Original subtitles

time to roll baby time to

[Applause]

roll all that matters is you go out and

play every game like it's your last I

think it's the greatest story in sports

let's go baby knock out Mike Tyson style

this guy is just a true amazing athlete

oh my goodness he is a tough son of a

gun a very tough son of a gun what a

play by Alan ion and he w sit around the

rim and tled at home you just saw it in

his eyes that you know he had a Never

Say Die attitude ion to the floor to the

hop yes oh

yes he is the

man Allan had to grow up in a hurry he

was the man of the house uh at age

12 you don't know this man when he

speaks he speaks of his heart and soul

you may not like what you hear but he's

telling you the truth pulls up going to

paint too strong no Alan iers well you

can see the growth you can see the

development you can see not a different

person but a guy who has moved from one

level of his life to

[Music]

another

a lot of people felt like I couldn't

reach this point people talked about my

size my game that I was selfish and I

couldn't make it here with the guys that

I'm playing with so you know makes the

story that much better at the

end well good evening everybody and

welcome to game one of the NBA finals

this one would be for the ages the Los

Angeles Lakers could become the first

team in history to run the table in the

playoffs they have already dismantled

Portland Sacramento and San Antonio and

now they come in a prohibitive favored

against

Philadelphia T

Billy I oh he might get a couple point

but that's it it's Alan Iverson and sha

truly a David and Goliath story let's

get

dirty let's get

dir as the 2001 NBA finals opened the

idea that the Philadelphia 76ers led by

6' 160 lb Allan Iverson could defeat the

defending Champion LA Lakers and their 7

fo1 330lb Superstar Shaquille O'Neal

seemed

absurd who can stop the

giant the Lakers had gone undefeated

during the playoffs and in game one they

took an early 13-point lead on Philly

and looked ready to knock them

out

just calm down guys all the stre them

all the on them they're supposed to win

we ain't even supposed to be

here Iverson and his Sixers may have

been down but they weren't out in fact

they had the Lakers right where they

wanted them what an incredible shot by

Iverson the Philly comeback like Iverson

would be relentless we got to pressure

their ass up the floor Allan on Miss

shots get your hands on the ball these

two guys will run their ass off

right throughout the playoffs Iverson

had willed his team to Victory and he

wasn't ready to stop now Cross Court

skip is pied off by Iverson down the

floor he goes against O'Neal Allen by

the big man scoop lamp is good a foot

race The Tortoise and the hair steal by

Iverson back on Bryan easy layup he is

fearless this young guy is amazing but

casting a shadow over the hopes of the

Sixers was O sh slam over the top of a

tumbo and Shaq powered the game into

overtime take a deep breath and

understand we got 5 minutes to get one

up on these right 5

minutes but once overtime started the

Lakers seemed to have order restored

they had the momentum the crowd O'Neal

and the

lead but Philly had the answer one thing

about

Ivers is no quit in him you just know

he's got a couple of bullets left at his

holster you just know he's coming at

him here's Alam irson outside the ark he

tees up a three it's gone he drilled it

a three by Alan

Iverson one minute to go in overtime

what a comeback here the Lakers had the

Sixers on the ropes they come fighting

out of the corner here's Iverson BL the

defender stays right with him Allen

wants to go wants the Baseline he fires

two ball got it again he's way too good

he steps around Lou and drill it seven

straight points by Iverson looked like

he was dead in the water Sixers Shock

the World with a game one Victory here

over the world champion Los Angeles

Lakers the irrepressible Allan Iverson

you cannot kill that guy they can put

the brooms away that's one that's right

we a do nothing yeah we got a long way

to go we got a long way to go put up

though a going be none of that as long

as you leave everything out on the

basketball court I mean you can go in

the locker room and look at the mirror

