Wednesday, December 13, 2006
The end of an era- sometime soon I guess
I tried to hold off on my inevitable Allen Iverson post until the Sixers actually traded him, but due to the fact that GM Billy King is a fuckin idiot and may not pull off a deal forever, I guess I'll just make my peace now.
First let me say that Iverson is the greatest Philly athlete of my time-maybe ever. Now I'm too young to remember Schmidt, Barkley, Dr. J and Wilt in their primes, but I still think AI should be mentioned in the same category as those guys. Easily.
It's just sad to see it end this way. A former MVP who can still drop 35 a night is waiting to be shipped off. Like all the other rational fans, I agree that an Iverson trade needs to happen. It should have happened a couple years ago. Not because Iverson was getting old or that his game was slowing down. Because the Sixers have been going in the wrong direction ever since the '01 Finals appearance. Because King has hired and fired a million coaches and brought in "complimentary stars" like Derrick Coleman, Keith Van Horn and Toni Kukoc over the last five years. Because the fans won't pay to watch anymore, whether Iverson's on the court or not.
The Sixers organization has gotten so bad and so desperate, that they will basically get slop in return. Last summer, they promised to put a better team on the court. Iverson said he wanted to retire a Sixer. Neither has/will happen. And even worse, the end of the AI era in Philly will be a bitter one, something Iverson and the fans don't deserve.
I've grown up with AI. The Sixers drafted him 1st overall in '96 when I was 13, and he's been the most exciting athlete to watch ever since. The state of the Sixers pre-Iverson was dismal. They flat out sucked for years after trading away Barkley for a bunch of scrubs. Then this guy comes along, with Larry Brown and Pat Croce, and puts them back on the map.
You're talking about a guy who is barley 6 foot dominating a sport that is dominated by big men. Night after night, AI could be counted on to play his ass off, play with injuries, score with ease and get the crowd on its feet. That was every night. Not just Philly fans, but basketball fans in general, would always have that look of amazement on their faces-as if to say "how the hell did he do that?" He is THE one I will tell my kids about.
AI had many amazing moments- the "passing of the torch" when he made Jordan look silly with a nasty crossover, the sick dunk over Camby in his rookie season, the step over of Tyron Lue in game 1 of the '01 Finals, which is still one of the best games I've ever watched. The entire 2001 season was full of great AI moments.
Unfortunately, like many other prominent Philly athletes, AI will leave town without a championship. That's the worst part of this. Because if anyone deserves to win, it's Iverson. The naysayers will argue he couldn't be coached, he didn't make his teammates better, he was selfish. But if you really watched this guy night after night, you know he was truly about winning and about giving the fans a team to cheer for. Wherever AI ends up, I'll still be cheering for him.
Bill Simmons sums up the mess from a basketball fan's perspective:
"In the meantime, we should be celebrating this moment: A truly great player getting ready to plug himself into the Juvenation Machine. Maybe it doesn't matter where Allen Iverson ends up, just that he's going somewhere at all."
Comments:
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Yeah, I don't even know what to say... other than Fire Billy! I turned down some free tickets this week just because I didnt have a decent Billy King sign ready to go.
I dont trust this guy with rebuilding the team at all.
I dont trust this guy with rebuilding the team at all.
Merble- he's a great athlete, but in the end, what does it matter? NBA is a second-rate league filled with "me-first" players who would rather get their own stats up than play a team game or a little defense. Unfortunately, he will not be missed by me, or most people in the Delaware Valley simply because the NBA just doesnt matter, and neither do the Sixers, especially in the last 5 years, thus AI doesnt matter. This is reflected in the Wachovia being half empty every game. (I will concede the 2001 season, which was amazing, but mostly because Larry Brown put together a defense around AI.) In summation- let him go, who cares...its the NBA.
-Mr. Bailey
-Mr. Bailey
# posted by 
: Friday, December 15, 2006
: Friday, December 15, 2006
T-Bone:
I completely agree that the NBA is a joke when it comes to team games or playing defense. But if people don't care, then why do the AI haters constantly rip him for not making his team better or not playing d? BTW, isn't AI near the top of the league in steals every year? He usually has to guard the team's 2 guard, which means his height is a liability almost all the time on d. Yes, you could argue that he should be playing the point, but would you really want to sacrifice his scoring ability? Especially when there are never good players around him?
Also, maybe the NBA is a little extreme, but there are so many cases of me-first players in the other pro sports, except hockey, which is barely a pro sport anymore.
All I'm saying is, I don't think people appreciate what they had here. he was amazing. Was without a doubt about winning and playing hard and if it weren't for the front office being so awful, they wouldn't have to blow the team up like they are about to do.
And if you think attendance is bad now, wait until AI is gone. No one will show up. So I think there are people who care.
Merblelicious
I completely agree that the NBA is a joke when it comes to team games or playing defense. But if people don't care, then why do the AI haters constantly rip him for not making his team better or not playing d? BTW, isn't AI near the top of the league in steals every year? He usually has to guard the team's 2 guard, which means his height is a liability almost all the time on d. Yes, you could argue that he should be playing the point, but would you really want to sacrifice his scoring ability? Especially when there are never good players around him?
Also, maybe the NBA is a little extreme, but there are so many cases of me-first players in the other pro sports, except hockey, which is barely a pro sport anymore.
All I'm saying is, I don't think people appreciate what they had here. he was amazing. Was without a doubt about winning and playing hard and if it weren't for the front office being so awful, they wouldn't have to blow the team up like they are about to do.
And if you think attendance is bad now, wait until AI is gone. No one will show up. So I think there are people who care.
Merblelicious
All very good points. On a very funny note did you hear the story when O'Brien was coaching and in a timeout huddle told AI that he was "The worst defensive guard in the history of the NBA."? Hilarious. And I wasnt necessiarly saying that AI doesnt play defense, I was commenting in the entire state of the NBA and why people dont watch, not about AI himself.
People may look back and say wow, he was top 5 all time athletes in the history of Philadelphia, but will then realize that it was basketball and it doesnt really matter, unless the Sixers won.
T BOOONE
People may look back and say wow, he was top 5 all time athletes in the history of Philadelphia, but will then realize that it was basketball and it doesnt really matter, unless the Sixers won.
T BOOONE
# posted by : Friday, December 15, 2006
: Friday, December 15, 2006
I did hear that story. Funny. Speaking of Jimmy, he was a solid coach who got a raw deal here. If it weren't for the players being such assholes (and I'll include AI in that bunch but that was b/c he was lobbying for Mo Cheeks) he would still have a job. Players pretty much run the show in the NBA.
holy shit. these comments are the most lengthy and intense this site has ever had.
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# posted by : Tuesday, December 26, 2006
: Tuesday, December 26, 2006 << Home
