In the NBA, championships and dynasties are dictated by superstars. Whether they are conglomerates or single entities, the big-time superstars bring excitement, highlights, and wins to the audiences of the NBA.
The names of these superstars are forever imprinted in the annals of NBA history. In retrospect, other than the legendary Michael Jordan, no modern day superstar was as deadly and entertaining with the basketball as Allen Iverson.
Allen Iverson made a name for himself in the NBA as a little man with a big heart. The strength of his will and his slightness of frame made for an interesting contrast that ultimately combined to create an icon and inspiration for audiences.
Despite his small stature, there was nobody during Allen Iverson's prime who was a more lethal scorer than he. Similar to Shaquille O'Neal's dominance using strength, Allen Iverson was deadly using his speed.
With a streaky but lethal jumper and a myriad of crossovers and acrobatic skills, Allen Iverson became a household name for both his entertainment value and his ability to win, despite not playing with the most skilled offensive players.
Probably his most talented co-star in all his years with the 76ers was Dikembe Mutombo, and the man was no offensive juggernaut. With an aging defensive beast and a myriad of nearly competent role players surrounding him, Allen Iverson was able to carry his team to the finals, and garner the MVP of the regular season while doing so.
However, despite his many scoring titles, the coveted MVP title, and his numerous playoff pushes utilizing weaker talent, Allen Iverson garnered the reputation of "team cancer" and "locker room liability" as his career slowed down, and ultimately fizzled.
Iverson had one good shot at a title, making the 2001 NBA Finals against the vaunted LA Lakers. He dominated game one, scoring 48 points and shocking the basketball world as the Sixers took down the Lakers 107-101 and handing LA their first playoff loss of the season. It all went downhill from there, however, as the Sixers were swept the rest of the way despite a heroic effort from Iverson, who averaged 35.6 points for the series. And then, as quickly as the Sixers had approached the summit, they faded back to obscurity, failing to get past the Eastern Conference Semifinals in either of the next two seasons. AI's shot disappeared as quickly as it had come.
Iverson reached a crossoroads in his career in the summer of 2009. His multi year contract, signed with the 76ers and played out with the Denver Nuggets and Detroit Pistons this past season had now expired. But for the first time in his career, Iverson was not sought after. The NBA draft had come and gone, and the first week of free agency without so much as a phone call. This eventually led to signing with the Grizzlies, being waived and signing with the 76ers for a handful of games before retiring from the NBA.
And that is what this story will aim to fix. Can Iverson finally get the championship that eluded him and to reach the summit of basketball? Or will it peter out the same way as his real life career did? Either way it is not going to be easy.
But one thing is for sure, this is Iverson's Last Stand.
Rosters: 2009-10 Opening Night
Sliders:
Quarter Length: 12 Minutes
Sim Quarter Length: 12 Minutes
Draft Class: 2009 and 2010 Draft
Season Length: 82 Games
Playoff Format: 7-7-7-7
Injuries: On
Progressive Fatigue: On
Player Roles: On
Team Chemistry: On
CPU Trades: On
Trade Override: Off