that January's 6-9 record was the squad's first losing month since February 2004 -- which happens to be the month Rasheed Wallace joined the Pistons during their last NBA title run.

Detroit is 25-21 and tied for the fifth-best record in the Eastern Conference, but the Pistons are only four clashs ahead of the ninth-place New York Knicks at 21-25. Finish ninth, and the Pistons are watching the playoffs in their comfortable living rooms.

The squad's recent bad defense has made headlines, and rightfully so, since there have been some frightful outings.

But the Pistons are fourth in the NBA in scoring defense (93.2) and seventh in field-goal percentage defense (44.9%).

As we said before, the problem is on the offensive end, where the Pistons are still disjointed after trading for Iverson nearly three months ago. The Pistons are 28th in scoring (92.9).

Coach Michael Curry would like to run more to take advantage of the open-court skills of Iverson and Rodney Stuckey, but do other members of the squad mesh with that style?

The Pistons saw two squads in sync over the weekend in the Cavaliers and Celtics.

"Those two squads are all on the same page, offensively and defensively," backup guard Arron Afflalo expressed. "They have one common goal, and that's to win the clash and do whatever it takes to win. And that's the point we all have to get to."

And though it may be tough to believe right now, others say they share Iverson's confidence.

"I’m sure it's going to take a lot (to turn things around)," Tayshaun Prince expressed. "It starts in practice. Everybody has to buckle down and take it individually. We just have to respond.

"It's frustrating. Especially for guys like myself, (Rip Hamilton) and (Wallace) who've had the success we've had here. To come in here and take the losses and losing the way we have, it's frustrating."

Iverson had a bad night as Pistons beat Nuggets

2008-02-26T19:09:00.000-08:00

It's true that the Detroit Pistons still are a man-to-man defensive squad, but they have shown the ability to mix it up with some zone and an occasional double team. That made them win in the past.

However, the Pistons used just about every defensive trick at their disposal, all of which were needed, as they held on to defeat the Denver Nuggets, 98-93 on Monday night.

Indeed, Denver, led by two of the league's most explosive scorers in Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson, shot just 36 percent from the field. Anthony and the popular "Answer" were a combined 15-of-39 from the field. In the pivotal fourth quarter, Denver's dynamic duo missed five of their six shots from the field.

"And to hold a side like that to 93 points in their building is pretty good," Detroit coach Flip Saunders expressed.

The strong Tayshaun Prince, one of three Pistons to score 20 points, talked about how the Pistons switched their defense when Anthony and Iverson got on a roll.

In fact, Detroit played some zone, did some tilting, and, at times, even double-teamed the two All-Stars. That forced other Nuggets, such as Linas Kleiza (eight points) and J.R. Smith (13 points), to make plays.

"But once we went back to man, we were able to get key stops and make some shots on the offensive end," Prince concluded.

Now Denver have one more reason to re-think their strategy.

Iverson lead Nuggets' win over Mavs

2007-12-07T15:03:00.000-08:00

He wanted a revenge. Allen Iverson netted 35 points just a night after putting up 51, and this time it was enough to lead the Denver Nuggets to victory, sending them past the host Dallas Mavericks 122-109 Thursday night.

Indeed, the "Answer" made a great effort against the Los Angeles Lakers, and it came in defeat. But this time, he mixed in 12 assists as the Nuggets won for the third time in seven games.

"A.I. had it all going from everywhere," admitted Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki, who had 32 points and 12 rebounds. "He was driving and making shots in-between."

We must notice that Linas Kleiza benefited from Iverson's passing, scoring 23 points. Carmelo Anthony also had 23 despite shooting 9 for 30 from the field.

Also Jerry Stackhouse added 23 points for the Mavericks, who lost their second in a row, third in four encounters and sixth in the past nine.

The Mavs gave up its most points this season in a quarter (39, the first), a half (64, the first) and a game.

"It was a layup drill out there," Nowitzki expressed. "At no point in the game I thought we could really stop them."

Allen Iverson made 12 of 19 field goals and was 11 of 13 from the line. He played 43 minutes, despite having gone all 48 the night before.

"He's the Energizer bunny," said fellow starting guard Anthony Carter. "He just doesn't get tired. Indeed, he was charged up for this game."

The Nuggets led by as many as 16 before the Mavericks tied it at 82 late in the third quarter. Dallas was still within 94-92 in the final minute of the period. But a pair of baskets by Iverson in the final seconds of the quarter started a 13-2 spurt that also included a three-pointer from defensive specialist Eduardo Najera.

It's important to mention that Josh Howard had 20 points for Dallas. He had 17 at halftime, then got his fourth foul seconds into third quarter and didn't score again until there was 8:18 to play.

The German Nowitzki scored 13 points in the third quarter but had only two in the final 16 minutes.

Rockets defeated Nuggets 109-81

2007-11-26T02:42:00.000-08:00

Rockets superstar Tracy McGrady led all scorers with 35 points Saturday night, as Houston beat Denver Nuggets with a grim109-81.

Chinise giantYao Ming finished with 22 points and 13 rebounds, Shane Battier scored eight points and pulled down 12 rebounds, and Steve Francis scored 10, as the Rockets broke a six-game losing streak.

As for Allen Iverson, the "Answer" had 18 points and Carmelo Anthony added 17 for the Nuggets, who mustered a season-low point total, shot 35 per cent (28-of-79) and committed 18 turnovers.

"Thirty-five per cent shooting speaks for itself," Iverson expressed, who went 7-for-18. "They jumped right on us and they had momentum early and throughout the clash."

To make things worse, Kenyon Martin strained his right knee late in the first half and did not return. The squad said he would be evaluated in Denver on Sunday.

It's important to consider that Denver boss George Karl benched Iverson and Anthony for the final six minutes. And in the end, we must mention that Houston out-rebounded Nuggets 57-38.

Iverson's ankle still wounded

2007-02-06T06:24:00.000-08:00

Nuggets guard Allen Iverson was still not fit to be back on the court. His ankle is the reason why he missed the clash against Phoenix, his fourth consecutive game out on the bench.

"Still, I'm going to try to go Wednesday," Iverson admitted about the Nuggets' next game, against New Orleans. "I didn't think it was going to be that bad, because I kept playing on it. However, right after the match and the next day, I knew there was something wrong."

We can see that the Nuggets have sorely missed Iverson's 29 points per game. They have averaged 97.3 points in his absence, well below the 105 the Nuggets have put up for the season. Still, Allen Iverson expressed that he will not return until he has healed.

"Actually I don't feel good," the Answer stated. "But I won't try to rush back, because I think that would hurt it more if I try to rush back and hurt it worse and have it go on for the rest of this season."

The popular player said he's surprised at how long the injury has persisted.

"I knew what I did," the former Sixer said. "I knew that I rolled it. I played through it. In fact, the next morning I knew it was going to be sore, but I didn't know it was going to be like this."

Nuggets were better that Bucks: 104-92

2007-01-09T23:48:00.000-08:00

It was an important result for the Nuggets, because Earl Boykins scored 26 points and Allen Iverson had 23 to lead Denver past visiting Milwaukee 104-92 last night.

According to the game report, Milwaukee Bucks were without injured guard Michael Redd and lost his backcourt mate Mo Williams during the clash.

It's good to notice that the Nuggets know how Milwaukee feels. Denver has been without the NBA's top scoring tandem since Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith brawled with the New York Knicks last month.

Even the popular Allen Iverson has a sprained right big toe, which he hurt Friday night against the Lakers and irritated against Milwaukee when he jammed it into the floor again. The squad said X-rays were negative and listed him as probable for Wednesday night against San Antonio.

In a demonstration of comitment, Iverson said :"If it was cut off, I'd play,".

Furthermore, Earl Boykins scored 26 points and Iverson had 23, including a crucial 3-pointer in the closing minutes to stave off Milwaukee's rally and help the Nuggets snap a five-game losing streak.

"I'm really not so sure I feel happy as much as I feel relieved," Denver coach George Karl admitted.

Iverson, the former Sixer found a positive side to the skid.

"That was tough to lose five in a row, but I kind of learned a lot about this team, just going through some adversity with them early instead of everything being peaches and cream," expressed Iverson, who came over from Philadelphia last month.

"The morale around the team wasn't great but it wasn't negative," Iverson added. "I think it wasn't to the point where everybody was pointing fingers at each other and blaming each other."

