The man they once called The Answer was the last player announced. The arena lights were turned off, and a spotlight revealed Allen Iverson.
It was easy to see he really was Allen Iverson. The braided hair, the shooting sleeve, the headband. The swagger. Everything I remembered about Iverson was evident. But yesterday was different than I was used to with Iverson. The crowd treated it like a celebration, but this was sad. Iverson was playing in Turkey, for some team called Besiktas. Things weren't supposed to turn out this way.
This was a former NBA MVP. A 10-time All-Star, 11 if you count last season when the fans voted him in. A four-time scoring champ. This was The Answer. The hero who carried Aaron McKie, Eric Snow, Dikembe Mutombo, George Lynch, Tyrone Hill, Jumaine Jones and Todd MacCulloch to the NBA Finals. Who stepped over Tyron Lue in the midst of a 48-point explosion, in the NBA Finals, against Kobe, Shaq and the Lakers. Who scored at least 40 points 79 times, who scored at least 50 points 11 times, and who is one of only 20 players to score 60 points in a single game. Who helped carry the NBA into the hip hop era, who didn't care if he was misunderstood. Who played as hard as anyone, who never stopped scrapping.
This was Allen Iverson. The man who didn't want to talk about practice. Who reminded fans of another gritty Philly overachiever, Rocky. Who was beloved enough to make people buy Reeboks. Who, even at 6-0 tall (in heels, I bet), even at 165 pounds (soaking wet, most likely), managed to physically dominate world's best athletes. Who brought the killer crossover to new heights. Who sacrificed his body, game in and game out, to lead his teams to victory.
Now I am forced to watch Iverson on ATDHE.net, with the live (and probably illegal) video stream temporarily pausing every minute or so due to poor connection. Is this really what it has come to, a Hall of Famer shamed into playing overseas, with no NBA team willing to offer a contract? Is this really what it has come to, Iverson's struggles forcing us to squint just to remember his transcendent greatness?
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