50 Fun Facts About Allen Iverson

Which word did Allen Iverson repeat 22 times at a famous 2002 press conference after a playoff exit?

Practice was the word, said 22 times as Iverson bristled at criticism for missing team sessions. Boston had just knocked the 76ers out in the first round.

Which Lakers guard did Allen Iverson famously step over after a jumper in Game 1 of the 2001 NBA Finals?

Tyronn Lue had come off the bench to shadow Iverson, who scored 48 points in the overtime win. It was the Lakers' only defeat of that whole postseason.

Allen Iverson was the cover athlete for the first five editions of which basketball video game series?

NBA 2K launched on the Dreamcast in 1999 with Iverson on the box. He stayed there until Ben Wallace of the Detroit Pistons replaced him in 2004.

Which singer's 2015 debut single, named after Allen Iverson, went on to pass a billion streams on Spotify?

Post Malone uploaded White Iverson to SoundCloud in February 2015, and it became his breakthrough hit. The song peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Which player missed being a unanimous NBA MVP in 2000 because one voter chose Allen Iverson instead?

Shaquille O'Neal took every other first-place vote. Fred Hickman of CNN picked Iverson, who went on to win the award himself a year later.

In which 2002 family film about a pair of magic sneakers does Allen Iverson appear as himself?

Like Mike stars Lil' Bow Wow as an orphan who becomes a pro basketball sensation after finding the shoes. Several real NBA players make cameos.

Which hairstyle is Allen Iverson widely credited with bringing into the NBA mainstream?

Cornrows became Iverson's signature look, alongside his tattoos and love of rap. Commentators credit that mix with transforming the culture of the whole league.

Which Chicago Bulls defender did rookie Allen Iverson memorably cross over during a 37-point game in 1997?

Michael Jordan was caught leaning by the dribble, a clip replayed ever since. Chicago still won the game, 108–104, on its way to a 69-win season.

Which accessory did Allen Iverson adopt in his MVP season for a medical reason, starting an NBA trend?

The arm sleeve began as protection for bursitis in his right elbow. Iverson kept wearing it long after the joint healed, and fans copied it as a fashion statement.

At which university did Allen Iverson play two seasons of college basketball before the 1996 NBA draft?

Georgetown offered Iverson a full scholarship after his release from jail. He was named his conference's top defender in both seasons and left as a first-team All-American.

Which nickname did Allen Iverson, the top pick of the 1996 NBA draft, carry through his career?

The Answer stuck for all 14 of his NBA seasons, a run that brought 11 straight All-Star selections even though he was listed at just six feet tall.

Which sportswear brand signed Allen Iverson for life and made him its vice president of basketball in 2023?

Reebok first signed Iverson before his rookie season, on a 10-year, $50 million contract, then made it a lifetime deal in 2001. It includes a trust fund he can reach when he turns 55.

Which Hall of Fame coach, who often clashed with Allen Iverson, led the 76ers to the 2001 NBA Finals?

Larry Brown was named Coach of the Year that season, not long after their disagreements nearly got Iverson traded. Iverson later called him the best coach in the world.

Which team acquired Allen Iverson from the Philadelphia 76ers in a blockbuster trade in December 2006?

The Denver Nuggets paired Iverson with Carmelo Anthony, uniting the league's top two scorers at the time of the deal. Philadelphia got two players and two first-round picks.

In which country did Allen Iverson finish his playing career after leaving the NBA in 2010?

Turkey saw Iverson play only ten games for Beşiktaş before he flew home for calf surgery in January 2011. He never played professional basketball again.

Which Toronto Raptors star dueled Allen Iverson in a seven-game playoff series on the way to the 2001 Finals?

Vince Carter scored 50 points in Game 3, then missed a potential winning shot with two seconds left in Game 7. Iverson later called the series incredible.

In which city did Allen Iverson co-captain the United States team to an Olympic bronze medal in 2004?

Athens began with a shock: the United States lost its opening game to Puerto Rico by 19 points, its most lopsided defeat in international play up to then.