Mired in a shooting slump, Allen Iverson said he knew better than to try to put the team on his shoulders. He shot 9-for-21 against the Bucks.

"I've been struggling too bad. I'm trying desperately to just find my game," he said. "I'm missing shots that I usually can make with my eyes closed. And especially the layups.

"And when you're missing jumpers, it usually doesn't bother you too much because you know you can get in there and get a layup and try to get you back into some type of groove. However, when you're missing layups, too, it's tough to try to break out of that."

We must also say that Ruben Patterson, who played in Denver last season, started in Redd's spot and scored 29 points, three shy of his career high, and had 12 rebounds.

What's more, the Bucks also were without forward Charlie Villanueva, Milwaukee's major offseason addition, who missed his third straight game with an injured right shoulder.

As we know, Williams sprained his left shoulder just before halftime when he collided with Linas Kleiza near midcourt while going for the ball. In fact, Williams made it to his feet after a minute and missed two foul shots before leaving with 29 seconds left in the half. He didn't return and is day to day.

In the end, Boykins' 3-pointer just before the buzzer gave Denver a 60-49 lead at the break, and it maintained an 11-point lead following an ugly third quarter. The Bucks chipped away and pulled to 87-82 on Ersan Ilyasova's jump attempt with just under 5 minutes left but they just couldn't get any closer.

Nuggets got a great win over Sonics in the NBA

2006-12-29T02:02:00.000-08:00

Allen Iverson has a new home and he is already giving satisfactions to the fans. The talented player Denver Nuggets beat Seattle SuperSonics 112-98 on Thursday night. This triumph meant coach George Karl's 800th win.

The most important part of the night was the 44 points scored by Allen Iverson. Furthermore, Karl was handed a Denver jersey with No. 800 on it along with the game ball after beating his former team to become only the 12th coach in NBA history to reach the milestone. In fact, he's 800-555 in 19 seasons.

The former Sixer had his highest-scoring game since being acquired by Denver in a trade with Philadelphia on Dec. 19. His season high is 46 against Chicago on Nov. 24.

It's important to mention that Earl Boykins added 24 points, and Reggie Evans had a season-high 18 rebounds. He was on a good night too.

In the other side, Seattle's Damien Wilkins matched his career high with 26 points, and Luke Ridnour marked 16 points for the SuperSonics.

Iverson lands in Denver, and might have his debut on Friday

2006-12-22T08:37:00.000-08:00

It's incredible how many things happened with AI in the last weeks, but it was real. Now, the talented Iverson, wearing his usual No. 3, hopes to make his debut with the Denver Nuggets on Friday, weather permitting, when his new team hosts the Sacramento Kings. A blizzard forced the postponement of Wednesday's match against the Phoenix Suns, just adding to the anticipation of "the Answer" playing in a Nuggets uniform.

Howevr, we must remember that the trade isn't official until all parties involved have passed their physicals, which they are expected to do without any problems.

I't nice to know that Iverson's new teammate, DerMarr Johnson, gave up his No. 3 so Iverson could keep his old number. The Iverson No. 3 Nuggets jersey also went on sale at the NBA Store in New York and online Thursday.

Almost as soon as the trade was announced, supporters began clamoring for Iverson jerseys, and the team sold 340 season-ticket packages and about 4,000 single-match tickets within 30 minutes. In fact, the Denver Nuggets are 25th in attendance, averaging only 15,807, a dropoff of 1,331 a game from last season.

What's more, Denver coach George Karl is eager to get Iverson and Anthony on the floor together, which won't happen until Anthony's 15-game suspension ends for his part in last Saturday's brawl.

Miami coach Pat Riley, whose squad also made an offer for Iverson, said he doesn't forsee problems arising from Anthony and the controversial Iverson, the two leading scorers in the NBA, playing together. "I think Allen wants to win now, so I think he'll be more accommodating," Riley admitted. "I do believe their system is appropriate for both of them. They really get out and run, they open the court up and Allen is amazing in the open court."

We must consider that Iverson moving to the Western Conference also makes the All-Star balloting interesting. He gets credit for all of the votes cast for him when he was a Sixer as well as votes cast for him up to the Jan. 22 deadline.

In fact, at the last reporting of results, Iverson led all East guards with 638,999 votes, 159,225 more than Miami's Dwyane Wade. Since he is in the West now, he was only 25,745 behind Lakers' Kobe Bryant of the Lakers and 76,153 ahead of Steve Nash of Phoenix for the two starting guard spots. That is a good mark.

The truth about Iverson's trade

2006-12-09T14:34:00.000-08:00

The whole country talks about Allen Iverson's trade. The player is poised to leave the Philadelphia 76ers after the club agreed to his request to be traded.

As we know, the NBA superstar has spent 11 years with the 76ers, who made him their number one draft pick in 1996, but was frozen out of their last two matches.

"As hard as it is to admit, a change may be the best thing for everyone," said the popular "Answer".

When asked if Iverson would be traded, owner Ed Snider expressed: "No question. It's time for him to move on."

Iverson, who has topped the NBA scoring charts in four separate seasons, has been a key figure for the Philadlphia 76ers.

However, despite leading them to the 2001 NBA finals, he has done little to lift them out of their current slump.

In fact, the squad have lost 12 out of their last 14 games and are rock bottom of the Eastern Conference, Atlantic Division.

It's important to say that Iverson's future appeared to have been sealed when he was told he was not needed in Friday's practice and then reportedly barred from the building.

"Head coach Maurice Cheeks told me that I did not need to come to the arena on Friday or travel to Orlando (for Saturday's game)," Iverson admitted.

"In fact, it was so disheartening to be told that I couldn't play, knowing that I was ready.

"I love the guys on the team and the city of Philadelphia. I truly wanted to retire a 76er."

Cheeks explained his decision, expresing: "I made the decision based on Wednesday's game in Chicago, where he didn't play the fourth quarter. It's just that he didn't practice (Thursday) and he didn't go through shootaround (Friday). I made the decision based on that."

Iverson fined for missing event

2006-12-01T12:03:00.000-08:00

It sounds really simple. It didn’t cost anything for corporate sponsors and others to attend a Sixers event on Wednesday night at the Lucky Strike Bowling Lanes.

However,it cost Allen Iverson a substantial amount of money for not attending.

In fact, coach Maurice Cheeks confirmed that the Sixers’ captain was the only player not to make a mandatory appearance at the event, and announced that he “will be fined accordingly.”

As we know, the Center City event was attended by about 300 sponsors, premium seat-holders and some season ticketholders.

“We would have liked him to be there, but he wasn’t, and that was his choice,” Cheeks expressed. “I just can’t speculate on why he wasn’t there, but he wasn’t there.”

A source said that Allen Iverson was upset when he left practice earlier in the day, less than an hour after the 11 a.m. start at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.

And after practice, Cheeks said Iverson had left early because he “was a little fatigued.”

Asked whether the talented player had been upset, Cheeks said, “Whatever happened between him and me, I’d like to keep that private.”

WE must consider that Iverson was coming off a 45-point performance in Monday night’s 103-91 loss in Miami in which he shot 17-for-37 from the floor. Since missing two games because of dental surgery to have an abscessed wisdom tooth removed, he has accumulated 122 points in three games, including a loss to Detroit and a victory over Chicago.

Sixers fall to Cavaliers

2006-11-26T21:02:00.000-08:00

The Sixers are not having a good time this new season. They lost their fourth straight away game Saturday night, falling to 2-6 overall on the road with a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. They will have two more road games before their return to the Wachovia Center, with one of them Monday night against the Miami Heat.

The latest loss was a real cause for concern. The Philadelphia 76ers went from a 13-point lead late in the first quarter to a 13-point deficit by halftime against the Cavaliers, and didn't get enough offense, defense or rebounding in the second half to make a significant dent in the Cleveland lead.

"Honestly, I felt like this was the worst loss that we've had this year," Allen Iverson said after the game.

"We just broke down in every aspect of the match, and it cost us the game. Hopefully, we can learn from it and we can get better, but this one right here is tough. I think it's the toughest loss we've had."

Iverson will pay funeral of violence victim

2006-11-17T11:28:00.000-08:00

When he was younger, Allen Iverson violence on streets took the life of one of his best friends. Even today, as a millionaire NBA player, he is aware of the chilling effect of guns on the city of Philadelphia.

