【A.I. FOREVER】在Youtube看到的一篇很長的comment，寫得非常詳細，從數據上比較其他偉大球星，檢視Iverson的職業生涯表現，給予他更公正的評價。
(by sportsmed77)
[+Kareem Elwakil Those other posters shouldn't have insulted you to make their points, but I think your arguments are extremely weak. The only thing you bring up is that AI's career FG% was 42% and that he jacked up "30 shots" to get his points. His FG% was technically 42.5% for his career (Tracy McGrady's was 43% and Kobe Bryant's was 45%, which really isn't that much higher relatively speaking by the way) and a lot of AI's missed shots had to do with the team he was playing on and how their offense was structured, his role on the team as the only scorer, etc. but I won't get into that. AI averaged about 21 shots per game for his career, by the way. Hardly the 30 shots per game you tried to give him credit for. AI led the NBA in scoring 4 times, and out of those for times, only twice did he also lead the league in field goal attempts (and not by much - plus he averaged more free throws than everyone else) so the argument that "if anyone shot as much as AI did, they would score as much too" clearly is not the case. In his prime, Tracy McGrady averaged about 23 shots per game, Kobe Bryant also about 23 shots per game, and AI also about 23 shots per game. AI, Kobe, and Jordan all had a season where they shot the ball 27 times per game. Per 36 minutes, AI only averaged 19 shots per game for his career (keep in mind, AI played more minutes than anyone else each game during his era). Michael Jordan averaged 23 shots per game for his entire career. For his career, Jerry West averaged 20 shots per game and in his prime, it was about 22 shots per game. Before Lebron James got there, Dwayne Wade was averaging between 20 and 22 shots per game for a few seasons because he was the go-to option. You know what all of these players have in common with AI? They were all SHOOTING GUARDS and the go-to option! They were supposed to shoot! Some SGs are volume shooters who slash and get to the free throw line. Some of them have lower FG% but still are productive for their teams. Other SGs have a higher efficiency, but a player's FG% really depends on a number of factors you haven't even taken into consideration.
To reiterate this point, for most of AI's career, he was a SHOOTING GUARD. I hate when people compare him to point guards and then act like he was worse than them because he didn't play like a PG. It is ridiculous because it is like comparing apples with oranges. By the way, you brought up Jason Kidd and how he was so much "better" than AI. Did you know Jason Kidd's career FG% is 40%? He had 10 seasons where he shot below 40% for the season. AI only shot below 40% for 1.5 seasons and his career FG% is higher than J-Kidd's. J-Kidd averaged 12 PPG for his career and only 2.8 free throw attempts. AI averages about 27 PPG for his career. So just as you can say J-Kidd was a way better passer than AI, I can say AI was a way better scorer than J-Kidd. They had different roles and they excelled in their roles. Jason's job was to pass, and AI's job was to create shots.
It is a myth that AI was not a good passer. AI averaged 6.2 assists per game for his career. That is good for a SG - more than Kobe, more than MJ, more than Vince Carter, more than Tracy McGrady, more than Wade, etc. AI had about 5 or 6 seasons where he averaged between 7 and 8 assists per game while still scoring 26+ points. It is impressive. He had an entire season where he averaged 33 PPG and 7.4 APG with 2 steals on 45% shooting and a TS% of over 54%, and people like you try to say he was just "okay at best"? AI had a unique style, especially for his size and was probably one of the top 5 most exciting players to watch. To say he was not "that good" shows that you likely saw very few AI games. I would say AI is a top 20-30 player all-time. Anyone who actually saw, for example, his 2001 play-offs and regular season run, would know that he was amazing and did so much for that team and if someone looks at the stat box, they will not get the actual story. You had to have seen the games with your own eyes. With AI, stats have always been misleading. I also want to point out that AI's True Shooting % (TS%) is slightly higher than Isiah "Zeke" Thomas and is pretty decent (at about 52%). He had a couple of seasons in Denver where his TS% was almost 57%. TS% is a much more accurate depiction of someone's accuracy when shooting. You know why? Because it takes into account free throws among other factors. AI is one of the greatest players of all-time at getting to the free throw line, and unlike Lebron James and many others, he didn't flop to do it. He was legitimately fouled, hurt, and referees even admitted to conspiring against him and purposely not calling fouls on