Allen Iverson

The Answer: 11-time All-Star, MVP, and Hall of Famer.

Allen Ezail Iverson (born June 7, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "the Answer", he played 14 seasons in the NBA as both a shooting guard and point guard. He was an 11-time NBA All-Star, won the All-Star Game MVP Award in 2001 and 2005, and was the NBA's Most Valuable Player in 2001. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016 and named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in October 2021.

Quick Facts

Role

Shooting Guard; Point Guard

Affiliation

Philadelphia 76ers
Denver Nuggets
Detroit Pistons
Memphis Grizzlies

Jersey number

Lore & Background

Iverson attended Bethel High School in Hampton, Virginia, and was a dual-sport athlete, earning AP High School Player of the Year in both football and basketball. He played college basketball at Georgetown for two years, setting the school record for career scoring average (23.0 points per game) and winning Big East Defensive Player of the Year both years. He was selected first overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1996 NBA draft and named Rookie of the Year in 1996–97. A four-time scoring champion, he led the 76ers to the 2001 NBA Finals. He also played for the Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, Memphis Grizzlies, and briefly with Beşiktaş in Turkey, and later as a player-coach in the BIG3.

Reader's Guide

Iverson is regarded as one of the game's greatest scorers, ball handlers, and guards. His regular season scoring average of 26.7 points per game ranks seventh all-time, and his playoff average of 29.7 points per game trails only Michael Jordan and Luka Dončić. He represented the United States at the 2004 Summer Olympics, winning a bronze medal.

Did You Know?

Iverson was a four-time NBA scoring champion (1998–99, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2004–05).
He was the shortest first overall pick in NBA history at 6 feet 0 inches.
Iverson was convicted of maiming by mob in 1993 but the conviction was overturned in 1995.