That's one of the reasons why once he read the story of Kevin Johnson, a southwest Philadelphia man who was shot in 2003 and left a quadriplegic by an assailant who demanded that he give up the Iverson jersey he was wearing, he felt he had to do something about it.

The "Answer" will pay for the funeral of Johnson, 22, who died at 4:40 a.m. Tuesday after his mother, Janice Jackson-Burke, removed him from life support.

“In fact, she just told me how much he loved me and how much he loved the Sixers and that she really appreciated it,” Iverson said Wednesday night, before the 76ers’ game against the Seattle SuperSonics, in his first public comment on the situation. “It was really sad to see that she had to say goodbye to her son.”

The Sixers' player said she invited him to her son’s funeral, which is Wednesday, but the Sixers will be in Milwaukee that day.

It's important to say that Johnson was seriously injured in 2003 after he was approached by five teens, one of whom shot him in the neck. He became an inspirational figure, speaking to schools and at rallies advising people to stay away from guns. He forgave his attackers.

Sadly, Johnson suffered irreparable brain damage last weekend after his breathing machine failed. His mother decided to take him off life support.

Iverson expressed once he saw Johnson’s story in the newspaper, he felt he needed to do something. Aided by his wife, Tawanna, who found the hospital where Johnson lay critically ill, he got in contact with Jackson-Burke and spoke to her and Kevin’s aunt.

“It's just that they didn’t have the financial support to be able to have the funeral like they wanted,” he admitted. “So I spoke to her and asked them: Could I do anything to help?

“I didn’t want them to asume I was trying to disrespect them by doing it for any publicity or anything like that. It was just something that touched me, and I felt I could do something to help. She appreciated it. I was very happy that she let me help.”

“It’s really terrible what’s going on in Philadelphia,” he said. “I just kind of felt like I’ve got to do something more than I have been doing to try to help this situation as much as I can. If I could reach just one person and take one death away, I think I’d be doing something. However, it’s not right in Philadelphia right now.”

The Answer leads Sixers in victory over Heat

2006-11-06T21:23:00.000-08:00

Proving that he is in great form, Allen Iverson scored 31 points and dished out 13 assists as the Philadelphia 76ers continued their perfect start to the new season with a 107-98 triumph over Miami Heat on Sunday.

Indeed, with Iverson in top gear and the Heat without an injured Shaquille O'Neal, the 76ers pulled away in the third quarter out-scoring the NBA champions 28-16 on their way to a third straight win to remain the Eastern conference's only unbeaten squad.

We must keep in mind that O'Neal missed the game with a bruised left knee he injured during the Heat's win over New Jersey on Friday.

Fortunately, the player will be examined by doctors when the team returns to Miami.

We must mention that Kyle Korver contributed 22 points to the Philadelphia cause while Andre Iguodala chipped in with 20 and Chris Webber helped out with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Fans are happy to see that Antoine Walker paced Miami with 23 points and Dwyane Wade had 20 and 11 assists but the Heat still fell to their second loss in three encounters.

Iverson will star his 11th season with the Sixers

2006-10-30T21:44:00.000-08:00

It's very likely that Allen Iverson thought on occasion during the summer that he wouldn't be accompanying the Philadelphia 76ers on their European tour, considering all the trade rumors involving him that swirled for two months of the offseason.

And the thought must have been in his head on the plane to Barcelona, Spain, while he talked to younger teammates about his time with the team.

"I was sharing some experiences with them about being here for as long as I've been," Allen told the press. "Then Willie Green said, 'You feel the way you do about this organization, you have this much love for the organization, probably because this is all you know."

"And that was the first time somebody ever said something like that to me, and it was honestly true. I never looked at it like that. Maybe I wanted to stay here because of the loyalty. But it's true that Philadelphia is all I know."

Anyway, Iverson will be starting his 11th season with the Sixers, the only team he has known since they made him the No. 1 pick of the 1996 draft, and that's astonishing considering the almost-daily reports in June and July of his going to Boston or Denver or Golden State.

"I feel I am an original 76er," Iverson claims. "When you look back at all the original Sixers, as far as Dr. J, Charles Barkley, Wilt Chamberlain, I put myself in that category."

And among active players, Iverson's 10 seasons with the Sixers are the second most among those who have played with the team that drafted them. We must remember that Kevin Garnett has been with Minnesota for 11 seasons.

The "Answer" is the face of the 76ers around the league and, as proven last year in China and this year in Spain and Germany, around the world. The player is the reason hundreds of fans come out to watch the Sixers in league cities while wearing No. 3 jerseys and cheering him on as if he was one of their own.

It's very likely that this season, Iverson will become the 34th player in league history to score 20,000 career points. He also was named the league's most valuable player in 2001, has won four scoring titles and started seven times in the All-Star Game. Despite that, he lacks a title — and plays for a squad that made few changes after going 38-44.

But Allen never said he really wants to go somewhere else: "I guess it's just because of the experience, everything that I've learned here, just developing into a man, all the ups and downs and having to overcome the different problems that I've overcome in my career," and he repeats one more tim: "I'm a Sixer at heart, and that's just the way it is."

Iverson and the Sixers lose in Spain

2006-10-06T22:47:00.000-07:00

The Sixers lost in Spain, but it's interesting to see how popular Iverson can be. Winterthur FC Barcelona was the home squad. Juan Carlos Navarro is the fans' hero. Last night, Allen Iverson was, as he remains in virtually every 76ers setting, the fans' darling.

Children in Iverson jerseys, most unable to speak English, wait outside the 76ers' practice facility, praying for a glimpse. Kids and adults lined the path leading to the security entrance of Palau Sant Jordi last night, all but begging for autographs. Evidence of Allen Iverson's massive popularity was all over the sold-out arena.

In fact, the people didn't get as much Iverson as they had hoped for (13 points, 3-for-12 shooting, six assists), but they saw their hometown team victory, 104-99, becoming the first team to defeat an NBA team on European soil.

"I think Allen is becoming sort of a youth lifestyle icon," commissioner David Stern admitted in a pregame news conference. "Kids like celebrities who are sort of perceived as loyal to themselves but not conforming to [standards] set by others.

"Allen has inherited that mantle, a genuine person on the one hand and an amazing competitor who throws his body into the match in terms of his physical intensity and his effort. That makes him popular in China, makes him popular in Europe and makes him popular in the United States".

Iverson is a major face of Reebook. More recently, he's become one of the faces of vitaminwater; he's even endorsing DAP body spray. Stern was more than ready to invoke a commercial slogan, mentioning the Reebok slogan, "I am what I am." In America, that's Iverson in many of the commercials and posters. In Europe, that's soccer star Thierry Henry.

It's good to mention that Stern said Iverson "personifies it, and that makes him very popular [on posters] in subway stations."

Stern claims that he knew this was coming "years ago when people whose judgments and values I respect said to me 'I didn't really think I should like Allen Iverson, but watching him on the court and the effort that he puts out makes it impossible for me not to be a fan of his and to admire him.' That, to me, was a seal."

Still, Stern has vivid memories of Iverson's formative years in the NBA, and of the times the commissioner had to summon the 6-foot guard to the league offices or make a disciplinary decision. Stern hasn't forgotten the moments when controversy seemed to be everywhere.

"I've just had to be a little bit of a tugboat, focusing on a little bit of change of direction off the court," Stern expressed, allowing himself a smile. "In some ways, I think we were running a little interference for him rather than disciplining him." he finished.

"I am a Sixer at heart"

2006-10-01T00:09:00.000-07:00

Allen Iverson has repeated one phrase a lot in order to make clear that he will stay in Philadelphia. "I'm a Sixer at heart" he said yesterday at the Wachovia Center.

In fact, Iverson said it one more time as he participated in his 11th Media Day with the Sixers.

So, we understand that he wants to spend his entire career in Philadelphia. "I'd have to be sent out of here," Iverson said. "I don't think there would ever be a day that I'd ask to leave."

In ten years with the Sixers, Iverson has been an NBA MVP once and an NBA All-Star seven times, won four scoring titles, and represented the United States in the Olympics in 2004.

We must remember that the only thing Iverson doesn't have is an NBA championship, and at this stage of his career, with the Sixers coming off a 38-44 season, it doesn't look as if he will win one here.

