Allen Iverson is one of the greatest scorers the game has ever seen. Despite never finding championship success in his career, Iverson is one of the most beloved and respected figures in NBA history.
For many of the players today, AI was an idol, who had a massive impact on the way many people play the game. Iverson was immensely popular during his time in the league, becoming one of the franchise players for the NBA.
Coming into the league, expectations were high for Iverson. He was the 1st overall pick in the 1996 Draft and was going to be the building block for the Philadelphia 76ers.
When Iverson came to Philly, he became the face of the franchise. Philadelphia had been waiting for a star of AI’s caliber, after years of disappointment. AI was the biggest star in Philly after the departure of Charles Barkley.
Iverson was a star from day one, and everyone knew it. And if there were those who doubt how well he could do in the NBA, those doubts would be demolished in Iverson’s first NBA game.
Iverson’s first-ever NBA game was against the Milwaukee Bucks, who also had a fellow rookie starting in Ray Allen.
Iverson put on a show against the Bucks, scoring an incredible 30 points in his debut game. Iverson announced his arrival to the NBA with his opening day performance.
Iverson wasn’t able to deliver an NBA championship to the 76ers, but he came as close as anyone could since their last title.
He and the 76ers went to the 2001 NBA Finals, where they lost to the dominant duo of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal.
The 76ers did get one game back in the Finals against the Lakers, thanks to Iverson’s iconic game-winner against them.
But he wasn’t able to win a ring during his career. Despite this, Iverson is considered a legend of the game for all that he accomplished.
