Allen Iverson is one of the most dynamic players in National Basketball Association history. His ball-handling skills put defenders on skates, and he could score at will.
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Iverson enjoyed a 14-year career and is regarded as one of the best point guards ever. He won scoring titles, egregiously stepped over opponents after breaking their ankles, and even crossed Michael Jordan.
The Answer brought swagger and personality to the game. He was unapologetically himself on and off the court, which led to controversy at times. However, Iverson's attitude was admirable. He never backed down from a challenge and left his guts on the court.
Early Life
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Allen Iverson was born on June 7, 1975, in Hampton, Virginia. He attended Bethel High School where he excelled in football and basketball. On the gridiron, Iverson played quarterback, running back, kick returner and defensive back.
On the hardwood, he played point guard and shooting guard. AI led both teams to Virginia State Championships as a junior, earning him the AP High School Player of the Year in both sports. He also played summer basketball for the Boo Williams AAU team and won the 1992 17U AAU National Championship.
No. 3 went on to play college basketball at Georgetown University.
College and NBA Career
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Iverson's basketball career isn't justified by solely numbers. He put on a show and sparked "ooohs" from crowds and audiences on ESPN. It's not a stretch to say AI is one of the most important basketball players of the 90s and 2000s.
Georgetown Career Highlights
— Consensus First Team All-American (1996)
— First-team All Big East (1996)
— 2x Big East Defensive Player of the Year
NBA Career Highlights
— No. 1 Overall Pick in 1996 NBA Draft
— 11x NBA All-Star
— 2x NBA All-Star Game MVP
— 3x All-NBA First Team
— 3x All-NBA Second Team
— All-NBA Third Team (2006)
— NBA Rookie of the Year (1997)
— NBA All-Rookie First Team (1997)
— NBA Rookie Game MVP (1997)
— 4x NBA Scoring Champion
— 3x NBA Steals Leader
— No. 3 Retired by Philadelphia 76ers
The Most Valuable Player's career peak was leading the Sixers through the 2001 playoffs all the way to the NBA Finals against Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers. Philly fell in five games. Iverson was the postseason's top scorer with 723 points.
Iverson also played for the United States Men's National basketball team. He won a gold medal at the 1995 World University Games in Japan alongside Ray Allen and Tim Duncan. In 2003, he played for Team USA in the FIBA Americans Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Puerto Rico and won gold. The NBA superstar also represented the United States in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, where the U.S. earned a bronze medal.
AI was inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016.
NBA Contracts
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Over the course of his 14-year career, the professional basketball player earned an estimated $154,770,868 with four teams, per Spotrac.
He played 10-plus seasons with the Sixers, where he earned an average salary of $9,266,244. In two seasons with the Denver Nuggets, he earned an average of $18,098,438. The star point guard's biggest payday came in his lone season with the Detroit Pistons in 2008, when he earned $20,840,625. Iverson started the 2009-10 season — his final season — with the Memphis Grizzlies.
Iverson earned $437,609 with Memphis but had a mutual parting after only playing three games and having disagreements about coming off the bench. The 2001 NBA MVP then returned to the Sixers. He played 25 games for Philly but left the team in February 2010 for personal reasons. He earned $1,029,794 in his final year.
Iverson was one of the 10 highest-paid NBA players from 2004 to 2009.
Allen Iverson Net Worth
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Despite his earnings, Allen Iverson's net worth is estimated at $1 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
The former Sixer relished in a lavish lifestyle throughout his career. It eventually caught up to him, and in 2012 his financial situation surfaced when a judge ordered him to pay $900,000 to a Georgia jeweler. Iverson revealed he didn't have enough in his bank account to complete the payment.
Lucky for Iverson, he signed a lifetime endorsement deal with Reebok in 2001 that pays $800,000 per year. Additionally, the shoe company set aside a $32 million trust fund for Iverson that he won't be able to access until he turns 55 in 2030.
AI's game was something else, but the way he played with his heart on his sleeve is legendary.