The trip to the 2001 NBA Finals looks more and more as if it will be the high moment of the Iverson era.

"I want to add that championship to my resume," said Iverson, who is only 30 but has a decade of NBA wear on his body. "But when you know that you've been someplace for so long and you've been trying to accomplish the same goal for years and years, you just want to keep going until the wheels fall off.

"I'm a Sixer at heart. That's just the way it is."

The Answer calls himself an "original Sixer," like Julius Erving, Charles Barkley, Wilt Chamberlain and all the others whose legacy is forever linked to this city and franchise.

"I guess it's just the because of the experience," Iverson said of wanting to stay in Philadelphia, "everything I've learned here, developing into a man, all the ups and downs and having to overcome different obstacles I've had in my career.

"You hear about all the negative things that are going in the city, and I just want to be a part of something positive, something that will make people happy and they will cherish for all time.

"I want to win a championship more than anyone in this league, but I want to win it in Philadelphia. If they told me I had to go somewhere else, I'd give my all to that place as far as my basketball abilities just like I have to Philadelphia.

"However, until that day comes, I'm a Sixer, and I'll fight to try and get a title here every season" he concluded.

The "Answer" to face a lawsuit

2006-08-31T13:20:00.000-07:00

These are really unbelievable news. Sixers' most important player, Allen Iverson, is being sued for $2.4 million amid claims he helped hire a security team accused of attacking four persons at a nightclub in 2005 in Hampton, Va.

According to the source, the four plaintiffs say they were assaulted by members of “The Horsemen,” a security team they say was hired by Iverson and Gary Moore, Iverson’s business manager and president of CrossOver Promotions Inc. They were to control the crowd during a July 9, 2005 event at Crabbers Restaurant and Sports Lounge, according to papers filed Monday in Hampton Circuit Court.

Indeed, according to the lawsuit, Iverson, Moore and Crossover Promotions were negligent by hiring “dangerous individuals” who had shown a propensity toward unnecessary violence.

It's important to mention that Iverson, Moore and security staff all are named in the four lawsuits, one on behalf of each plaintiff. In fact, each has requested a jury trial, seeking $600,000 in damages, plus legal fees.

Iverson's mother to own a franchise

2006-08-29T02:38:00.000-07:00

It's a really interesting announcement. NBA All-Star Allen Iverson's mother will run a professional basketball franchise this season. Indeed, Ann Iverson is now the majority owner and chairperson of the American Basketball Association's Richmond team.

ABA CEO Joe Newman announced, "Richmond is a great basketball city and will be a great ABA city. We are pleased to be back there. We have a really big ownership group, very knowledgeable and experienced and we know that they will do a terrific job."

Former Virgina Tech player Michael Davis will be the team's head coach. Davis noticed, "The talent around here is awesome."

We must remember that the ABA has struggled to stay afloat since it came to fruition in 2000. Many teams have folded due in large part to financial issues.

Billy King responds to Denver Post writer

2006-07-25T00:29:00.000-07:00

A publication about Iverson just made him mad. Billy King said there was no truth to a column this week in the Denver Post that said the Sixers' upper management had vetoed a proposed trade of Allen Iverson to the Denver Nuggets.

In fact, that column expressed two of the principals in trade talks between the Sixers and Nuggets were Iverson and Denver forward Kenyon Martin.

We must remember that columnist Thomas George wrote Tuesday: ''The Nuggets have already offered Martin to the Sixers as part of a package to secure Iverson (the Philadelphia coaching staff said yes, but their chairman, Ed Snider, said no, concerned about Martin's previously bum left knee).''

And then King briefly commented on the column Wednesday night: "It's a bogus article, and I vehemently deny that there was ever any truth to that article".

An unofficial source agreed with King, saying that the Sixers never had considered Martin, who has five years and more than $70 million remaining on his contract.

As we all know, at the beginning of the month, it was assumed that Iverson would be traded, but now the feeling persists that the Sixers might not deal their seven-time all-star guard.

King refused to comment on this speculation, but earlier this week, coach Maurice Cheeks announced that he is preparing as if Iverson will be back.

Iverson talks about his future with the Sixers

2006-07-16T20:13:00.000-07:00

The whole world wanted to hear a word from him. And Allen Iverson's press conference at the ESPN Zone began one hour later than scheduled. That is not a gag about the man's tardiness -- Iverson was in the building at 4 p.m., but first there was flesh to press and people to see.

Following the presentation of the inaugural Allen Iverson Scholarship, Iverson took his first question at 5:09 p.m. At 5:20 p.m., his handlers cut off queries and whisked Iverson out the back way, through the kitchen, futilely pursued by a handful of newspaper reporters.

In fact, Iverson, appearing Friday as he does each year at the Allen Iverson Celebrity Summer Classic (his annual charity event, highlighted by a celebrity softball game today) did not say anything absurdly controversial in his first public statements since the rumors surfaced that the Sixers were genuinely trying to trade their most important guard.

And the Answer made it clear: "I want to be a Sixer, I've said that since day one. But if I'm not wanted then I definitely don't want to be a Sixer, and I'll start my career over. But everybody knows I want to be a Sixer.

"No matter where in the world I go, people come up and ask the same question. I'm used to it. However, I'm still tired of it. Sometimes I think leaving might not be a bad thing; I may not have to deal with this every summer. My wife and my children won't have to deal with it."

It's good to mention that at the NBA Draft it truly looked as if Iverson was on his way out. Talks have cooled since then, and it's entirely possible Iverson could open the season in Philadelphia.

"I don't think the answer is getting rid of me," Iverson expressed. "Anybody can look at any Sixers game and see what I bring to the table every night. But it's a business. It's a situation where, depending on what they get for me, it could be the best thing.

"Of course, we didn't make the playoffs last year, so they feel they've got to do something. I just don't know why it has to be me."

But we could say that this isn't really about basketball. It's about whether the 76ers want to move past the Allen Iverson era. GM Billy King said he wants to "change the culture" of his team. What does Iverson think that means?

"I don't know, you'd have to ask him," Iverson replies. And we believe him.

Billy King's position about Iverson trade

2006-07-06T19:09:00.000-07:00

Philadephia 76ers president Billy King still thinks all the options he has for a very likely trade of Allen Iverson.

"I believe that my job is to do what I think is best for this organization," King expressed. "Maybe some people disagree with what I think is best, or what our staff thinks is best. But we must listen. We can’t base it on ‘This guy is way too popular to do anything’. The thing about it is, Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar) was traded. Wilt (Chamberlain) was traded. Jason Kidd was traded. A lot of clubs make decisions based on what is best for the franchise. Nobody ever thought Shaquille O’Neal would leave Los Angeles and now you see."

According to many sources, King is analyzing an offer from Golden State that would have centered around Troy Murphy, while also speaking with the Celtics in a deal that would have produced Randy Foye. But there's still many conditions to review before Iverson accepting to go.

Uncertain destination

2006-06-27T10:51:00.000-07:00

There are new rumours about Philadelphia 76ers' Iverson moving to Boston in a two-team deal, or in a three-team swap that would bring Utah forward Carlos Boozer to Philadelphia. The Sixers also allegedly have spoken with Phoenix and New Jersey. And don't forget the Atlanta Hawks supposedly have interest in the Sixers' best players.

In fact, Sixers president and general manager Billy King, admitted only that a lot of talking takes place at this time of year.

"You just call everybody," he stated to the press. "You call people and you say, 'Let's make a deal' and just see if you can shake the bushes. But it's not initiating or getting more calls."

"When everything is written and all these rumors are out there, it makes more phone calls come in. People read the Internet and they say, 'Let me call them' because somebody wrote that we were trading with someone... . There's simply so much thrown out there."

As for Allen Iverson, King said he gets more calls about other members on his squad than he does about the popular player.

"We talk to everybody," he admits. "People have called us and we listen and you must understand that it's our job. People call about a lot of our players. It's not just particularly Allen."

However, accoring to King , he wouldn't be afraid to make a deal within the Atlantic Division.

"You've got to look at each deal and evaluate them based on what's best for you," he is convinced about his position. "If you get what you think is going to make you better, then that's what you've got to go for."

