Bill Simmons very nice article. I enjoyed reflecting back on the summaries you made in The Book Of Basketball…which is still my favorite read of all-time.

Allen Iverson was the definition of an entertainer…yet, I don’t think the sole purpose of the flashy moves and illegal (but never called) crossover dribbles was to entertain us. The moves were a product of who Iverson was as a person.Watching Iverson’s 76ers was like watching four NBA players who were forced to play on the same team as one member of the Harlem Globetrotters. And it was Iverson who convinced his four NBA teammates that his Globetrotter style of play was the best way for them to win. To A.I.’s credit, he did lead Philly to the NBA Finals in 2000–01. However, if you look at the 13 other seasons in Iverson’s career, he never made it past the 2nd round of the playoffs. A resume like that by any other player with Iverson’s pedigree would be ripped apart by the media, yet because it was “cool” to like A.I., he somehow gets a pass.

Allen Iverson is like that one dude we’ve all played with at LA Fitness on Saturday mornings. He purposely teams up with guys who love to rebound, play defense, and couldn’t care less about scoring. This way, if the team loses, he can point fingers at everyone else for having to carry the load offensively. But if the team wins, he looks like “the man” and he is instantly the guy every other player in the gym is going to pick up for the rest of day.

I loved watching Iverson play…but I have a hard time ranking him among the NBA elite.