Philadelphia 76ers: Happy Draft Day, Allen Iverson

The Philadelphia 76ers are famous – or infamous, depending on who you ask – for “The Process,” aka the most radical intentional losing scheme to sacrifice a few seasons in the relentless pursuit of Hall of Fame-caliber superstars.

Was it successful? … sort of.

There’s no question that Joel Embiid is destined for the Hall once his playing days are done and could very well become only the fifth player in franchise history to win league MVP honors in a uniform embroidered with the name Philadelphia, but other than him, what does the team really have to show for it? Ben Simmons? He’s certainly lived up to being the first overall pick in a top-heavy 2016 NBA Draft, but just how long will he be with the team moving forward? A week? A month? Half a season?

Fortunately, in the NBA, everything is cyclical. Sure, some players like LeBron James and Steph Curry present unique sets of skills seldom before seen on the hardwoods but even something as radical as the Process isn’t unique.

Why? Well, for much of the 1990s, the Sixers were (unintentionally) in the same boat.

With the dynamic trio for Charles Barkley, Moses Malone, and the Good Doctor all moved on to greener pastures, the team was forced to rely on a collection of motley crews while waiting to find their next great franchise player, resulting in three-straight 24-26 win seasons and a chance to pick first overall following a league-worst 18 win campaign in 1995-96.

Fortunately, when a team was that bad in the pre-Process-era, it meant a one-way ticket to the first overall pick in the NBA Draft and a chance to land the sort of player who can change a team’s fortunes forever. And on this every day 25 years ago, the Philadelphia 76ers made it official, selecting a 6-foot-tall point guard out of Georgetown with a lightning-fast game and a unique collection of nicknames.

Allen Iverson was the Philadelphia 76ers’ original “Process.”

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The Question. The Answer. A.I., The Third Degree, Bubba Chuck. No matter what you call him, Allen Iverson is unequivocally one of the most important players in Philadelphia 76ers history.

The team’s first All-Star since “The Round Mound of Rebound” left the City of Brotherly Love for the dry heat of Arizona, Iverson immediately burst onto the scene as a 20-plus point scorer and near-singlehandedly vaulted the Sixers back to heights they hadn’t seen since the Reagan Administration.

Over his 722 game tenure with the team, 784 if you count the playoffs, Iverson averaged 27.6 points and 6.1 assists in an incredible 41.4 minutes of action a night, all the while leading the league in steals on three separate occasions.

Often dubbed the best pound-for-pound player in the NBA, Iverson’s fiery persona both on and off the court quite literally changed the face of the NBA seemingly overnight and rubbed more than a few people the wrong way in the best possible way.

Because of Iverson, the Sixers changed their uniforms, the league changed its dress code policy, and little kids everywhere started dawning bizarre temporary tattoos to game with little mustaches drawn on for good measure.

Sidebar: Did the Sixers sell Iverson temporary tattoo sheets back in the day? If not, they probably should have.

Without Iverson, the Sixers don’t make it to the NBA Finals in 2001. Without Iverson, the Sixers’ fanbase doesn’t explode in popularity outside of the Delaware Valley. And without Iverson, we’d never have those incredible black jerseys that the franchise still refuses to reissue on special occasions.

And to think, Iverson never really had another superstar partner in crime during his initial decade with the squad. Imagine if he would have had a Daryl Morey-type GM who could have paired him up with a legit 1B like the reported Tracy McGrady trade that almost went down in 1999.

*sigh* a Big 3 of Iverson, McGrady, and Dikembe Mutombo definitely would have won it all in 2001.

Next. Keep an eye on Collin Sexton and the Cavaliers. dark

Though Allen Iverson’s career both in the City of Brotherly Love and in general didn’t have the sort of storybook ending worthy of his early theatrics, it’s hard not to look back on his time with the Philadelphia 76ers and not smile. From his on-court accomplishments to his meme-worthy moments and even his second-act as a local celebrity – and sports betting spokesman – there isn’t a player alive who better personified that one very unique era in the team’s history than the pride of Hampton, Virginia. Now, if we can just get those jerseys back instead of the horrible Liberty Bell-themed “Earned” uniforms…