At the practice facility, the Sixers unveil a statue of Allen Iverson.

Indeed, there is something very ironic about the fact that Allen Iverson was captured in his crossover posture in the Philadelphia 76ers’ practice facility, of all places.
Practice. Not where the Sixers are supposed to play. Practice.

Nearly 22 years after AI boasted about “practice” 22 times in a frequently staged press conference (see, Ted Lasso), even Iverson was amused by the sculpture’s placement on the team’s Legends Walk, where it joins the likes of Wilt Chamberlain, Charles Barkley, Maurice Cheeks, and Julius Erving. Now a regular fixture at the Sixers home, the Hall of Famer introduced “talking about practice” to the general public.
“I could miss a practice,” Iverson said after the event. “Play me in the games.”
Iverson, who led the Sixers to their last NBA Finals appearance in 2001 and won four scoring championships and an NBA MVP award, was one of the best players in the team’s games.
With his stats, he cemented his place among the NBA’s greatest.
With his tattoos, throwback jerseys, and braids, the small player with the supersized heart made the hip-hop aspect fashionable in the NBA. In fact, the NBA even implemented a clothing code, mostly in an effort to undo Iverson’s effect. His legacy went beyond the court. To this day, players like as Tyrese Maxey of Philadelphia, Russell Westbrook, and Ja Morant have all modeled their game after his unwavering style of play.

But never, ever a duplicate.
A celebration to honor Iverson almost equaled his election into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Pat Croce, Billy King, Rasheed Wallace, Eric Snow, Aaron McKie, and other former Sixers players and executives lauded and photographed with AI. Even Terrell Owens, a former NFL receiver, recorded the homage on camera and took pictures of the monument. There was former coach Larry Brown, who had a well-known falling out with Iverson over the years.
Iverson said, “Coach and I didn’t see eye to eye on things.” “However, he shared my desires about my professional aspirations and our group objectives. That’s what made me an MVP basketball player after I got into it. That made us into a winning squad that was capable of competing against the top teams in the Finals.”
In 2001, the 165-pound guard averaged 31.1 points, won the MVP award in the All-Star Game, and carried a whole team to the Finals on his 6-foot-7 body.
Under Brown’s leadership, the Sixers had to win two straight Game 7 playoff series in order to get to face the Lakers. Before Game 1 in Los Angeles, Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, and the Lakers easily won the series.
Iverson led an overtime triumph with 48 points in 52 minutes of play. The Lakers won the next four games, and the Sixers were unable to hold on.
As a team ambassador, Iverson continues to be associated with the team. He sometimes shows up at a courtside seat and is welcomed to thunderous applause each time he is introduced to the audience. Iverson expressed dissatisfaction with his job with the Sixers last year, saying it was “nowhere near what I think it’s supposed to be,” but it seemed to be resolved. Iverson has been encouraged by Sixers coach Nick Nurse to spend more time with the club in order to provide his leadership and voice.
“They came up to me and said that they would love to talk to me about different things on the basketball court and I just love and respect that they respect me because they know I’ve been through what they’re going through at a high level,” Iverson said. Therefore, I’m making every effort to be heard. I consider myself fortunate to have this chance and to have this contact with the organization even after I retired. I work with them on a number of projects.”
Now, about that statue. Similar to Iverson, the little portrayal received criticism on social media for not being authentically genuine for a statue. It is part of a row of similarly sized ones that line a private pathway that only players, staff, executives, and the media may use to the practice facility; nonetheless, it wasn’t constructed for the proportions often seen outside sports stadiums.
“How do you suppose I become so good? Iverson remarked, “I have to become better at it. “I simply felt like I had a terrible rap. “Practice? We’re talking about practice?” people ask me as I’m strolling down the street one day. I’m thinking, “Man, out of all the things I accomplished in my career, that’s the only thing you can come up with?” Absurd.”
Iverson pulled off the statue’s cover while sporting a “LEG3ND” hat and other Sixers items, along with a Roman numeral III chain in celebration of his retired No. 3 jersey number. The monument of Iverson has him with a headband on, poised to execute the crossover, a pivotal move in his career that once confused Michael Jordan. He also has a basketball attached to his extended left hand. A portion of the text said that Iverson’s “toughness made him unstoppable.”
Iverson could barely fight back tears as he thanked all of his friends, former teammates, and family, including his mother, who had traveled to New Jersey.
Iverson said, “When you consider the statue, that serves as a reminder to all of the people who have supported me.” To everyone who has contributed to my life and progress. You might feel good about your role in assisting me with my life when you see the monument. Man, this is really an honor. It doesn’t even seem genuine.

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