in the mirror and feel good about

yourself and that's important but when

you don't leave it all out there then

you know kind of feel like you know you

as a person it's kind of you know kind

of

suspect Alan Iverson was raised in

Hampton Virginia in 1975 the newborn

Allen and his 15-year-old mother Anne

moved into his grandmother's house

located ironically on Jordan Drive and

from the moment she saw him an knew her

son's Destiny in the hospital room they

bring this long 22in long child whose

arms past his kneecaps and so I said oh

my goodness I got me a ball

player but it would be football that

captivated Allen at

first it appeared to me he had this

insatiable desire to just win at at at

all costs you know he wanted to win

every game he wanted to catch every pass

you know he wanted to make sure that his

team

won I came home one day and my mom said

uh you know today you going to

basketball practice and I was like n I'm

not going to basketball practice I don't

play basketball I play football and

baseball and um

I told her I thought basketball was soft

and she said well your coach is on his

way he's coming to pick you up and you

going I cried all the way out the

door you can see early on that he had a

lot of heart a big bundle of heart it's

always been like

that this guy's 10 years old but his

skill level was so high that he was

probably playing on a level of a 16 17

year old kid at

10 he was doing things things that

10-year-old kids don't

do I never forget this he said uh I can

take MJ I said well I we thought he met

one of the players that we give me to

play he said I can take MJ and you know

the coaches and everybody else just in

said I can take Michael

Jordan I mean he said it in a believable

way that made you believe he could take

Michael

J Sports would become Allen's Refuge

from the hardships he faced at

home Allan had to grow up in a hurry

from growing up on the streets from

moving from apartment to apartment to

housing project to housing project to

watching his mom struggle to make ANS

meet uh to having to take care of his

younger sisters when his mom wasn't

around he was the man of the house uh at

age

12 but the one constant Allan could

always rely on was his mother you know I

remember one time we went on a aaou

tournament and I was

13 and um we didn't have no likes on in

the house because she spent the um the

money for the life bill on my

sneakers always looked up to my mom like

she was the one that told me I could be

anything that I wanted to be you know I

believed

[Music]

it at bethle High School Allan blossomed

into a twoos sports star a sensation

from the hardwood to the grid

iron trailing 7 to nothing at the 15 yd

line Iverson moves to the inside he's

got this kind of quickness he may go all

the

way he's this is what happens Alan

Iverson has just returned the kickoff

the man can beat you so many different

ways somebody ought to map out his DNA

there there's a gene in

there it says don't lose speet on the

right side for Pringle Pringle with good

Hustle by Iverson boy he's fast Iverson

will take it in and lay it

in he always kept you on the edge of

your seat cuz you you're just waiting

for something new to

happen there's the play you were looking

for oh Alan

Iverson Allen's junior year would prove

to be a

revelation Iverson wants to pass has

some time steps up and then throws and

teral has got it when it got to crunch

time Allen was the guy that said all

right guys I know you're looking to me

to do it and I'm going to do it and he

rose to that occasion High snap Allan

led bethl to the Virginia state

championship drives Iverson back Iverson

will take it on the one hop trying to

get a block on the sideline he does he's

down the sideline looking for one block

he may go he will

oh wa

[Music]

what do you got to say as a junior to

come and win a state championship it's

got to feel pretty good he's going to go

get one in basketball now that's all

okay a few months later Allan did just

that it's over it's

over got TI man but we play hard we

wanted this man first one feel good two

stes in a row I

what can you say just watch the

film Allen was named Virginia's football

and basketball player of the year but

his life was about to change

[Music]

