The moment that all of Philadelphia
has been waiting for is finally
upon us as one of this city’s favorite
athletes, Allen Iverson, has
signed to play for the 76ers for a
second time.
Although most people seem to
be excited for his return, which is
apparent by the spike in ticket
sales over the last few days, many
are skeptical on how well the 34-
year-old will play.
The last time the city saw Iverson
in a 76ers jersey was in the
06′-07′ season, in which he averaged
31.2 points and 7.3 assists in
only 15 games before he was
traded to the Denver Nuggets.
Since leaving the city of brotherly
love, Iverson’s production has
been on a decline.
His best season on another team
was in the 07′-08′ season in which
he averaged 26 points per game.
He followed up that season with
his first sub 20 ppg average in
playing with both the Denver
Nuggets and the Detroit Pistons.
For a player who has had the type
of success that Iverson has enjoyed,
that has to be somewhat
discouraging.
Last year Iverson was forced out
of 28 games, which has a lot of
fans questioning his durability.
Although he insists that he has not
lost a step, many people would
rather see him prove this than
argue that he can.
Whether or not Iverson can still
play remains to be seen, but what
Sixers fans do know is that a
change is needed. As it stands
now, the Sixers are 5-14 and are in
the midst of an 8-game losing
streak. The team is currently in
13th place in the Eastern Conference.
Injuries to second-year man
Mareese Speights, starting point
guard Lou Williams, and big
ticket free agent acquisition Elton
Brand have left the Sixers relying
on second-stringers.With the Sixers
struggling on both sides of the
ball, a player who has led the
league in steals and points may be
just what the doctor ordered.
Iverson has a Hall of Fame caliber
resume. From the start he
proved that he would be a superstar,
winning the Rookie of the
Year award in 1997. He followed
that up with 10 NBAAll-Star appearances,
an MVP trophy in
2001, four NBAscoring titles and
six All-NBA team awards. Not to
mention he led the NBA in steals
in 02′-03′ with 225, setting a
76ers franchise record.
In what is perhaps his greatest
accomplishment to date, in the
2000-01 season he led the Sixers
to a 56-26 record and an appearance
in the NBA Finals. It was
there that they faced off against a
Los Angeles Lakers team led by
the dominant tandem of Shaq and
Kobe. The Lakers ultimately
proved too tough for the Sixers as
the Lakers took the series in only
five games.
When it comes down to it, the
76ers need Iverson just as bad as
he needs them. Granted he did retire
a mere week ago after an illadvised
stint with the Memphis
Grizzlies saw him play in only
three games. After Iverson and
Memphis decided to part ways,
Iverson didn’t find anyone interested
in his services.
Many believe that this is because
teams feel he had little gas
left in the tank, and worry that he
isn’t a true team player.
Iverson would love nothing
more than to come out and be a
key contributor, especially in a
city that loves him more than any
athlete that has ever worn a Sixers
jersey in the last decade.
The Sixers would like to snap
out of their losing streak and start
contending with the top teams in
the Eastern Conference that boast
high-powered rosters and superstar
players such as Lebron James,
Dwayne Wade and Dwight
Howard. Can both sides get what
they want?We will just have to sit
back and wait for the “answer.”