Hawks want to sign Iverson

2006-05-22T22:52:00.000-07:00

Philadelphia didn't make it to the playoffs, Atlanta had another bad season too, and as soon as the season was over for them, the rumours started to run in the NBA.

And the most important ones always have to do with Allen Iverson. Despite being the top scorer of the team and one of the best in the NBA, the 76ers board hasn't made clear that they want Allen to stay for the next season. And neither did him.

That's why the speculation about Iverson going to Atlanta Hawks sounds more solid every day. The truth is that nothing is official, but the Atlanta franchise needs to sign some player who can save a team with lack of triumphs. And the answer is - who else - the Answer. The player is expected to make a decision after summer break.

With or without you?

2006-04-28T10:33:00.000-07:00

The season is over for the 76ers and many fans must be wondering what can the board do to improve the squad and reach better places in the NBA. And some voices in the Basketball world started to suggest that the Sixers should get rid of many of thier players to start over again. Including Allen Iverson.

How hard can it be to see the best answer? Iverson is the soul of the Philadelphia 76ers. In fact, over 10 seasons with the team, Allen has helped to transform a near-to-death club into a perennial playoff contender. He led the Sixers to the NBA Finals in 2001 and has been an all-star for seven straight years. In addition, A.I. averaged 33 points and seven assists per game this past season. So, how could it be right to take him out of the squad?

We must admit that one of his bad sides is his age: His is already 31 and he's certainly not in his best years. Even though Allen still shows a Top-Level performance, he may not keep the pace in the nextt seasons.

But, is it enough to discard him? He strongly believe that it is not. If you can build a good team to play with him and not thanks to him, Philadelphia can reach important positions again.

Iverson and Webber talk about the incident

2006-04-20T02:52:00.000-07:00

In a good gesture, Allen Iverson and Chris Webber apologized for their actions in the victory over the Nets, when they didn't arrive to the arena until just before tip-off and then didn't sit on the bench. The players were on the bench for the 76ers' match at Charlotte, and coach Maurice Cheeks blamed the episode on a lack of communication.

The explanations from Iverson and Webber, interviewed separately outside the visitors' locker room at Charlotte Bobcats Arena before Wednesday night's 96-86 loss, raised even more questions about the situation Tuesday - Fan Appreciation Night - that prompted Sixers president and general manager Billy King to fine the players.

"I for sure wasn't trying to disrespect Mo in any way, or the fans, as everybody is talking about," Iverson claimed. "I've been here for 10 years, and to deliberately try to disrespect the fans, I would never try to do that in any way. I'm upset it came across this way."

Sixers win but Iverson wasn't there

2006-04-19T01:03:00.000-07:00

Allen Iverson and Chris Webber did not took part of the Sixers' victory because of their injuries. In a very tough game, Philadelphia 76ers' beat New Jersey Nets 91-88 on Tuesday night.

About the match, we can say that Andre Iguodala scored a career-high 27 points and handed out eight assists.

According to reporters, the 76ers managers will fine Iverson and Webber for not being at the arena 90 minutes before the game, and the duo might not make the trip to close out the season in Charlotte today.

In fact, the word was: "They should be here; they're not here and it will be addressed,". President Billy King was upset.

Philadelphia tamed the Bulls

2006-04-09T15:47:00.000-07:00

Philadelphia may have dissappointed their fans this year, but it't not too late to make it up for them. Allen Iverson plays with that feeling, and that's why hescored 39 points in the 76ers victory over Chicago Bulls 89-75 on Saturday. They got back to eighth place in the Eastern Conference.

In fact, that snapped the Sixers' three-game losing streak and gave them a four-game split with the Bulls. Chicago currently owns the next tiebreaker, better conference winning percentage, if the squads finish in a two-way tie.

It's good to say that Iverson scored nine points in the second quarter as the Sixers built a 47-37 halftime lead, and he made eight points in a 16-0 run early in the third that blew it open at 63-39.

For the records, Andres Nocioni put together his sixth straight double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds and Chris Duhon scored 14 points and six assists. Besides that, nobody else really did anything notable. Also Kirk Hinrich was held to five points on 2-for-13 shooting and Ben Gordon has just nine points on 3-for-10 shooting.

Huge Victory over Knicks

2006-04-01T04:08:00.000-08:00

Allen Iverson and Chris Webber performed in an excellent way. And the Sixers got an important victory. The Answer made 47 points, Webber had a season-high 34 points and 12 rebounds, and Philadelphia, after three defeats, won over the New York Knicks 117-112.

We can add that Andre Iguodala added 14 points and Samuel Dalembert 11 for the 76ers, who won for just the third time in their last 13 matches and remained 1-1/2 games ahead of the Bulls in the race for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

''I was talking to Webber, that I think these two were probably the two most important games of our season,'' Iverson admitted. ''We've definitely got to play these like playoff encounters because they're a struggling squad, and we'd like to think that we're a better team than them. We get these two games, it makes it that much easier on us.''

Rookie Nate Robinson, playing 43 minutes because of injuries to both of New York's starting guards, scored 34 points. Eddy Curry added 21 points and Jamal Crawford scored 18.

The Answer to Fight Magic

2006-03-24T09:08:00.000-08:00

Philadelphia 76ers can feel more confident about getting a victory now. They will face Orlando Magic tonight (7 p.m.) and the reason for being optimistic is that the Answer is on the court again.

Allen Iverson returned from his injury and helped his team end the four-game losing streak that occurred without him. Now the star guard looks to lead the Sixers to their first back-to-back wins in three weeks when they take on the Magics.

In fact, Sixers dropped four straight while Iverson was sidelined with an injured right foot, the last three on a West Coast road trip that consisted of matches against Seattle, the Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State.

Iverson was back in the lineup Wednesday as Philadelphia opened a two-game homestand, and had 29 points and 12 assists in a 115-106 win over Atlanta.

``(I felt) just like a kid in a candy store,`` Iverson said. ``It was just fun to be back out there and be in the environment and playing with my team and trying to help.``

The Sixers, holding a 2 1/2-game lead for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot, now look to win two in a row since March 1-3. Philadelphia has gone 2-7 since those victories.

``I hope they were glad I was back and I hope that I did give them some type of confidence,`` Iverson said. ``It`s important for my confidence for me to feel wanted and be able to go out there and make things happen.``

It's important to notice that the 76ers scored a season-high 67 points in the first half and took a 19-point lead into the break. In the third period, Kyle Korver took over and scored 10 points as the Sixers went up 96-74 going into the fourth.

With no Answer for 4 games

2006-03-14T10:17:00.000-08:00

The medical department had bad news for him. Philadelphia 76ers all-star guard Allen Iverson, the NBA's second-leading scorer, could miss the team's next four matches with a foot injury.

Allen Iverson was injured during Sunday's game at Memphis. An examination on Monday revealed Iverson had suffered a sprain and bruising of the right foot.

The Answer, who is averaging 33.2 points per game, will not play in the 76ers' game with the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday and is doubtful for road games facing Seattle, the Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State, the 76ers said in a statement.

Why wasn't Allen Iverson selected?

2006-03-04T16:54:00.000-08:00

Allen Iverson didn't get the invitation for the Olympics Basketball team, and now the whole nation is arguing about that.

As we know, contracts from USA Basketball went out last week to 22 NBA players, two college players and one high school player to compete for spots on the National Team that will play in the World Championships next summer. And Allen Iverson's mailbox remained empty.

In fact, nothing will be official until Sunday, when Jerry Colangelo, the managing director for USA Basketball's senior National Team, and Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, the head coach of the National/Olympic team, announce the invitees on ABC-TV. However, the information has been floating around for a few days. Iverson, recognized as the face of the 2004 Olympic team in Athens, was not included on the VIP list.

"I just wasn't picked, that's it," the Philadelphia star guard said after punishing the Houston Rockets with 40 points and 10 assists in Wednesday night's 106-101 victory. "I'm not bitter about it. I'm not mad about it. Like I said, I'll get to spend more time with my wife and kids the next three summers, and that's a great thing.

"I'll still root those guys on, hope they bring gold back. I'm just honored that I was considered to be on that team twice. I was put on the team once, and considered to be on it twice; that says a lot about what I've done in my career. But I'm not mad about it at all. They just made their decision, and I respect it."

