He watches and waits for his opportunity. He sees the big man in the post turn his head then in a flash he slaps the ball away, picks it up, and dashes down the court and passes the ball to Eric Snow. He sets up for his famous “Iverson cut” from wing to wing across the freethrow line to set up for an Iso. He sets up his man with a between the legs and then BOOM. He hits him with his patented crossover, and, in the blink of an eye, he is past his defender. He slashes to the bucket and fearlessly crashes into the seven-footer finishing ‘the and-one’. The announcers and the Philadelphia crowd go crazy in disbelief, despite having seen similar plays from Allen Iverson with regularity.

Allen Iverson’s impact has been irreplaceable on the sport of basketball. “The influence was even stronger for NBA hopefuls growing up in the Philadelphia area. As young basketball fans watched Iverson dominate for their hometown team, he inspired them to pursue their pro dreams” (Camerato). Without “The Answer”, the NBA is not the same as it is today. He set some precedents for NBA players today, as they would not have many of the freedoms that they have now. Allen Iverson is arguably the most influential person on the culture of basketball along with Michael Jordan, on and off the court because of the way that he challenged the rules and was a trailblazer for the players today. He is known throughout the basketball world. His name is global and in the same breath as players like Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, and Shaquille O’neal. Allen Iverson changed the game on the court and off the court (Ennette Jr).

Iverson was a pioneer for smaller players such as the current Isaiah Thomas, Nate Robinson, Kemba Walker, Kyrie Irving, Lou Williams, and others. Iverson was the best and most influential little or “pound-for-pound” player. He made it possible for a player like Isaiah Thomas at 5’9”to be considered in a league of skyscrapers. “It goes without saying that Allen Iverson was an extraordinary athlete: Six feet tall (in sneakers), 160 pounds (soaking wet), the sinewy combo guard emerged from abject poverty in Hampton, Va., to become one of the most devastating finishers in NBA history” (Graham). Iverson was hardly the 6’0” that the 76ers attached him to him on a good day in shoes. He was 5’10” with incredible jumping ability and

speed. Iverson was able to carry his team in 2001 to the NBA finals. He went against the 2001 lakers, one of the best teams in NBA History. He won one game in the best of 7 series, one more than was expected of the team. He shattered the doubts that naysayers had of small guards. Most NBA executives would only draft the typical 6’4” point guards. He proved everyone who thought a team couldn’t compete for a championship without a big lead guard wrong. Some of the greatest before Allen Iverson were Muggsy Bogues, who was the shortest player to ever be in the NBA while almost averaging a double double, Calvin Murphy, who scored over one thousand points in eleven straight seasons and even knocked a 6’10” power forward to the ground with a bloody nose, Spud Webb who won a dunk contest against Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins, Nate Robinson, who has won three dunk contests and isn’t even retired yet and Damon Stoudamire, who averaged twenty points per game for two seasons. (Chiusano)

Although Allen Iverson is very underrated by many on the court, his crossover was unstoppable and he was one of the greatest players of all time. Iverson could humble anybody with his crossover, even Michael Jordan. “Even his deeper cuts, like when he broke Antonio Daniels’s ankles twice on the same play, can leave you slack-jawed” (Graham). Watching Iverson dribble was exciting because on every play there was a chance that he would embarrass the defender. He is in my opinion the best ball-handler of all time.“It didn’t take long for Iverson to make a splash in Philadelphia after the 76ers made him, at 20 years old, the top overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft. He crossed over Michael Jordan; he hung 19 on Kobe Bryant in the Schick Rookie Game; he dropped 50 on the Cavaliers—still a record for a first-year player.” Iverson was the player that everyone hated to go up against. Even the best defender had to stay alert and focused when they guarded Iverson. Losing focus for even a second could have you on the wrong end of a sportscenter highlight. “He made his impact in the NBA felt early. For example, he scored thirty points in his first NBA game and his iconic crossover on the greatest player of all time, Michael Jordan, was in his rookie year” (Graham).  Allen Iverson captivated the NBA from his first official day in the league. It was known that he was going to be an all-time great as his rookie season came and went. He was an Icon, a legend; his name forever engraved in the minds of the Philadelphia sports diehards and his legacy in their hearts. His flashy and creative and smooth game made him one of the biggest shows in sports; during his years in Philadelphia, his team led the league in the amount of fans that followed the team. They knew that he could go off on any given night and take over the game with his elite scoring (Graham). Iverson was a boost that the city of Philadelphia needed. He gave them a revival and some excitement and pride for the team. He gave another transcendental star, one that they hadn’t had since Dr. J. He was the next big thing and from day one he met those expectations.

Iverson’s Impact was felt even more off the court. He was targeted by the league for his style. He brought the style of where he was from to the league and administration didn’t like that. “In an era of sanitized athletes with meticulously cultivated images, Iverson’s lack of filter made him an anomaly. He compromised for no one. Whether you loved him or hated him, you could not look away” (Graham). Before him athletes were expected to be perfect. They were expected to be the perfect role models; an example is Michael Jordan, who was rarely even seen off the court without a suit on. “His trendsetting cornrows, for example, were the Beatles’ mop tops for the hip-hop generation, while his defiant tattoos became a national talking point and thinkpiece fodder” (Graham). He was dressing how people from where he was from dressed, but the NBA thought of it as thuggish with the tattoos and cornrows. He started that in the NBA.

Iverson is one of the most influential, but there are many influential players who influential for different reasons on and off the court. There is Lebron James, Steph Curry, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, George Gervin and many others. Lebron is influential because he was the first NBA superstar or even player to take his destiny into his own hands. He was the first one to decide that he’s not going to wait to get traded or for a championship team to be built around him, but instead for him to get together with his NBA superstar friends and create a championship core. Steph Curry revolutionized the way the game is played with his accuracy from behind the arc both from the catch and off the dribble. Michael Jordan played a huge role in making the NBA a global sport. Kobe Bryant’s touch can be seen in the current generation of players, with many of his disciples who modeled their games after him in the league right now. These include players like Kyrie Irving, Demar Derozan, Paul George, and Jayson Tatum. George Gervin was influential because he was the one that made the finger roll so popular. It has made a resurgence in recent years, this time being called “Jelly”.

Most people today don’t realize that Allen Iverson is the reason for the popularity of ‘shooting sleeves’. In his MVP season, in 2001 he had major swelling in his shooting arm that was caused by a condition called Bursitis; he started wearing a shooting sleeve to keep control of the the condition until he could get surgery after the situation. He scored 51 points against Vince Carter and the Toronto Raptors. He wore the shooting sleeve for the rest of his career. He averaged 35 points a game for the rest of the season and got to the finals. Shooting sleeves are very popular among players today (Toporek). Allen Iverson was relatable to so many people. Some because he was under six feet playing in the NBA, and some were other players that wanted to be able to just be themselves without being targeted by the league.  Iverson sacrificed and was ridiculed his whole career so that players like Russell Westbrook and PJ Tucker could dress as freely as they do on a nightly basis today.