Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers have worked out a deal that would give Iverson a four-year contract extension for a mere $76.7 million. And the truth is, the cornrow wearin', explicit lyric rappin', tattooed gangsta deserves more. Much, much more.
I know, I know-there are undoubtedly many readers out there rolling their eyes and turning to mount themselves once again atop their high horses of moral judgment-hold your horses, pardners.
The problem with Iverson critics is that they have very little ammunition to use against the young guard, so instead they employ mud. Attacks usually center around Iverson's "character," or lack thereof. More ambitious critics make their case by alluding to his selfish nature as a player. And we've all heard the famous "I would score 30 points a game, too, if I shot the ball 50 times a night." As asinine as the attacks on Iverson's character and playing ability are, maybe they are worth further inspection.
Iverson is consistently among the league leaders in scoring, including his 2001-2002 MVP season, when he led the NBA. Last year, he was third.
Admittedly, Iverson's potency as a scorer is rarely questioned, but many critics point to his shot attempts per game and argue that he is merely a ball hog. This, however, is a very poor argument. During his career, Iverson has shot 42 percent from the field, and 31 percent from three-point range-averages which, incidentally, are better than Michael Jordan's were during his second comeback.
Additionally, it is important to note that Iverson typically earns his points the hard way. Iverson is second in the league in free-throw attempts. So not only does the dude score, but he takes it to the hole constantly, and as a result always takes a beating. It's just part of the game for Iverson.
Iverson is also a tenacious defender. He has consistently led the league in steals per game, including last year when he finished first in the NBA in both total steals and steals per game.
Not only does Iverson perform well in the regular season, but he turns it on in the playoffs. He scores more, yes, but he also makes his teammates better. Last year, he averaged more than seven assists per game in the playoffs, which was more than Mike Bibby, the point guard selection for Team USA.
Making his teammates better is the rule rather than the exception for Iverson. Iverson has consistently made mediocre players stars-did you watch the 2001 finals? Eric Snow, Aaron McKie, Derrick Coleman, George Lynch, Theo Ratliff and others have all enjoyed their most productive and successful seasons while playing with Iverson. Yet the pseudo-pundits still want to call him selfish...yeah, that makes sense.
A.I. has started 484 of 487 games-pretty self-indulgent if you ask me. The man plays more minutes than any other player in the league and people still try to say that he's lazy and a bad example. Sorry, but no.
When the possibility arose for him to go elsewhere and test the market for more money, Iverson simply said, "I always wanted to be a Sixer. I always wanted to finish my career as a Sixer." But then again, loyalty has always seemed to be an overstated virtue.
So what is it that we are looking for? So far we know that Iverson is both a prolific scorer and ninja quick defender. He is a hard worker and loyal player. At times, it can be annoying to hear him gush about how much he loves playing for the fans of Philadelphia and the Sixers' organization, but that is probably just a product of his ghetto background, so we can give him some leeway.
But his ghetto background is something that the witch hunters can't allow Iverson to get away with. Iverson is everything you want in a player, but nothing you want in a prom date for your daughter. He is fundamentally sound and dedicated to the sport he plays, but-gasp-he has tattoos and says the "F" word in rap lyrics.
There is, however, one word that is worse than the "F" word, that is the "H" word-hypocrisy. As far as I am concerned, the moral hypocrites can save their lamentations about the character of Iverson for their Sunday-school lessons and weekly lectures with their kids.
It is sad to think that those who condemn Iverson for his persona do so in the name of a higher moral code that is typically founded on some version of a Judeo-Christian ethic. I guess I missed the lesson on forming gross generalizations based on appearances.
myoung@chronicle.utah.edu
