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Selected as the first overall pick of the 1996 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers, Iverson quickly became the team's leader and one of the premiere point guards in the country. His $9.4-million contract was an instant ticket out of poverty for him and his family. During his rookie season, he led his team in per-game statistics, including points (23.5), assists (7.5), steals (2.1), and minutes played (40.1). During the final eight games of the season he averaged thirty-nine points per game, and on April 12, in a 125-118 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, he became the second youngest player in NBA history to score fifty points in a game. (Iverson was twenty-one years, 310 days; Rick Barry scored fifty-plus at the age of twenty-one years, 261 days). He was named Rookie of the Year. In his second season, Iverson moved from the point guard position to shooting guard, which provided him with even more opportunities to score. In his third year in the NBA, he clinched the NBA scoring title for the 1999 season with 26.8 points per game and was named to the All-NBA First Team.
"The Answer" Allen Iverson. In my mind he is pound-for-pound, one of the best players in NBA history, and is quite possibly the best player 6'0 and under that this league has ever seen(with all due respect to Nate "Tiny" Archibald). In this generation, their has never been a player who wore their heart on their sleave, whether good or bad, like Iverson. Once he finally decides to hang it up, Allen will undoubtedly be a 1st ballot Hall of Famer as the Sixers will surely make sure that no other player ever wears his signature #3 jersey again. Now that he has just retired un-retired and gone back to Philadelphia where it all started, what better time to honor the original A.I., Allen Iverson with his very own multi-part Player Rewind Series, featuring some hidden gems caught on video showcasing "The Answer's" biggest and best moments in his HS, NCAA, and NBA career.
After winning a gold medal in the '95 World University Games alongside future NBA talents like Ray Allen, Kerry Kittles, and Austin Croshere, Iverson decided prior to his sophomore season, to forego his final 2 years at Georgetown and enter the NBA Draft. Iverson is one of only 2 players to leave the Hoyas early for the NBA Draft(Victor Page). His immediate impact around the league was evident as he had one of the better rookie seasons in the 90′s by putting up 23.5 ppg, 7.5 ast, 4.1 rebs, 2.1 stl, and shot .341% from 3 in earning the '96 NBA Rookie of the Year.
In a loaded NBA Draft which included Kobe Bryant, Stephon Marbury, and Steve Nash, Allen immediately established himself as the undisputed best player in the class by putting up 30 points and 6 assists(along with his first NBA dunk at 1:53 in the video) against fellow rookie Ray Allen and the Bucks in his first NBA game.
Iverson was a scoring machine in his rookie campaign. He even set a record that even the great Wilt Chamberlain couldn't accomplish: scoring 40 or more points in 4 straight games.
Every young gun in their rookie season, like Iverson, wants to take it to the game's best players to prove that they belong. A.I. was no different as he wasted no time going right after Michael Jordan, showing the GOAT his infamous killer crossover and nailing a jumper from the free throw line.