Top 5 In Your Face Plays From Allen Iverson

Original title ‘5 Eff you plays from Allen Iverson’. Even without context, these plays are pretty impressive in their own right. Here’s the list of moves shone light on:

1- Rookie Allen Iverson crosses up Michael Jordan2- Iverson shoots higher than Superman can fly3- Iverson drops 47 and breaks both of Daniels’ ankles with one move4- 48 over Lakers and step-over Tyronne Lue5- Has career high 16 assists and 21 points vs Raptors in Game 7

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Iverson shoots higher than Superman can fly

The scene: Play is stopped after a whistle. Often the player with the ball launches a practice shot in such cases. Equally often, the big man close to the basket goaltends the shot. Dunno who started it, but Kevin Garnett is most famous for it. He’s been at it for ages. It’s entirely believable that after two decades he’ll still be at it, swatting away shots with a walking stick yelling “Gerrof my paint #&$&!”

Here, Iverson has the ball when the whistle is blown and he launches a practice shot. Laying in wait in the paint is Dwight Howard. Superman. He who raised the rim to 12 feet during the dunk contest. Multiple time defensive player of the year. Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy: “Dwight should win the DPOY award every year till he retires.”

So Dwight watches a 4 time scoring leader throw up the ball when play is stopped and gleefully swats the shot. Only problem, he swatted it right into the hands of Allen Iverson. Maybe he expected a sheepish smile from Iverson, with a “Come on dawg. It wouldn’t have counted anyway.” From the guy who has tattoos like:

L- Fear No One. R- Hold My Own.

Here’s what happens next:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxVRQHU5It0

Iverson catches the ball and without missing a beat brings it up to his waist and releases a shot that may well have the highest arc ever attempted on a shot in the NBA, ever. Then he just walks away. Nothing but net.

Here are some choice comments from the Youtube clip of the vid:

- One of the best “…. you” moments in NBA history

- Iverson’s heart is bigger than all of Howard’s muscles combined

- It’s good competitive strategy to not let a shooter see his shot go in after a whistle… it’s -psychological…backfired with Iverson

- Iverson: Goaltend this, b*&ch.

- “Fly Superman! Fly and the swat this lil shit!” -Allen Iverson

- That was the most gangster thing ive ever seen in my life.

Rookie Allen Iverson crosses up Michael Jordan

Pre NBA Allen Iverson: “Coach, I can take Mike.”

Coach Boo Williams later recalls, “We thought he was talking about one of the kids on our team.” And said to him: “Well, yeah Allen. Maybe you can take Mike Evans. But it’ll be a tough one.”

Iverson: “No, no. I mean Jordan. I can take Michael Jordan.”

In Iverson’s second game as a rookie, his team played the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls had a field day with the inexperienced Sixers.

Later Iverson recalled: “I remember Scottie Pippen. I was at the free throw line one game and he asked me, “Where you get your shoes from? Kids ‘R’ Us?” And the rest of the guys started laughing. I guess it was because I was a rookie and I had my own sneakers, or whatever. I didn’t say nothing back to him. They were beating us to death; I didn’t find it too amusing.”

“Then the thing happened with Jordan (AI isn’t talking about the move below), and that’s when everything started going downhill for me. In November of my rookie year, everybody loved Allen Iverson. No problems. And when that happened with Mike … it’s never been the same. I mean, they were the world champions, and Mike tells me, “If you all are going to respect anybody, you all are going to respect us.” This is during a game.

And I said, “I’m not going to respect anybody.” But I was talking about on the basketball court. I mean, the battle’s already lost once you over-respect someone like that, and he’s the greatest player in the world. But the media took that as me meaning I don’t respect Jordan — and blew it all out of proportion. I mean, of course I respect Michael Jordan. How can you not respect him? But on the court, I’m trying to beat him, and he’s trying to beat me. And it was just crazy for him to say it to me like that during a game. I mean, that’s the only way I felt I could respond. “I don’t respect nobody.” But it was like messing with the king, and I paid for it. And I’m saying to myself, “Michael knows it didn’t go down like that, that I never said I didn’t respect him.” And I’m getting blasted for it. But he never said anything in my defense. That’s when they started tearing me apart. And it’s been like that ever since.”

Fun fact- Iverson had painted Jordan’s likeness on his door and when he had to move, he tried to unhinge the door and take it with him.

Later in Iverson’s rookie season when they played the Bulls again he had 39 points and this gem of a move which is the most famous crossover move of all time:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEmS8ZQIhTA

AI: “I gave him a little cross to see if he would bite on it, and then let him set his feet. Then I stepped back and went at him again. Crazy part about it, I hit him with my best move and he still almost blocked it.”