players who fouled him when they should have. Yet AI is still 10th all-time in free throws made. He was a slashing, fearless guard with incredible talent and an ability to create shots for himself that very few other players have been able to do. His style of play is more comparable to Kobe Bryant or Tracy McGrady (Kobe had a better career, but in AI's prime there were seasons where they were almost equally good). Yet he is 160 lbs. soaking wet so he is an anomoly because small players aren't supposed to be able to do what he does. The two years AI's shooting percentage was the lowest in Philly, he had just come off of a serious elbow surgery (2001-2002) and had played with a broken hand another season. You put so much emphasis on his accuracy those seasons, but what about his heart? How many players would play with the injuries he had? I guarantee you not many. Even while in Denver, Carmelo said AI was playing with a broken finger the entire season. In the 2001 play-offs by the end of the 2nd round, AI had 7 injuries (serious elbow bursitis, knee bursitis, dislocated shoulder, sprained thumb, hip pointer, bruised tailbown, and twisted ankle). Yet he played, and he played his heart out contributing to his team in other ways even when he couldn't find his shooting rhythm due to the pain he was in. I watched every game he played in back then (even taped them so I could immitate some of his moves since I played ball). I would know.
I am definitely convinced that anyone who claims Iverson was an "extremely poor shooter" either did not watch him play or knows a lot less about basketball than they think they know. AI was not a poor shooter. He took incredibly difficult shots - often times while double and triple teamed, and given that he was smaller than everyone else, it is incredible that he still made some of them. He was a shot creator. He was immensely creative. Larry Brown even used to sit on the sidelines and call out to AI to shoot the ball more and create shots. Even George Karl in Denver once told AI to shoot the ball more, stop being so UNSELFISH, and take over games the way he used to in Philly. Unfortunately the media doesn't like to talk about that. Not one of AI's teammates thought he was selfish. I have seen very few players who are as loved and respected by his former teammates and former peers as AI. The amount of love he gets from everyone from Dr. J, Maurice Cheeks, Moses Malone, Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Aaron McKie, Eric Snow, Theo Ratliff, Dikembe Mutombo, Chris Webber, Kyle Korver, Chris Paul, James Harden, Larry Brown, Paul Pierce, John Thompson, Andre Iguodala, Larry Hughes, Bill Walton, Rip Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace, Shawn Marion, Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, Shaquille O'Neal, etc. etc. etc. I can go on and on. Many of these very players have called AI "pound for pound the greatest." I have seen very few players get so much love and adoration by their peers. I was at AI's jersey retirement and heard what so many players around the league past and present had to say about him and it was just insane. I also have never heard one of AI's former teammates call him a bad teammate. They loved him and loved playing with him. It is the media that tries to paint that picture, but his peers and former teammates paint a completely different picture.
What the media says is a myth. AI's former coaches and teammates and peers adore him. In 2001, AI had the most first place MVP votes in history (tied with Shaq) and became the smallest player to ever win the MVP award. You think he is overrated? I guarantee you the people who vote on MVP, the players, the coaching staff, etc. know far more about AI's contributions to the sport, how good he was, etc. than you do. He deserves what he got. Every accomplishment he achieved, he did it despite immense adversity. He is 7th All-Time in PPG, 4th All-Time in Minutes Played, 7th All-time in Steals, won 1st Team All-NBA multiple times... this man played with so much heart and believed in himself so much that you had to believe in him. This man is up there with MJ, Kobe, Wilt, and players of that caliber for most 40 and 50 point games in his career. I hate when people try to take away from his accomplishments rather than appreciating him for what he accomplished at his size and what he brought to the game. He is the reason I played basketball at all. He gave little people hope. He is a cultural icon. I really wish people would stop with the "AI is overrated" nonsense. If your peers think that highly of you to call you "pound for pound the greatest," then obviously you did something right. ]
#alleniverson #theanswer #ai3 #onlythestrongsurvive #sixers #76ers #bubbachuck #basketballneverstops