Iverson was easily the MVP of the 2003 U.S. team that won the Pre-Olympic Qualifying Tournament of the Americas in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He met with Colangelo on Jan. 4 in Phoenix and said he very much wanted to play, that he had a great experience in 2004 despite winning only a bronze medal; he wanted an opportunity to go back and win a gold medal in Beijing, China.

But he insisted he was not disappointed at not being included for the tryouts.

"Not at all, because I've done it before," he said. "There are so many things in my basketball career that I've done and some things that I haven't done. You're not going to be able to do them all. The only thing missing from my career right now that I want is [an NBA] title, and that's it."

Allen Iverson received a wave of support from Rockets star Tracy McGrady before Wednesday night's match.

"I see it as a lack of respect," McGrady claimed. "Of all the guys who didn't go the last time, he chose to go. He was the true veteran who did everything. I just think it's only right to invite him back."

Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy tread carefully on the subject.

"Any time you're in charge of making a decision like this, there is going to be somebody left off you can make a case for, whether it's the All-Star Game, All-NBA or the Olympics," Van Gundy admitted. "Iverson certainly doesn't need the Olympics to validate that he's one of the top 5-10 players in the league, and without question one of the top five competitors. It's a tough decision."

Iverson was the answer in Sixers win over Rockets

2006-03-02T21:31:00.000-08:00

It was a really good game for him. Allen Iverson scored 40 points on 16-of-29 shooting, pulled down seven rebounds and dished out 10 assists to lead Philadelphia to a 106-101 win over Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center.

"It was a team effort," Iverson assured "Our bench did a great job and everyone stepped up their game. We got to make our shots and that was key."

In fact, Chris Webber added 21 points and 13 boards for the Sixers, who won for the fourth time in their last five outings. Kyle Korver chipped in with 14 off the bench while John Salmons had 10.

"We stuck together and played together as a team," said Webber. "When we do that we are very good."

In the other hand, Tracy McGrady recorded 25 for the Rockets, who lost their second straight game. Yao Ming contributed 22 points and pulled down 13 boards while Rafer Alston had 15 points and Juwan Howard added 12.

"They kind of disrupted our offense and took us out of our sets," said McGrady. "We were scrambling a little bit trying to get shots."

It's important to know that Houston came into the final stanza owning a four-point edge but the Sixers quickly forged ahead.

Salmons followed an Iverson miss to cap a 13-7 Philadelphia run to start the quarter and put the Sixers back on top, 86-84, with just under nine minutes left.

The two squads then traded baskets over the next four minutes and found themselves deadlocked at 96 after Chuck Hayes pulled down an offensive rebound and converted with a little over five minutes left on the clock.

Yao drained two from the charity stripe to put Houston back on top, but Iverson answered with two of his own to make it 98-98 with the clock showing 3:12.

After Howard missed a turnaround jumper from the baseline, the diminutive Iverson took over the game during a 6-0 Sixers run.

First, the All-Star guard rose up for a mid-range jumper and was fouled. Iverson again made both from the line. Then, after an Iguodala steal,Iverson drained a 16-foot jumper. The Sixers' star finished the flurry by finding Webber for a running jumper to give the Sixers a 104-98 lead with 1:38 left.

Five seconds later, McGrady cut the lead in half with a long triple. Houston had a chance to tie but missed two long three-point attempts during its next two possessions.

Iverson then sealed the game with another bucket.

"This was a heck of a win," said Sixers coach Maurice Cheeks. "Everyone fought hard for us all game. In fact, this match was a prime example of a team effort to not lose a game."

As we know, The Sixers held a slim 22-21 advantage after the first 12 minutes and extended that edge by a point, 47-45, at intermission. Iverson paced the Sixers with 19 points at the break while Yao led Houston with 12.

In the end, the Rockets bounced back with a solid third quarter and took a 77-73 lead into the final quarter.

Iverson scored 38 in Sixers win over Bulls

2006-02-27T21:00:00.000-08:00

He gave us another great performance. Allen Iverson scored 38 points, Andre Iguodala had 20 and Kyle Korver 19. With this, the Philadelphia 76ers got their third straight win: 108-102 over the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night.

Philadelphia 28-27 haven't lost since the All-Star break. With Philadelphia playing without starters Chris Webber flu and Samuel Dalembert sprained ankle, Iverson helped make up for their absence with his fourth 30-point game in the last six.

In the other hand, after the Bulls cut the gap to four in the final minute, Iguodala swiped the ball and was fouled on the fast break, sinking two free throws for a 102-96 lead. The Sixers then sealed the win from the line.

Indeed, Shavilk Randolph had eight points and 13 rebounds for the Sixers, who were much more competitive than the last time they played the Bulls in the final game before the All-Star break. The Sixers had their most lopsided loss of the season that night, 117-84.

Iverson and the Eastern Conference win All-Star Game

2006-02-20T20:34:00.000-08:00

They were down by 21 points, but Allen Iverson and the Eastern Conference teammates regrouped and deal with that on Sunday night.

Indeed, the East stormed back for a 122-120 victory over the West in the 55th annual All-Star Game at the Toyota Center. Iverson, who was the MVP of last year's game in Denver, scored 12 points, including 11 in the second half. He shot 5 for 14 from the field. They won, but this time LeBron James was the best player of the match.

Iverson was the Answer again

2006-02-16T22:32:00.000-08:00

Before this game, San Antonio Spurs came into Wednesday night’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers fresh off a defeat in Cleveland that broke a nine consecutive winning streak. The Sixers, on the other hand, lost in five of their last six. Against the odds, it was the Sixers who broke the pattern, beating the Spurs, 103-100, in overtime at the Wachovia Center.

The most important thing in the night was made by Allen Iverson, who had 42 points and Chris Webber, with 21, to help Philadelphia get the victory.

The Spurs have taken this trip for the past four seasons while a rodeo was held at the AT&T Center.

The Spurs matched their season high with 23 turnovers and failed to put the 76ers away from the line in the fourth. After hitting their first nine free throws, the Spurs were 8-for-13 in the fourth quarter.

Tony Parker led San Antonio with 23 points, and Tim Duncan had 19 points and 15 rebounds.

In fact, Nazr Mohammed, who played in Philadelphia for the first two-plus years of his career, hit his first six shots from the field and finished with 16 points and a career-high 20 rebounds.

Manu Ginobili appeared to seal the match in regulation with two free throws that put the Spurs up 92-87 with 20 seconds left. But Iverson cut the lead to three, Ginobili hit one of two from the line, and Kyle Korver hit a three to make it 93-92 with seven seconds remaining. After Michael Finley hit one of two from the line, Andre Iguodala followed a Webber miss to tie game at 94 with 1.1 seconds left.

It's important to mention that on the final play of regulation, Parker was alone under the basket, but after reaching back to catch Duncan's pass with one hand, his layup came just after time expired.

Philadelphia scored the first five points of overtime and led 100-96 with 47.4 seconds left.

However, a critical turnover by Iverson led to a tough finger roll by Ginobili that made it 100-98 with 16.9 to go

Bobcats defeat Sixers 100-92

2006-02-08T22:49:00.000-08:00

With three straight wins, the Charlotte Bobcats suddenly have their longest winning streak in franchise history.

If there were any thoughts of celebrating, coach Bernie Bickerstaff put a quick end to them.
Is important to notice that Melvin Ely made 15 of his 19 points in the second half Wednesday night to help the Bobcats rally past the Philadelphia 76ers 100-92. As soon as the match ended, the public address announcer congratulated the squad on its winning streak, much to Bickerstaff's dismay.

Rookie guard Raymond Felton sprained his right ankle in the fourth quarter when Michael Bradley rolled on the back of his leg.

In fact, Felton, the only Bobcats player to appear in every match this season, had to be carried off the court. If it's serious, he'll join leading scorer Gerald Wallace and leading rebounder Emeka Okafor on an injury list that has been devastating to the Bobcats this season.

The Bobcats, who snapped their team-record 13-match losing streak by defeating the Los Angeles Lakers and then the Seattle SuperSonics, made it three in a row by coming back from 13 points down with stifling second-half defense.

Philadelphia, which shot 63 percent in the first half, struggled after the break. The Sixers were held to 31 points in the second half and went 5-for-19 in the fourth quarter.

"We didn't drive the ball like we did in the first half," Philadelphia coach Maurice Cheeks noticed. "We shot all jump shots and that allowed them back in the match and eventually win the match because we didn't continue doing the things we were doing."

