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Allen Iverson. Hall of famer, game changer, cross over master, controversy broker, underdog keeper, hip hop ambassador, elite scorer, and now hall of famer. The chronicled life of Allen Iverson showered our screens the past couple of weeks, reminding us of the tidal wave of emotions the former NBA MVP brought to the world of basketball. While watching Iverson’s hall of fame speech, I couldn’t help but question the grandeur in which he was presented. Kids today revel in Iverson’s style of play and hold him as the true basketball underdog to grace the hardwood. Defying odds, at 6 foot, slicing defenders on his way to scoring titles, one NBA finals appearance and the adoration of fans worldwide. The flashy, heart powered gaurd gave it all and made nosebleed tickets worth every penny. Yet when it comes to basketball achievements or “results” for use of a better word, Iverson was just a solid franchise player. Iverson’s stigma stems from being an inspirational player with athletic talent that could have starred in a variety of other sports. Is Iverson one of the best players in the history of the game? Was he even better than other franchise players? The basketball answer is no, the popular answer is yes.
There are a host of NBA players that were seconds away from winning an NBA championship, who led their team in a variety of different ways, yet are never mentioned with legendary fanfare like Iverson. Three players come to mind: Charles Barkley, Reggie Miller, and Patrick Ewing. Three ringless players that have done more for their teams, achieved what Iverson has with more consistency, over a lengthier time span. We love to compare basketball players, but it is hard to watch all this adoration for a charismatic figure like Allen Iverson, without thinking of other players that defied tougher odds and carried franchises. These aforementioned players are all hall of famers, but we are quickly reminded that beyond flash, headbands, cornrows and crossovers there will always be results, guarding, vindicating and proving the answers to most of our questions.
Clutch? Let’s replace the Iverson fade away jumpshot/Ty Lue step over with countless Reggie Miller daggers in the dying seconds of playoff games. Everyone knew it was coming, defenders scrambled to no avail. Bank shots, 11 points in 2 seconds, dunks to tie overtime playoff games, and draining 3s in Michael Jordan’s bubble gum. Taking MJ’s Bulls to 7 games and never backing down from the greatest is where Reggie showed what kind of mettle is in the pedal. Crossing up Jordan is one thing, almost dethroning him with the slowest point guard in the history of basketball in Mark Jackson, body builders like the Davis brothers, Travis Best and a flat footed Jalen Rose is another. Indiana was Reggie, probably still is. A clinical example of talk the talk and walk the walk, Miller was just as valuable an underdog that took the stage when it mattered most and battled in the tranches of the NBA playoffs far longer than Allen Iverson.
Defying odds? You want to talk about pound for pound, Charles Barkley stacked on too many pounds, but that Charles Barkley was 6’4 and playing the power forward position and playing it well, very well. Good enough to be the league MVP and lead the suns in every statistical category, while leading his team to the best record in the league for 3 straight seasons. There is no player that had his heart ripped out, specifically by the eventual champion Rockets, more than Charles Barkley. Charles dominated the position, with strength, wit, fight and a bullying demeanor that blew the lanes wide open with fear. No superstar was closer or more deserving of an NBA title than Charles Barkley. Today’s persona is the fun loving controversial Chuck that loves to surprise peoplewith his predictions, causing hate, laughs and a big paycheck for the former MVP. Back in Chuck’s playing days, his opponents feared him and for good reason
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Allen Iverson is the embodiment of a hard working city like Philly, well Patrick Ewing was New York for more than a decade, without Patrick, the Knicks were in the doldrums of the NBA lottery. He made the Knicks a regular contender and was one spin move away from leading his team to their first title since 1973. Repetitively facing MJ and his Bulls, the 90’s Knicks trained the Bulls superiority. The Knicks were a team that consistently had the best shot to take down the greatest team in history.
We will not list all the stats and accolades, the preverbal “we” will leave that for you to judge. Iverson was a transcendent sports figure, to say that we must understand the impact of fashion, music, conformity as well as the racism battle in America. All of which contributed to Iverson’s amazing story. But when it comes to basketball, Iverson is looking up to the Isiah’s or even the Steph Curry’s of the world, because even today in our highlight infused goldfish attention spans, we know that results are the vital answers.
Which stars would you put ahead of Allen Iverson?
Webber, Malone, Nash, Kidd?
Much love and basketball,
Rambeeni
Charlie V is Dirk Nowitzki
It wasn’t Steph Curry and his undefeated Warriors, nor was it my Fisher bashing that pushed me to write about basketball again nor was it Kobe’s last dance, it was the hairless mamba. Thank you for the readers that still visit my blog, despite my nonexistent contribution of late. I work and I coach, so I apologize for not writing. Here we go…
My brother is a die-hard Mavs fan and I don’t blame him. He’s 8 years younger than I am and has already witnessed a championship season, a feat my Knicks haven’t accomplished in my lifetime. Little bro loves Dirk, (who doesn’t?) and his Mavs are regularly atop the Western conference standings year after year. Great management and fantastic coaching. Rick Carlisle finds lost players and makes them system contributors every season. The list is long, players that fall off the radar only to return to the Mavs to maximize their potential, the sure sign of an elite coach and franchise. Here is a recap of said players: JJ Barea, Devin Harris, Raymond fukin Felton, Mcgee (on the way), Deshawn Stevenson, Peja Stojakovic ( championship season) and many others. Great coaching, defined roles and most importantly wins, good for them.
