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by MARK GREY 11.30.09 This wasn’t how it was suppose to end for him. He meant way too much to the game. He single-handedly changed the culture of the NBA. Although he was almost always the smallest player on the court, he played with the biggest heart. He was the biggest name in all of sports, with crowds of people waiting to see him in every city like he was the fifth member of the Beatles. So how did he get here? Not long ago, there wasn’t a team in the NBA who could stop Allen Iverson. Now there isn’t even one who will start him. The problem is that the one thing Iverson fought so hard to get from the game, he never gave the game back: respect.
When Iverson entered the NBA in 1996, David Stern was in a dream world. Michael Jordan and his tailor-made suits were the face of the league and corporate sponsors were lining up to do business with the NBA. Jordan, who was the poster boy for “hard work pays off,” was marketable to people of all races and backgrounds. With Jordan as the leader, the rest of the NBA pretty much fell in line and Stern couldn’t have been happier. However, change was right around the corner. When the Sixers drafted Iverson first overall, they didn’t just get one of the greatest scorers in basketball history, they got a front row seat to witness the culture change of the NBA.
Within just a few years of joining the NBA, Iverson became the league's new face and he wasn’t changing his image for anyone. Gone were Jordan’s clean-cut looks and politically correct press conferences; they were replaced with Iverson’s braids, tattoos, and oversized t-shirts. Jordan’s trademark one hoop earring was now replaced with Iverson’s light show he wore around his neck and wrists.
At first, Stern looked at Iverson and his new look as a PR nightmare. How would corporate America relate to the face of the NBA? While yes, he knew he was gaining more popularity with the urban market, it was the sky box and floor seat buying corporate customers he was worried about losing. The talk all over was about how Iverson and his image were going to destroy the NBA. Critics begged Iverson to change his look. Although the screams for Iverson to change his ways grew louder and louder, Iverson refused to change and simply let his play on the court do the talking for him.
While there was plenty to debate about Iverson’s off-court issues, on the court there was no one better. In a game dominated by giants, the six-foot Iverson became the league's best offensive weapon. Iverson was so dominant on the court that even his harshest critics had to respect who he was off of it. The same big companies that shied away from him began to embrace him. Those white collar fans that the NBA was so worried about Iverson alienating were now lining up to see him in every city. His combination of heart and talent earned him respect throughout not only the entire NBA, but the entire country.
 Here he was, this skinny kid from Hampton, Virginia who had managed to become the face of a billion dollar company without changing who he was. Iverson had gained the respect of the game, but somewhere along the line he forgot to respect the game. He routinely missed meetings, showed up late for games and practices, and blew off league responsibilities. As his income continued to grow, he became immune to team and league-issued fines and pretty much did as he pleased. As long as Iverson showed up, scored 30 plus points, sacrificed his body, and left his heart out on the court every night, all was forgiven. While all the missed meetings and lack of respect for practice flew under the media radar for years, the game sees all. While Iverson was entertaining fans around the world, the game and those who respect it were taking notes behind the scene. Because of his out-of-this-world talent, Iverson spent his entire career as the exception to just about every rule. But when it comes to the one golden rule in basketball, there are no exceptions: Respect the game and the game will respect you.
When Iverson was packing arenas all over with number 3 jerseys, winning scoring titles, and breaking ankles, no one ever thought it would come to this, but it did. The game has a funny way of working like that. Kobe Bryant and Iverson both entered the NBA in the same year, but with different goals. Iverson entered knowing he was better than everyone just by showing up, while Kobe wanted to work to be the best who ever played. Thirteen years after being drafted, Kobe is often regarded as the best player in the game and Iverson is looking for a job. Respect for the game is the reason that Grant Hill, with two bum ankles at age 37, still starts on a first-place team. Respect for the game is the reason that even at the twilight of their careers, Michael Finley and Ray Allen still started on Championship teams. It is the reason that Derek Fisher, who was drafted the same year, is starting on the Lakers, while the much more talented Iverson and Stephon Marbury sit at home. It is the reason that at 36, Jason Kidd still has teams lining up for his services.
What Iverson and many others fail to see is that the game is always watching. Those role players who were at those practices you showed up late for are now General Mangers. Those no-name coaches who you blew off are friends with the big-name coaches. Those players who showed up at those NBA functions that you chose to skip are now assistant coaches. No one in the NBA doubts if Iverson can still score 25 a night; in fact, most of them know that he can. The problem is, none of these players who already know him want their young players learning from Iverson. Iverson has proven that he can perform after a long night or with no practice; the problem is that teams don’t want their players trying the same thing. Iverson is a once-in-a-lifetime player and teams know that. While on the outside it looks like teams don’t want Iverson, it’s the Iverson effect that really scares them. Iverson has always done things his way and who can really blame him? It worked out great for him. It’s just a shame that people are calling Brandon Jennings the next Iverson and there is nothing wrong with the original one. Once billed as a 20-year-old with all the talent in the world, Iverson is now seen as a talented 34 -year-old who just doesn’t get it. This isn’t how it was suppose to end; lets just hope it's not over yet.
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