Which 1996 draft classmate of Allen Iverson, a future MVP himself, beat him in the 2001 NBA Finals?

Kobe Bryant entered that draft straight from a Pennsylvania high school. His Lakers lost the opening game of the 2001 Finals to Iverson's 76ers, then won the next four.

Which position did Allen Iverson start at for Bethel High School's state-champion football team?

Quarterback was only one of his jobs: Iverson also returned kicks and played defensive back. He was named Associated Press high school player of the year in two sports.

At what kind of venue did the 1993 brawl take place that led to Allen Iverson's arrest at age 17?

A bowling alley in his hometown was the scene, on Valentine's Day 1993. Iverson served four months before the governor granted clemency, and the conviction was later overturned.

In which US state did Allen Iverson grow up, winning state titles in two sports as a high school junior?

Virginia is where Iverson was born, in the city of Hampton, to a 15-year-old single mother. Both state titles came in the same school year, in football and basketball.

Which NBA commissioner introduced the 2005 dress code of which Allen Iverson was seen as the main target?

David Stern's rule required business attire and ruled out the chains and du-rags Iverson was known for. Iverson objected that it stopped him expressing himself.

Which rapper co-founded the 3-on-3 league where Allen Iverson was a player-coach in its first season, 2017?

Ice Cube launched the BIG3 with businessman Jeff Kwatinetz. Iverson played only nine minutes of his team's opening game and warned fans not to expect the player of old.

Which comedian plays an NBA scout in the 2022 Netflix film 'Hustle', where Allen Iverson appears as himself?

Adam Sandler co-produced the film and plays a scout who finds a raw talent in Spain. Iverson is one of dozens of basketball figures who turn up as themselves.

The director of ESPN's 'No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson' also made which basketball documentary?

Hoop Dreams director Steve James comes from Iverson's hometown, and his 2010 film looks at how the trial split the community. Iverson declined to take part.

Which shot-blocking center joined Allen Iverson's 76ers in a February 2001 trade and anchored their Finals run?

Dikembe Mutombo arrived from Atlanta in a deal that sent the injured Theo Ratliff the other way. He won his fourth Defensive Player of the Year award that season.

Which 76ers guard won the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year award in 2001, the season Allen Iverson was MVP?

Aaron McKie backed up both guard spots and sometimes started for the Finals-bound team. No Sixer had won the award since Bobby Jones in 1983.

In which statistical category did Allen Iverson lead the NBA for three straight seasons from 2001?

Steals were Iverson's defensive specialty: he averaged 2.5 a game in his MVP season, when he also took the scoring title with 31.1 points a night.

Whose rookie record for consecutive 40-point games did Allen Iverson break with five in a row in 1997?

Wilt Chamberlain had managed three straight as a rookie. Iverson's streak included a 50-point night in Cleveland, yet the 76ers still finished that season 22–60.

Which former Houston Rockets center entered the Basketball Hall of Fame alongside Allen Iverson in 2016?

Yao Ming became the first Chinese national in the Hall. He could have gone in as early as 2012 but asked for a delay, feeling it was too soon.

Which Hall of Fame college coach offered Allen Iverson a full scholarship despite his 1993 conviction?

John Thompson was convinced by Iverson's three years of high school play alone. Two decades later he was in the room when Iverson announced his retirement.

Which college conference named Allen Iverson its Defensive Player of the Year in both of his seasons?

The Big East also named him its Rookie of the Year in 1995. A year later his team lost the conference tournament final by a single point, then reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament.

Which University of Massachusetts star was picked second, right behind Allen Iverson, in the 1996 NBA draft?

Marcus Camby went to Toronto as college player of the year. That spring his team had knocked Iverson's out of the NCAA tournament, one win short of the Final Four.

Which former Finals MVP did the Detroit Pistons give up to land Allen Iverson in November 2008?

Chauncey Billups had led Detroit to the 2004 title, and general manager Joe Dumars called trading him the hardest move he had made. Iverson lasted one season there.