Seven Bobcats made in double figures, including Felton, who had 15 points before leaving with 11:03 to go. Jumaine Jones had 14 points and 14 rebounds, Kareem Rush had 13 points and Brevin Knight had 13 points and 14 assists.

Primoz Brezec and Bernard Robinson each ended up with 12 points.

"Tonight was a huge win, hopefully we can continue to push forward and finish this first half off well," Rush noticed. "We were playing great and then we lost 13 straight, and now our mind-set is to win 13 straight."

Allen Iverson and Kyle Korver led Philadelphia with 20 points apiece. Chris Webber had 17 points and 12 rebounds, then kicked a trash can on his way off the court, scattering garbage everywhere.

"In the first half, that was basketball," Webber noticed. "I don't know what happened. I only don't understand it. Coach has been preaching consistency all year. I'm really at a loss for words."

The Sixers led 61-49 at halftime, but Charlotte got a huge third quarter from Ely, who had 11 points and six rebounds in the period to get the Bobcats back in the match. He first rallied them with a free throw and consecutive hook shots to cut Philadelphia's lead to 68-63.

"In the second half, (Bickerstaff) told me to get my head out of somewhere," Ely noticed. "He told me he was going to keep looking to me and finally some shots started to fall for me."

The Sixers used two quick baskets - one by Iverson off his own steal - to push their lead back up to nine. But Charlotte reeled off a 9-0 run while keeping Philadelphia scoreless for more than 3 minutes to tie the match at 72.

The Sixers answered with a 3 from Korver and a floater by Iverson to go back on top and take a 78-76 lead into the fourth quarter.

That's when Charlotte completely took over and pulled away from the cold-shooting Sixers.
"We stopped doing things that got us the lead, offensively and defensively," Iverson noticed. "Mostly offensively."

Sixers beat Magic Without Iverson

2006-01-30T17:15:00.000-08:00

The Sixers didn't need AI this time. Chris Webber scored 18 points and John Salmons made another 17 to help the Philadelphia 76ers win against the Orlando Magic 89 - 81 today.

The 76ers played without Allen Iverson, who missed his second straight game because of his sprained left ankle. Iverson is second in the NBA in scoring at 33-point-6 points per game.

One of the most important things of the game was that Webber had two key jumpers during an 8-nothing run late in the match that pushed Philadelphia to its fifth victory in six games. Samuel Dalembert had 15 points and eight rebounds.

Also, Steve Francis had a triple-double for the Magic with 22 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. However, Orlando struggled on offense the entire game.

Philadelphia 76ers fall to Orlando Magic

2006-01-27T16:08:00.000-08:00

In an overtime victory, Pat Garrity opened with consecutive 3-pointers and scored a season-high 24 points, Hedo Turkoglu had 25, and the Magic beat the Sixers 119-115 Thursday night for their season-high fifth straight win.

What's more, Keyon Dooling sank the go-ahead free throws with 1:08 left in overtime and had 18 points. Dwight Howard had 22 to help Orlando run off its longest winning streak since it won six straight in 2002. The Magic got their second straight victory after losing their previous eight.

It's important to notice that Allen Iverson scored 38 points and had 15 assists, and Chris Webber used a big second half to finish with 32 points and 11 rebounds for the Sixers, who had their three-game winning streak snapped.

Iverson and 76ers win over Timberwolves

2006-01-23T10:09:00.000-08:00

With the 76ers trailing by 19 points late in the third quarter, Allen Iverson made a promise to his teammates during a timeout.

"I made a promise to them that if we got it under 10, we'd win the match," he noticed. Actually, Iverson kept his word when Andre Iguodala's follow of Chris Webber's missed layup narrowly beat the buzzer, lifting the 76ers over the Minnesota Timberwolves 86-84 on Sunday.

"It was one I'll never forget," Iverson noticed.
The Timberwolves won't forget Iverson. He made 39 points for the 76ers, who overcame poor shooting to win their second straight and sweep the season series against Minnesota.

It’s good to remember that Iguodala had 14 points, and Webber finished with 11. Webber was just 4-for-16 from the floor, but he helped hold Kevin Garnett to 13 points.

Two days after an emotional overtime win over Memphis, the 76ers played another solid defensive match, contesting shots, hustling for loose balls and getting their fingers on several passes.

Indeed, they needed all of that, since they shot 32-for-80 from the floor and had 12 fewer assists than Minnesota.

"Our defense was consistent ... definitely our scoring wasn't," Webber noticed. Iverson hit a 3-pointer with 9:24 remaining, and Lee Nailon followed with a layup and an 11-footer to pull the 76ers within 71-70 with 8:20 to play.

Hassell responded with a pair of buckets, and Jaric hit a driving layup to give Minnesota a 77-70 cushion at the 6:10 mark. But the Timberwolves managed just seven more points.

"You could hear Allen on the bench keep saying, 'We're still there, We're still there,"' Cheeks noticed. "I think he gave a lot of guys a lot of hope."

PHILADELPHIA (86)--Salmons 0-4 0-0 0, Webber 4-16 2-4 11, Dalembert 3-4 0-0 6, Iguodala 6-11 2-3 14, Iverson 13-27 8-10 39, Hunter 1-3 3-4 5, Barnes 1-3 0-0 2, Korver 1-6 0-0 3, Bradley 0-1 0-0 0, Ollie 0-1 0-0 0, Nailon 3-4 0-0 6. Totals 32-80 15-21 86.

MINNESOTA (84)--Szczerbiak 7-16 3-3 18, Garnett 5-15 3-4 13, Griffin 6-9 0-2 13, Hassell 6-11 2-2 14, Jaric 7-19 1-2 15, Carter 4-5 0-0 8, McCants 0-2 1-2 1, Dupree 1-1 0-2 2, Madsen 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 36-78 10-17 84.

Cheeks wants 76ers to improve against Grizzlies

2006-01-20T17:21:00.000-08:00

Now that the angry team meeting with usually calm coach Maurice Cheeks is over, the Philadelphia 76ers must break out of a slump when they host the struggling Memphis Grizzlies.

Cheeks did all the talking in a 27-minute chat following the 76ers' latest loss on Wednesday, against New Jersey. The Sixers have lost seven of 10 and the first-year Philadelphia coach was fed up with his team's effort and defense.

Allen Iverson, one of the best players in the team said: ``The most I got out of it was that guys need to take a challenge to make our squad better,''. Indeed, Iverson scored 36 points, but that seems to be not enough. ``He talked about during this bad time that we're going through right now that it was important for everybody to stick together.''

It's important to notice that the 76ers have allowed more than 100 points in four straight games and have forced a total of just 14 turnovers in the last two.

``Everything we do is not going to be perfect, obviously, but we have to get better on defense,'' Cheeks said. ``I think that our offense has slipped the last couple of games, so there are a lot of things that we have to work on.''

Philadelphia Sixers overtime win over Celtics

2006-01-15T11:32:00.000-08:00

Philadelphia 76ers beated Boston 125-124 in a NBA exciting game, with Allen Iverson's 33 points and 10 assists. The game also had Samuel Dalembert adding 20, 11 rebounds and seven blocks and Kyle Korver making a 3-pointer at the double-overtime buzzer for the Sixers.

Iverson team overcame a 16-point third-quarter deficit and trailed in all three extra sessions. It was the 395th all-time meeting between the storied franchises and one that will be remembered for a long time. Members oh both squads were on the verge of exhaustion but kept making big moves, none more so than Webber, who appeared to have more bounce in his step as the game wore on.

Is interesting to notice that the highlight came in the first overtime, when Webber went behind his back and through his legs with a dribble before throwing a lob to Dalembert for a dunk and a 107-103 lead with 2:23 remaining. Teammate Andre Iguodala grabbed his head in disbelief.

However, Webber’s greatest play came on the defensive end. After he made two free throws with 1:22 left in the third overtime, the teams traded a pair of empty possessions.

Mark Blount rebounded Korver’s missed 3-pointer. Despite it, Webber sneaked behind him, knocked the ball loose and corraled it with about 10 seconds to play.

The Celtics shocked and tired and finally fouled Iverson with two seconds to go. "The Answer" missed the first, then intentionally missed the second. With no timeouts, the Celtics could only get Delonte West’s 60-foot runner, which hit the backboard, ending the game after 3hr 43min.

