Iverson to China?

Reports are filtering in that former #1 draft pick and face-of-the-Sixers-franchise, Allen Iverson plans to take his talents to South... Beijing? As a fan of the NBA, this is depressing. Iverson is a past league MVP and three-time scoring champion. He is considered by most to be destined for Springfield, Massachusetts. As a die-hard Sixers fan that grew up during Iverson's prime years and single-handedly sparked my interest in basketball, this is devastating. When life seems stuck in neutral, sports are a great reminder of how quickly things can change for the better or (in Iverson's case) the much worse.

Iverson could perhaps be the most polarizing athlete in the history of Philadelphia sports to the national media. More than Chamberlain, Barkley, Dykstra, Burrell, Lindros or McNabb. But to Philadelphia, he was, is and will always be a hero. He is one of the most interesting cases of misunderstood athletes.

Thug Life. Iverson was raised in Hampton, Virgina by his single 15-year-old mother. Life was difficult. He fell in with with a core group of friends, calling themselves Cru Thik. In high school, he was a two-sport star. He managed to win the State Championship in both Football (QB, CB and KOR/PR) and Basketball in the same year. His senior year he was involved in a Bowling Alley brawl divided along racial lines. ESPN did a 30 for 30 on it called "No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson." It is unbelievably compelling. Needless to say, when the Sixers drafted him, his perception was that of an uneducated thug.

No Stranger to the Spotlight. Iverson blew up expectations and had the entire city talking about his ceiling potential. He won Rookie of the Year in a very strong class (Ray Allen, Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash) and demonstrated his devastating crossover on a pretty good player. He followed up this performance with a scoring title in only his third year. Iverson was good. We just didn't know how good until his fifth year.

Carrying a team city on his back. I remember 2001 so vividly. We started the season 10-0. Everything was clicking. All of the key role players were in place to make a title run (Theo Ratliff/Dikembe Mutombo, George Lynch, Tyrone Hill, Matt Geiger, Aaron McKie and Eric Snow). Iverson was unstoppable. He won the MVP and scoring title, averaging 31.1 points/game during the regular season. No one else averaged more than 12. In the playoffs, he stepped it up, scoring 32.9 points/game. They blew by Indiana in the first round, but went 7 games with Toronto and Milwaukee. At one point during the Toronto series, he traded 50 point games with Vince Carter.

Game 2: Iverson, 54 points - Sixers win
Game 3: Carter, 54 points - Raptors win
Game 5: Iverson, 52 points - Sixers win

After winning the Eastern Conference Championship, they took game 1 from the Lakers in LA and every Philadelphian learned the name Tyronn Lue. It was an incredible time to be a Sixers fan. Despite the loss, there was optimism for the future. Iverson was only 25 (entering his basketball prime) and there was plenty of time to surround him with dangerous players and perennially compete for a championship.

Snowballing. This was the first and last great year for the Sixers. Starting with his infamous press conference in 2002 and ending with a domestic dispute with his wife, Iverson seemed distracted. He still gave a blue-collar effort on the court, but his off court shenanigans left many fans wondering if he put in the Kobe-like work ethic to sustain for the long-term. I guess we all know the answer to that now.

Journeyman Starter? I didn't follow Iverson's career too closely after he left Philadelphia, but I did watch his return to the city of brotherly love. I get very emotional watching my teams, but rarely does something compel me to shed tears. Iverson received a minute and a half standing ovation fighting back tears. He pandered to the crowd with his signature hand cupping the ear and kissed the 76ers logo at mid court. A decade's worth of emotions, frustration and unrealized expectations all coming out in one moment. Yet, that night, we were all family again. His 2nd return was not as anticipated. At this point in his career, Iverson was brought back to sell tickets. Still, it conjured those old feelings that when Iverson was starting, we had a chance to win every game.

Now, after a decade of hall-of-fame caliber play, Iverson is an alcoholic and carries a seemingly insurmountable gambling debt. He only knows how to do one thing well: play basektball. Unfortunately for him, not a single NBA team wants him. It's incredible to think that it has come to this for him. Iverson must go to China, just to survive and continue to provide for his family. Best wishes and like always, I'll still be rooting for you.