Which team did Allen Iverson leave after just three games in 2009, unhappy at coming off the bench?

The Memphis Grizzlies had signed him to a one-year, $3.1 million contract only two months earlier. It was ended by mutual agreement, and he rejoined the 76ers weeks later.

Which 2004 first-round pick, later a Finals MVP with Golden State, began his career beside Allen Iverson?

Andre Iguodala was the ninth pick of that draft and stayed in Philadelphia until 2012. His Finals MVP award came in 2015, during the first of his four title runs with the Warriors.

Which All-Star forward joined Allen Iverson's 76ers in a February 2005 trade with the Sacramento Kings?

Chris Webber averaged 20 points a game the next season, yet Philadelphia missed the playoffs. Both stars were fined over the team's fan appreciation night in April 2006.

Which team knocked Allen Iverson's 76ers out of the playoffs' second round in both 1999 and 2000?

The Indiana Pacers swept the 1999 series and took the rematch in six games. Iverson got his revenge in 2001, when the 76ers beat them in the first round on the way to the Finals.

Which team did Allen Iverson's 76ers beat in a seven-game conference final to reach the 2001 NBA Finals?

The Milwaukee Bucks forced a deciding game, in which Philadelphia's center produced 23 points, 19 rebounds and seven blocks to send the 76ers through.

Which Wake Forest big man won gold with Allen Iverson and Ray Allen at the 1995 World University Games?

Tim Duncan and Iverson went unbeaten in Japan, finishing with a 141–81 rout of the hosts. Iverson led the American team in both scoring and assists.

Allen Iverson's 1993 conviction, later overturned, relied on a rarely used law written to combat which crime?

Lynching was the target of the state's maiming-by-mob statute. Iverson and three friends, all Black, were the only people arrested after the brawl.

Under which stage name did Allen Iverson record a controversial rap album in 2000 that was never released?

Jewelz was the alias on 40 Bars, whose lyrics drew protests from activist groups and the league office. Iverson agreed to change them, but the album never came out.

Which 76ers center blocked a 2000 trade of Allen Iverson to Detroit by refusing to waive his trade kicker?

Matt Geiger's $5 million clause sank a four-team deal, so Iverson stayed in Philadelphia. He was named MVP and reached the Finals the very next season.

Which point guard did the 76ers receive, with Joe Smith and two draft picks, for Allen Iverson in 2006?

Andre Miller made the reverse journey on December 19, 2006. After Iverson left, the 76ers did not win another playoff series until 2012.

Which disgraced former referee claimed officials agreed to deny Allen Iverson calls in a January 2007 game?

Tim Donaghy said the crew wanted to teach Iverson a lesson for criticizing a fellow referee, which had cost him a $25,000 fine. Iverson still shot 12 free throws that night.

Which sports analyst's blog carried the November 2009 statement announcing Allen Iverson's plans to retire?

Stephen A. Smith had long covered the 76ers as a columnist for The Philadelphia Inquirer. The retirement lasted about a week before Iverson rejoined Philadelphia.

Which NFL team cast Allen Iverson in its 2025 schedule-release video as a pun on using 'AI'?

The Buffalo Bills built the gag around star passer Josh Allen, who suggests using AI. The general manager misunderstands and recruits Iverson instead of software.

Which jersey number did the Philadelphia 76ers retire for Allen Iverson at a halftime ceremony in March 2014?

Number 3 went up in front of 20,000 fans, with 76ers great Julius Erving looking on. In Detroit Iverson had to wear 1, because a teammate already had his usual shirt.

Which point guard, acquired from Seattle in 1998, shared a backcourt with Allen Iverson on the 76ers' 2001 Finals team?

Eric Snow's defense let him guard bigger shooting guards, sparing the undersized Iverson that job. The two also served as the team's co-captains.

Which childhood nickname did Allen Iverson pick up while growing up in Hampton?

Bubba Chuck dates from his earliest years in the city. One childhood friend recalled that Iverson always looked out for the younger kids and could teach anybody.