Jordan: “It was a great crossover move. It wasn’t the first time he’s done it and it won’t be the last. I’m not afraid to be shown up that way.”

Then Sixers owner Pat Croce: “There we were to witness the passing of the torch. Mike wasn’t ready to give it up so Iverson just took it from him!”

After being rebuffed by not being invited to try out for team USA, Iverson scores 47 points and breaks both of Daniels ankles and maybe one of his wrists with one move.

Iverson on his exclusion from team USA: “I just expected to at least be invited. But you know there’s a flip side to that. Like I said I get to spend time with my wife and kids so I won’t be dedicated to that team for three summers. It’s a honour just to be considered for that whole thing, but it’s just something that’s not meant to be.”

Then he went out and scored 47 points vs the Wizards and did a move that may be the only instance of a player getting both his ankles broken on the same play.

Youtube comments:

- I went to Antonio Daniels Funeral. They had some good collard greens and yams

- Oh snap! I’ve never ever ever never ever ever seen somebody fall twice within a two second interval. DAMN!!! HAHAHAHAHAHA LMAO HAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!

- damn he fell on his right hand, tries to get back up, then falls on his left hand lmfaoooo

- Some say he’s still falling.

- then he tried to complain to the ref lol

- dude stood up and threw his hands up like “man yall aint guna call nuthin i mean damn call sumthin! what bout my ankles man”.

- Antonio Daniels “WHY NOBODY HELPED OUT! Oh, So you just gonna let him cross me over?!? Y’all are something else

- how to be on the top 10 list in NBA? get your ankle broken by AI

- i wouldve @@#ing left the NBA and quit basketball right after or wear a paper bag over my face whenver AI comes

- right foot blue…left foot green. Oh wait, you mean we’re playing basketball? shitt….

- This was so nasty that i stopped watching porn and started looking for iverson’s crossover videos xD

- damn he fell on his right hand, tries to get back up, then falls on his left hand lmfaoooo

- FINISH HIM! *Double Cross* FATALITY!

- AI made Daniels breakdance

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYnOcga70WM

Scores 48 on the undefeated Lakers in the 2001 playoffs and steps over Tyronne Lue on his final shot

Here’s a poem I wrote on that play. And here are the Youtube comments:

- you do know that tyronn mocked iverson at practice right? tyronn was even wearing arm sleeves to make fun of him. now thats disrespect. iverson stepped over him for revenge.

FAME and Realist

- Damn that was such a good year of basketball, The Lakers RIPPED through the Western conference, they swepted their way to the finals. meanwhile philly was on iversons bac the whole way through with i beleive he had three 50 pt games, four 40 point games and i lost track but a lot of 35+ games, i hate to use the word if but if only iverson had more help that year they woulda shocked the lakers just like in game 1, their only loss in the playoffs that year.

- look at how the whole bench tried to diss AI.. they all got owned by the little guy with a big heart.

- Hands down the most swaggerific move in the nba ever. lmao

- Greatest performance ever in Game 1 of the Finals. Lakers were 11-0 in postseason, hadn’t lost in 2 months, had won 18 in a row. Iverson scored 30 in the first half, Lue bothered him for like 22 minutes, in which he only scorer 6 points or so. Then all of a sudden hit 2 free throws, hit a transition three, and then hit this shot, (all 7 in overtime). Still hear the announcers saying: “This guy is fearless.” Or: “This guy is amazing. 7 straight points, by Allen Iverson. It looked like he was dead in the water!” AI<3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grXws5m11SA

- Oh yeah, he totally held down Iverson the next five games… Oh wait, the series went five games total and Iverson left with the highest five-game Final point average, 34.7 ppg. Try again.

Deja vu-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3beGWpRqEY

- wow, come on lue… fool me once shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me

- lue when will you learn? lol

Iverson has a career high 16 assists with 21 points in Game 7 vs Raptors

The setting: Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals

The only player besides Jordan to have multiple 50 point games in a playoff series, Iverson had two 50 point games in this series. But on a night when his shots weren’t falling and the double teams made it tough to get going he set another personal record in the series by totaling 16 assists to help his team win the decisive Game 7 and putting to rest talks of him being a selfish player

“I wanted to do something special, but the way you draw it up — if you’re a scorer — is having a great scoring night. In a million years, I’d never believe I’d come out and have a career high in assists,” Iverson said.

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