forever the fight in a local bowling

alley landed Allen in a far different

Court I think that night I was in the

wrong place at the wrong time but I want

you know I want people would to know

that that was that was the case not that

I'm I'm no type of bad guy shockingly

Allan was convicted and sent to

prison he wasn't even allowed to play

basketball he never played his senior

year in high school he never played

football they took something away from

him that he enjoyed that he

liked instead of being down on myself I

had to somehow um get out of there and

try to start all over all I wanted and

asked for from God was the Second

Chance Allan his family and his friends

had maintained that he was innocent and

Virginia's Governor agreed and

overturned his conviction after 4 months

Iverson returned

home but because of the negative

publicity colleges were reluctant to

recruit him ultimately A desperate Anne

Iverson sought out the legendary tough

love coach of Georgetown

University Ann Iverson was the reason

she's the one who pricked my curiosity

there no way if Ann Iverson hadn't she

cried she did indicate the fact that you

know she was pleading for her son's life

when I sit down and talk with him the

very first thing that I realized is that

he was smart he seems to have dealt with

what has happened behind him and that's

that that was important for me I was

impressed and I when I got finished you

know I said hey you know let's go for

this Iverson would reward Thompson's

Faith by playing his heart out for him

but it seemed that while Allan could

avoid Defenders he couldn't escape his

reputation I heard some maliciously mean

things said about him I've never heard

him complain about it he's got too much

pride and intelligence for that and I I

respect that in him but people always

still stereotype me always felt like I

was some type of bad guy because of you

know what what happened to me but I

think coach Thompson did a great

job um keeping those people away from

me after a sophomore season in which he

was named First Team all americ Iverson

tried to break from his past and take a

giant leap into his

future after to carefully wearing my

options with Coach Thompson and my

family I've decided to end the NBA drag

um I definitely plan to further my

education but my family needs um needs

to be addressed right

now most of all I like to thank my mom

for sticking with me through thick and

thin I she's always did that for me um

no matter what and uh my my immediate

family requires me to leave Georgetown

but um I will always be a part of the

Georgetown Family

thank

you the second pick goes to the Toronto

Raptor and that

means that the first pick in the 1996

NBA draft goes to the Philadelphia

76 when I won that lottery I think I

went ballistic because I knew Ellen

Iverson was our pick yeah Philly

yeah this is it it starts it off this

was not just a the lottery this was the

alen Iverson Lottery because in my eyes

in my estimation Iverson was the

man after having suffered his share of

nightmares Alan Iverson was about to

live out the fantasy of every kid who

ever picked up a

basketball I had uh butterfly so bad you

know I remember just sitting there I

knew they were going to call my name but

I didn't know you know once they did I

just I just felt good with the first

pick in the 1996 NBA draft the

Philadelphia 76ers select Allan Iverson

from Georgetown

University and there you see backstage

Allan Iverson the Georgetown

sophomore Ann and Steve Mom and

Dad family and friends back

there and what a tremendous moment that

is for a kid dreaming of this night of

being the first pick in the NBA draft

and it has happened for Alan

iers after everything that I've been

through you know I finally made it to

the you know the point that I really

wanted to get to it was like a a tribute

to all the people that helped me get

there it was just a great feeling I felt

like my life was starting to amount to

something

[Music]

it was just a huge climax for all of the

life struggles that that that that he

had um been through you know I've been

through a lot of obstacles in my life

and um you know I'm just happy I

overcame him now it's just time to get

in the NBA walk that straight

path he was the number one in the 1996

NBA draft a 6o guard out of to number

three put it together for Al in

iers Yeah

scratch Iverson would hit the court

running iers all the way yes raw

lightning Iverson this is going to be

something with stack up he's SL for two

you are helpless when AI has it going on

iers yes the kid is come up big brings

this Crown into a frenzy what a shot I

knew once I got an opportunity that I

was going to Showcase my god-given

ability I just felt like the sky was the

limit oh my take that with the odds that

he had already overcome he wasn't going

to let the game

stop iers pocket at least once a game

this guy will do something that makes

you just fall out of your

seat what away I do not believe I'm the

back got the layup and he's fouled Allan

Ivon starting to heat up here what a

shot by alen Iverson robon determined to

make it happen oh my goodness I don't

believe what I just saw imagine some of

Michael Jordan's best moves now speed it

up a little put that 45 on a 33 RPM Bo

me that's alen iron hon accelerates

putting the speed on he doesn't move

like anything we know he just it's

quicker Allen's quickness would be best

showcased by his most lethal

move a crossover trying to guard this

guy is like trying to hold water in the

palm of your hand let's see what Anthony

does forget about it Iverson for

two Iverson crosses over against Brown

gets two and they ooh and a

here Iverson didn't play like a rookie

and didn't act like one e

time to be

down there was a fearlessness in his

approach to the

game a lot of guys when you see guys

that you kind of looked up to um you

kind of they kind of shy away from The

Challenge and I just took it

on as a kid Allan had bragged to his

coach about taking MJ and now he finally

get his chance when I grabbed the ball I

heard Phil Jackson yeah

Michael I has Jordan the crowd is it I

gave him a little cross to see what he

bite on it I let him set his feet and

then I stepped it back again Allan Shak

fre gets two Mike said no Al said yes

the bucket the crowd loves it I wanted

the opportunity to play against the top

guys and to go after

him Allen would finish sixth in the

league in scoring all year long he'd

make people take notice of him and then

as the season Drew to a close he'd make

history yes and there it is Allan

Roberson four straight with 40 or more

breaking The Wil Chamberlain standard

that had stood for 37 years simply

simply amazing what a week what a

week

[Music]