Enter one Charlie V, an NBA rat, not a gym rat, just a player that seems to hang around longer than he should. After signing a huge contract with Detroit, he disappeared and disappointed then withered away on NBA benches. All of a sudden he comes out gun slinging this season with Dallas, acting like Dirk coming of the bench. This was funny for 2 reasons, first off Charlie V doesn’t look like a solid NBA power forward, sure he can shoot, but he has tiny shoulders with lazy and uninterested body language. The second reason is its freakin Charlie V, how is this not hilarious? He’s draining floaters, put back dunks and shoots with the confidence of a young Drazen Petrovic. The jokes continued all throughout our Mavs league pass watch. I would say “Dude, Charlie V is going Dirk on ‘em.” and it was somehow true. In today’s fantasy infused social media Steph curry religious like fanfare, Charlie V has gone unnoticed clocking 11 minutes per game. I’m here to change that with the standard per 36 mins stats. I know it doesn’t account for stamina or efficiency, but as you can see Charlie V is a mini Dirk Nowitzki. As funny as it is, the truth is kinda in the numbers. His per 36 minute stats destroy Vucevic’s stats from Orlando for example. Here is how he has become a mini clone of Dirk.
Go on NBA advanced stats and match him with other starting power forwards and you will see the light of Charlie V. At first, I wondered how Chalie had the legs, since he looked old at 21, he’s still only 31 and doing this!
If you catch the Mavs this season, keep an eye out for the hairless mamba, ready to launch Steph Curryesque threes if given the opportunity, or brick his life away. We will never know, but here’s a shout out to Charlie V and all the minis out there. The unheralded clones of greats, that nobody will likely remember. The proverbial we shall not forget the Mavs’ bench assassin that entertained when the stadium was empty.
Much love and basketball,
Rambeeni
The Go-to guy
This year’s playoffs spectacle has been as revealing as ever when it comes to the value of the go-to guy. The go-to guy is a player that can make something out of nothing. He is a player that brings his best when the lights are brightest (Pierce), a player with confidence, conviction and assertion (Lillard). The go-to guy has proved critical to the survival of NBA playoff teams, in a time when team basketball has shown consistency in wins, bolstering records and forcing GMs to adjust their priorities.
The finals are coming up and both teams flaunt multi-faceted go-to guys. Lebron james, the most well rounded basketball player in history, a durable work horse of a machine that keeps growing stronger and keeps meshing his team of drop-outs into a genuine contender. The other, a fresh MVP with a slick long-range stroke that bombs terror night after night, shake after shake. Steph Curry is the greatest shooter we have ever seen and the Golden State Warriors are a boundless well-balanced team, with depth and versatility. Both of these stars are in their prime, Lebron finding himself carrying a wounded team while making JR Smith look like a professional basketball player. Lebron isn’t your standard go-to guy, Lebron is a team, he is almost faultless in his decisions, precise in his dissections and powerful above all else. Lebron shares and receives and he knows how to do it possession after possession. We have not seen a master like LBJ that oozes optimism on the court since Magic Johnson. We also have never seen a shooter of Steph Curry’s stature, breaking the internet night after night, making some of the best defenders in history look like Hedo Turkoglu. Crushing new and old records week after week. His ankles are holding up and Under Armor are making money and Steve Kerr is glowing.
Basketball is a team sport, yet there isn’t one other team sport where one player can transcend the odds and take a team to unchartered territory like Naismith’s game of peach baskets. Maybe it is because there are only five players on the court at one time, maybe it’s because those five players are a unit of an odd number and that odd superstar can head the pack.
The Hawks and Spurs, the Hawks had a phenomenal year and exceeded every expectation. Their regular season streak was a pristine 18 of 19 wins at one point in the regular season, finishing top of the east with a 60-22 record. Beating a different team night after night is not easy, but when you have a Spurs infused system of ball sharing, a deep bench that buys into a system with young legs, team defense and shooting. This formula can flood a team with regular season wins. The postseason is a different animal, a 7-game series permits teams to know each other inside out before the victor snatches the spoils. Drive and kick basketball with multiple offensive options at one time can be a nightmare for defenses, but can also be a recognition by defenses that the best thing the defense can do is not double team and not overplay anyone or gamble, yet disrupt all passing lanes, just play honest defense and no one player will burn you. The absence of a guy that can score solo and flip waffles into pancakes makes it that much easier. When you look at the Spurs for example, they are the epitome of team basketball yet they bolster a roster with the greatest power forward of all time as well as a French play maker that has consistently been one of top guards in the league, add the defensive player of the year Kawi Leonard and you have a championship threat year after year, regardless of team age. The Spurs’ lineups all produce, but when push comes to shove, timeless Duncan carries them or not, see the last 2 year’s finals and this year’s first round exit and it’s crystal clear.
Good teams win, unselfish teams’ win, but add the combination of real free flowing team basketball and have a true go-to guy buy in, and you have a championship contender of the highest caliber. The Spurs last year, and the possibility of Golden State doing the same this year. Beautiful team basketball exemplified by a juggernaut running the show, Duncan or Steph Curry. History has not been kind to 1- man shows, even MJ’s championship Bulls were true teams with unselfish and fitting talent to boot. Kukoc, Harper, Rodman, Paxson and all the bigs were consummate team players that did their job well, all Pippen and Jordan had to do was buy in and steer the bullship.
When faced with an option for 1 special player or a team that wants to win together, every coach will chose the latter and for good reason, because that star will one day come and contribute to the winning team methodology and get any team to that happy even flow.
Much love and basketball,
Rambeeni
Rambeeni Basketball 