.png)
The Philadelphia 76ers unveiled Allen Iverson's statue at the 'Legends Walk' section of the team's practice facility. Iverson's statue now stands alongside the statues of former 76ers, such as Charles Barkley, Wilt Chamberlain, Maurice Cheeks, Billy Cunningham, Julius Erving, Hal Greer, Bobby Jones, Moses Malone, and Dolph Schayes.
Allen played for The 76ers after being drafted from Georgetown in 1996. He spent his first twelve years in the NBA with Philadelphia. Despite his small stature, he dominated the NBA as a leading scorer, most valuable player, all-star, and rookie of the year. The 76ers retired his Jersey, and he was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame.
During the ceremony, Sixers coach Nick Nurse said, "I'm going to fight my ass off to get this team back to where [Iverson] took 'em a long time ago" and reminisced about Iverson "playing with so much heart." Nurse continued, "Your heart was so much of everything." "You just saw it every night out there, and I think it leaves or has left or will leave forever a foundation of what this city stands for and how guys need to play the game." Eric Snow, Iverson's former teammate in Philadelphia, said, "All I knew was that every night we stepped out on the court, I was going to have somebody that was going to give everything that he could."
His mother, Ann, has appeared to be his biggest fan over the years. She was in attendance, along with his children and several celebrities, such as Terrell Owens and some of his former teammates. AI told the crowd, "I love these people, and they love me back. They honor the fact that I gave everything I had, night in and night out. And I loved the fact that they supported me through all these years." He also said, "This is a moment that I'll never forget. I'll cherish this moment for the rest of my life," and kissed the statue after unveiling it. He told NBA Today, "It's a blessing, it's something that I've never dreamed of." "But I think the most important thing for me is realizing that I didn't do this by myself."
The NBA legend works alongside former NBA player Shaquille O'Neal at Reebok as the Vice President of Basketball; Shaq is the President. Iverson has a lifetime shoe endorsement with Reebok.
Other Stories: Allen Iverson's Rich NBA Legacy Led the City of Newport News to Honor Him by Naming Local Street “Allen Iverson Way”