Iverson had taken his rookie season and

made it into one big

scrapbook it gives me great pleasure on

behalf of the Philadelphia 76ers to

present our rookie Alan Iverson with the

schik NBA Rookie of the Year award

[Applause]

yeah now the world knows what we in

Philadelphia have known that alen

Iverson is one of the most exciting most

dnam Dynamic most Fearless players in

the

NBA despite his personal accomplishments

during his rookie season Allen was still

having trouble with his image some

thought he was a selfish player it was

probably best summed up by Charles

Barkley who said it's me myself and

Iverson and that's the way he was

perceived and and not necessarily

wrongly

so even his most memorable moment as a

rookie would ultimately put him in a bad

light he challenged Michael Jordan to

the effect in the first game they played

he said I'm not afraid of Michael Jordan

I can play anybody and in effect it was

interpreted as how dare he challenge

Michael Jordan who is alen Iverson to

say he could play him and Michael was

offended and when Michael was offended

America was

offended when the incident happened with

Michael you know that's when everything

went downhill you know people saying he

can talk trash to Jordan who he think he

is everybody started to B me and it

never

ended my impressions of Island before I

came here was a guy that I really didn't

want to you know be on the same team

with I didn't know him personally I just

heard so many bad things about him and

to make matters worse Allan had not made

the Sixers a better team Philly had won

only 22 games and so in the summer of

1997 they went searching for some

direction I feel great in introducing to

you the head coach coach of the

Philadelphia 76ers Larry Brown

yeah Larry Brown embodied basketball

tradition a clash with Allan seemed

inevitable I don't think it's an

overstatement to say that they're from

two different worlds the 60-year-old

with a reputation as a fixer upper coach

and the young Hip-Hop star who wants to

do it his way and it was like When

Worlds

Collide Brown wanted Iverson to play

Within the

team Iverson wanted to be the team when

I started coaching I thought he's a

great athlete just doesn't know how to

play um and I didn't I didn't know if

he'd ever know how to

play but despite their differences Brown

was

[Music]

intrigued he competed on the court and I

I knew he wanted to win he might not

always try to do it the right way but

you could tell without question that he

was an amazing competitor

Bo defying convention Brown would switch

the undersized Iverson to shooting

guard you could hear and see and smell

the cynics and the critics Allan Iverson

can't play two guard look at the size

that he'll get murdered in the in the

matchups Larry Brown was saying guess

what the other team is going to have a

whole lot more trouble with us than

we're going to have with them Brown was

right Allen into action shakes to the

right gets two Iverson the back door cut

what a play by Allan Iverson as he

wrapped it around the rim and twirled at

home Brown would get rid of every sixer

he had inherited except Allan who he

would build the team around as he

surrounded him with selfless role

players it was his basketball genius

that really decide to give Allen enough

range so he saw what he could do and

what he would do rebound volleyball by

ay but it's taken off over there by

Davis wrap around pass behind the back

underneath great Play What a play by I

that's Allen iers at his pitch I could

see a change a change for the better I

could see Allen inch by inch making

progress six to shoot Mark Jackson with

the ball on the back court Iverson

knocked it away and Smiths finding Court

and what a hustling play by Iverson and

a tremendous effort I mean fantastic and

the Sixers a with Iverson as their lone

leading man the Sixers began to reflect

his personality and they're on their

feet this house is

rocking and though Brown and Iverson

didn't always see eye to eye they began

to make the Sixers better in 1998 Philly

won 31 games and in 99 they became

winners the stack house and they th the

ball mck took it away Sixers down two

iron for the

tie during the 99 season Iverson would

be chosen as a first team all NBA player

and lead the league in scoring but more

importantly he would lead Philly back to

the playoffs for the first time in seven

years and despite being an underdog in

the first round against Orlando Iverson

was

undaunted

ba man you ready Mark you can't believe

outside oh my God you ready that was

crazy I'm ready need I think it was the

most exciting time I've ever been in

Arena was that game three in

Philadelphia Allan came out on the court

to the music and the passion of the fans

that it was just so

electrifying Orlando never had a chance

ion splits the double yes

yes that was like right up his alley you

know the stage was set roll the balls

out and let's

play Iverson his seven steel Track by

Armstrong yes oh beautifully done by

Alan Iverson that's an outstanding play

and there's Hardway with a double snow

and Allen chase him and iers strips it

away out bounds it'll go to the Sixers

what a defensive play by Alan

Iverson Iverson now with eight

steals it's a playoff record cruises and

solos for two Allan Iverson a playoff

record nine

steals a Charged Up Iverson would lead

the Sixers to an upset victory that had

the feeling of a Revival

meeting I still remember this tingle to

this day that it was so much fun to

watch him lead that team and to close

him out and though his Sixers would lose

to the pace in the next round Allen's

career continued to take

off and making his first allar appear in

the 2000 season he'd make the All-Star

team for the first

time

I that was like a I mean just like a

dream come true I always watched every

allstar game since I can remember you

know I always wanted had the feeling

that those guys had here's iers from

Carter count it the

foul it's something that I you know

chaires for the rest of my life I always

remember but in many ways Allen's image

still overshadowed his accomplishments

from his clothes to his tattoos to his

cornrows it all seemed like a do not

disturb sign for the

[Music]