Sixers lose despite Iverson's 46 points

2006-01-12T16:49:00.000-08:00

The Philadelphia 76ers' weak defense spoiled another amazing performance of Allen Iverson. Mehmet Okur made 25 points and Andrei Kirilenko 23, helping the Utah Jazz overcome Iverson's 46 points in a 110-102 win on Wednesday night.

Milt Palacio also scored 17 points, Gordan Giricek 16 and Okur added eight assists and eight rebounds for Utah. This way they won their third straight on the road. The Jazz, atop the Northwest Division, have won eight of nine to improve to two games above .500 for the first time since starting 4-2.

"We made whatever we wanted in the attack," Palacio said. "We ran our offense and knew that they were not the greatest defensive team. We tried to take advantage of that."

It's important to notice that the Jazz shot 74.1 percent (20-for-27) in the second half, getting many easy baskets on uncontested layups. The 76ers have the NBA's second-highest scoring offense but second-worst defense.

Allen Iverson Transformation

2006-01-11T18:04:00.000-08:00

Some years ago you wouldn't have thought that Allen Iverson was going to be one of the best players of the NBA. At that time he earned the reputation of the toughest little daredevil in the NBA with his relentless attack on the game. His attitude was nothing but rebellious and careless.

That's why his transformation nowadays can be labeled as astonishing. He has become one of the most talented and important basketball players in America. Iverson is now a four-time NBA scoring champ and he's averaging a career-best 33.3 points (second to Kobe Bryant's 34.1) and, at 45.2%, challenging his career best in field goal percentage (46.1%).

And that's just a piece of his latest achievements. His evolution keeps going with every game he plays. Iverson has become a great player and deserves to join the US Team. This time no one has a doubt.

Iverson scores 41 in Sixers win over Sonics

2006-01-10T09:43:00.000-08:00

Allen Iverson did it again. He scored 41 points, and with the help of Kyle Korver and Salmons, the Sixers beated SuperSonics 107-98. The “Answer” was the reason for the victory.

Seattle's weak defence gave AI ample opportunity to dart down the lane for all the easy baskets he desired. Then, Allen scored 41 points, John Salmons had 18 points and Kyle Korver added 17 points to lead the Philadelphia 76ers beat the SuperSonics 107-98 on Monday night.

Although Iverson said he's still feels slight pain in the sprained right ankle he injured Dec. 27 at Denver, it hardly showed as he finger-rolled his way to one of his top shooting nights of the season.

"I feel a lot better with treatment and everything and I'm able to push off it like I want to," Iverson mentioned. "Once it gets loose, I'm able to move around the way I want to.

Iverson made nine points during a 19-5 run in the third quarter that gave Philadelphia a 79-60 lead. Iverson usually drove through a lane that offered almost no resistance and little reason for the All-Star to resort to his usual banging and crashing all over the court.

Iverson went 6-for-8 in third for 18 points and the Sixers shot 68 percent in the quarter.

With the easy looks, and a mid-range jumper that was on target, Iverson finished 15-for-25 from the floor and made 11 of 13 free throws.

Iverson wants to rule at Olympic Games

2006-01-08T18:38:00.000-08:00

Allen Iverson is a favorite of the fans to enhance USA team at the 2008 Olympics. His performance against the Jazz last week was great enough to leave us with no doubt.

Despite the Jazz's victory 108-102 over the 76ers, Allen Iverson played as well as anybody can possibly play. He scored 37 points, and that's a usual good thing. What's more, Iverson showed an amazing eagerness to defend, distribute the ball, and put his teammates in position to help win the game.

Iverson had steals on back-to-back possessions that nearly killed the Jazz. To make it clear, he had two assists and - of course - a couple of huge baskets.

Against Utah, Iverson showed an olympic level during all the game, which is why he should be a member of USA squad.

However, he followed his performance against Utah with 15-for-48 shooting in back-to-back games at Phoenix and Sacramento. Anyway, Iverson has never played better than he has this season.

He's averaging 33.4 points and shooting 44.7 percent from the field - really good for a 6-feet player who is the primary target of every defense he faces.

During the 76ers' stop in Phoenix, managing director of USA Basketball Jerry Colangelo talked to Iverson and discussed the three-year commitment every Olympic team member has to make.

"He said it would be an honor, in a very direct and honest way" Colangelo told reporters. "It is clear - that he wants to be a part of it. He'd consider it an honor if he was selected. He thinks there is something to prove. He wants to win a gold medal. He said that very clearly."

76ers at Kings

2006-01-02T19:52:00.000-08:00

Philadelphia 76ers will play against the Sacramento Kings in a promising game tomorrow. Iverson team will meet Sacramento at ARCO Arena.

It's good to remember that the Kings have not lost to the Sixers since a 107-104 overtime decision on Dec. 30, 2000, going 4-0 at home over that span and averaging 104.8 points per contest at that time.

Philadelphia is 1-3 during a season-long seven-game road trip that includes six consecutive matches against Western Conference opponents.

The Sixers made 37 points from Allen Iverson and 21 from Webber, but continued to struggle in the paint in a 108-102 loss Saturday to the Utah Jazz.

Allen squad was outrebounded 43-34, including 13-6 in offensive boards - and has been outrebounded in each of its losses this season.

Iverson has been on a scoring tear on the road trip, averaging 38.5 points per game on 46.8 percent shooting. He started the trip by scoring a season-high 53 points in the Sixers` 111-108 loss Dec. 23 to the Atlanta Hawks.

``We just didn`t finish the game off,`` said Iverson, who had the opportunity to tie the game against the Jazz in the final seconds but had his shot partially blocked. ``We`ve been having that problem all season. Our problem is just stopping people and rebounding the basketball. Until we get that under control, we`re going to continue to struggle through 2006 as well.``

The league`s leading scorer at 34.2 points per game, Iverson has averaged 28.9 points in 17 games against the Kings in his career.

He scored 50 points the last time the Sixers beat Sacramento at home, connecting on 20 of 40 shots in a 119-108 win on Feb. 6, 2000.

Allen Iverson Biography

2005-12-29T16:08:00.000-08:00

Basketball super player and great American star, Allen Ezail Iverson was born on June 7, 1975 in Hampton, Virginia. He is an All-Star point guard/shooting guard for the NBA´s Philadelphia 76ers franchise.

Six feet of talent and fury, Allen Iverson played two seasons of college basketball for Georgetown University before being drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers in 1996. He soon became their leading scorer. His nickname "The Answer" shows his importance in the team. By 1999 he became the leading scorer in the NBA, averaging 26.8 points per game. In 2000 he released a CD of rap music (under the name Jewelz), whose coarse "street" lyrics created a minor controversy (for which Iverson eventually apologized). In 2001 Iverson was named the Most Valuable Player in the league, the shortest player in NBA history to hold the title.

The NBA made several alterations in the game rules during the off-season, and allowed zone defenses. The new rules have since limited Iverson's effectiveness somewhat, but he was still able to lead the NBA in steals and minutes played while keeping his high scoring output. In fact, Iverson has led the NBA in scoring four times (1998-99, 2000-01, 2001-02, and 2004-05,) and, in the process, has equalized George Gervin for the third-most scoring titles. He only trails Wilt Chamberlain and the legend Michael Jordan.

On February 12, 2005, Iverson made a career-high 60 points in the game with the Orlando Magic. He had lavishly praised then-76ers head coach Larry Brown, usually saying that he would not have reached the heights that he has in the sport without Brown's guidance. He had a love-hate relationship with Brown, though. After the 76ers were beated in the first round of the 2002 NBA playoffs, Brown criticized Iverson for missing team practices. Iverson later held a press conference in which he noticed: "We're talking about practice. We're not even talking about the game, the actual game, when it matters. We're talking about practice."

Allen later met Brown as a member and co-captain of the 2004 USA Olympics basketball team. However, they only won the bronze medal. A gold medal had been expected. Iverson, along with teammate LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers, were benched during a game, when they were late to a practice session. The United States team had a dismal start against Germany who had failed to qualify for the Olympic competition. Despite that, Iverson kept the game from going into overtime with a miraculous half-court shot in the closing seconds. In 2003, Allen Iverson was ranked 53rd on SLAM Magazine's Top 75 NBA players of all time.