PHILADELPHIA — Allen Iverson scored 42 points against the Clippers in a 108-93 Philadelphia victory Friday night, but the 76er guard had to work for everything he got.
Iverson was impressed with the young Clippers’ fight.
“They are so young, they just got into the league,” Iverson said about the Clippers, who have eight players on their roster with three or less years in the NBA.
“They might be looking at how I’m just being myself and not trying to copy anyone else’s image. I’m my own man, my own person. Maybe that is the way they want to be in their life, instead of coming into the league and letting the media and people around them give them some type of identity, when they already know what type of person they are.”
Jeff McInnis, who along with Keyon Dooling had the difficult job of trying to defend Iverson, said he can see a difference in the 76er all-star.
“I think we could have done a better job on [Iverson] but the refs kind of took me out early when I picked up two quick fouls,” McInnis said. “But he’s the MVP. I think the all-star game [in which Iverson won MVP honors] gave him a lot of confidence.”
*
Philadelphia Coach Larry Brown gained his 1,000th professional victory Friday and it came against his former assistant coach at Kansas, Clipper Coach Alvin Gentry.
“I’m happy for Larry, but I wished it didn’t happen against us,” Gentry said. “I think he’s the best coach in the NBA.”
Brown, who has a 1,000-707 record in 22 seasons (four in the ABA and 18 in the NBA), understood the importance of his milestone.
“Not too many people get to be in the league, let alone get to be around as long as I have and have this opportunity,” said Brown, a former Clipper coach. “I said a long time ago that I’m doing exactly what I want to do. I’m pretty fortunate
nba all-star roster 在 pennyccw Youtube 的最佳貼文
Are Allen Iverson's thumbs sore? Yes. Would he probably prefer to skip Saturday night's All-Star three-point shooting contest and concentrate on his All-Star Game debut Sunday? Yes.
But will the 76ers' star shooting guard be there Saturday night, firing triples off the rack?
Thumbs up, so to speak.
"Yeah," Iverson said before dropping 41 points on the New Jersey Nets in last night's bizarre, 92-90 victory, their final game before the break. "I'm going to do it because I was asked to do it, regardless of my condition."
It's nice to be needed. It is believed league officials implored Iverson to remain involved Saturday night because of his burgeoning popularity and the fact that NBA ratings have dropped on both NBC and the Turner Network.
Iverson was the third-leading vote-getter in the fans' All-Star balloting and the leader among guards in the East. He will be one of nine players making their debut, one of seven on the East roster.
He had been contemplating dropping out of the three-point competition because both thumbs have been bothering him. He missed 10 games after fracturing the right one, and broke the left one in high school.
"Right now, the left one is bothering me more," he said. "My hands get hit a lot when I'm running through the lane, when I don't expect contact. It seems like when you have an injury, that's when you get hit on it more than anything."
He'll be in Oakland launching treys with defending champion Jeff Hornacek, Mike Bibby, Hubert Davis, Dirk Nowitzki, Terry Porter and Bob Sura. But more importantly, he'll be in the East's starting backcourt with former Temple star Eddie Jones.
At the point.
"I want to run the show," Iverson said. "Eric Snow gets to run the show here. I don't mind. I want to have fun, show people I can play the point. And I can play it."
After winning last season's scoring championship, earning first-team All-NBA recognition, finishing fourth in the balloting for Most Valuable Player, Iverson's first All-Star appearance is the next logical step in his progression.
"I just want to run up and down the court, bring my whole playground game out, throw a lot of lobs, show them it's a real All-Star Game," Iverson said.
If you get the idea he's eager, you get the idea.
"I'm looking forward to it because it's something I always wanted to do," he said. "Just to be in that environment, to be in the same city, to know I'm finally there."
That was the way he felt last season when he was named first team All-NBA. But when Sports Illustrated offered its first team at the All-Star break, the magazine selected Gary Payton and Michael Finley as its backcourt, placing Iverson and Jason Kidd on the second team.
"That doesn't mean anything," Iverson said. "The one at the end of the year is the only one that counts."
nba all-star roster 在 pennyccw Youtube 的精選貼文
The 11-time All-Star has won the NBA scoring title five times and is considered one of the most prolific scorers in the NBA.
Judging by the lack of offers he received as a free agent this summer and after he was waived by the Grizzlies in November, Allen Iverson isn't very popular among league executives. Whether it be age, attitude, style of play or a combination of the three, the value of the diminutive guard has diminished quickly over the last two seasons.
But judging by the final results of All-Star balloting, Iverson will always have his fans.
Though he's played just 19 games this season, Iverson received 1,269,568 votes and finished second among Eastern Conference guards in this year's balloting. Health permitting, he'll be starting alongside Dwyane Wade in the visitors' backcourt at Cowboys Stadium on Feb. 14. It's Iverson's 11th straight All-Star selection. (Click here for West starters)
"Without the fans, there wouldn't be no us," Iverson told NBA.com earlier this week. "For them to want to see me, regardless of what's been going on, that says a lot about how they feel about me. I just thank 'em for that."
Iverson has been dealing with arthritis in his left knee, which has forced him to miss five games since he rejoined the Sixers. He doesn't have the burst that has allowed him to relentlessly get to the basket in years past. And he'll keep his body in mind when it comes to making a decision on whether or not to take the court in Dallas.
"I want to be able to make sure my fans are happy, because they want to see me play," he said. "But I have to be smart about the future of this franchise right here."
Still, knowing Iverson's desire to play the game and the love he has for those that support him, it's very likely he'll be on the floor when the game tips off at 8 p.m. ET on TNT.
Joining Iverson and Wade in the starting lineup for the Eastern Conference will be forwards LeBron James and Kevin Garnett, and center Dwight Howard.
It's the 13th All-Star selection for Garnett, the sixth for both James and Wade, and the fourth for Howard.
There are clearly more deserving guards than Iverson. A case can be made for Chris Bosh over Garnett, who is expected to play this Friday after missing the last 10 games with a hyperextended right knee. But there can be no argument with the trio of Wade, James and Howard. And they rightfully dominated the voting at their positions. James was the overall leading vote-getter with 2,549,793 votes, while Howard (2,360,096 votes) and Wade (2,327,550 votes) finished third and fourth overall respectively.
The rest of East roster will be voted on by the conference's coaches and announced Thursday, Jan. 28 on TNT. With Howard's team a disappointing six games off their pace of last season and James' supporting cast a bit more balanced, it's possible that Garnett will be the only starter who will be joined by a teammate in Dallas.
Fortunately, the starters are familiar with each other. Though Iverson has changed teams twice since, bouncing to and from the Western Conference, this is the same starting lineup that the East put on the floor last year in Phoenix, when they fell to the West, 146-119.
nba all-star roster 在 2022 NBA All-Star ROSTER PREDICTIONS - Team DURANT 的推薦與評價
2022 NBA ALL - STAR PREDICTIONS. NBA All - star voting has begun. Fans will vote on the five Western Conference starters and five Eastern ... ... <看更多>