public what I remember is Alan Iverson

looking Us in the eye insane I dress the

way I dress people were trying to get me

to dress like Michael Jordan like guys

who were 30 and 35 years old maybe

someday down the road I will act like

that I will dress like that I will talk

like that but not now you know I don't

want to be Michael Jordan I don't want

to be magic I don't want to be bird or

Isa I don't want to be any of those guys

you know when my career is over I'm

going to look in the mirror and say I

did it my

way but his way wasn't the coach's way

Allan was angry when Larry subbed for

him and brown was frustrated that

Iverson didn't follow all of the team's

[Music]

rules I saw two sensitive individuals

two headstrong individuals two

individuals with so much talent who knew

what they could do and that they were

almost the best at what they did and

when you have that mindset let me do it

my way Coach Brown let me do it my way

alen Iverson we don't white we're not

white I was not trying to I was not

white I didn't know where the scream was

at you know when you got two bulls and

you put them in a cage together someone

is going something going to

happen a breakup seemed

inevitable there were a lot of issues

and I didn't know if it ever could

work in the 2000 playoffs the Sixers

once again lost to Indiana but this time

there were no moral Victor it seemed as

if the relationship between Iverson and

Brown had run its

course and though trade rumors began to

swirl around him Allan remained

defiant I'm still doing what I want to

do I'm playing on the team I want to

play for I'm trying to contribute you

know I'm not hurt by that I

mean not hurt by that at

all Larry Brown and Alan Iverson made

the Sixers into a playoff team but by

the summer of 2000 it was evident that

their partnership could no longer be a

successful I've always had respect for

him you know I didn't didn't always like

the things that he did especially off

the court and the way he approached our

sport Larry Brown did not want alen

Iverson on the Philadelphia 76ers when

he was returning in that preseason he

just didn't want him because Allen did

not obey his rules his team rules the

promptness the back talk the strength

training things that he made public very

public I'm tired of everybody talking

about my relationship with Alan Iverson

I I wonder what your relationship would

be with any employee that you might have

who doesn't choose to come to work on

time or doesn't choose to come to work

at all yeah I was late for practice but

believe me believe me the times that I

heard the stuff I mean nobody will put

up with that I mean and I'm not I'm not

even brave enough to miss that many

practi Philly shopped Iverson around the

league and thought they had him traded

to

Detroit the only thing that prevented

him from going to the Detroit Pistons uh

was Matt gaa's refusal to wave his 15%

trade kicker in his contract had Matt

GAA elected to wave that trade kicker

Allen Iverson would be a Detroit Piston

today it's just that simple it was that

close for Allan the prospect of leaving

Philly finally hit home and hit

hard always wanted to be a sixer my dad

was a sixer fan and I always wanted to

be the first pick and I never wanted to

leave Philadelphia you know I wanted to

start my career as a sixer and finish my

career as a sixer and then for all that

stuff to be going on you know it just it

felt bad it was a bad time for me all

summer long I didn't know I woke up

scared every morning now not knowing

that I you know if I was at another team

or not Allen went on about how he

changed how he's 25 years old now and he

was going to be a professional he wanted

to be mared wanted to be a captain

wanted to be a leader I want to be right

here where I'm at where people love me

and I love these people in this

situation I kind of knew why it was

happening and I had a lot to do with it

and I think that was a part of me just

growing up you know and uh the things

that they told me that I had to take

care of to make that thing work I knew

it was things that I could control and I

could get a grip on Brown and Iverson

agreed to give it one more chance the

trade talks ended and Allen was named

team captain this is going to be the

most important year of of my career

because you know all eyes on me this

year everybody wants to see if I can be

the captain if I want can be a leader if

I can be a professional besides just

playing basketball and I'm up for the

task he came to me and said coach I can

change

the things I have control over the

things you're upset about when he made

those kind of statements I felt we had a

[Music]

chance Iverson would Embrace his role as

team leader playing the way Brown had

always envisioned for him Philly opened

the season with 10 straight

wins back door pass ion whing shot and

it counts Iverson takes on all C count

it and a foul he's a phenomenal

player Iverson against Ryder rder comes

in deep fway eight footer good what a

show who now runs with Iverson he's got

Lou and he wants him

yes clear out here is Iverson firing it

up the CCH Alan

Ion with each sucess essive

Victory Iverson seemed to

grow as he and brown finally found the

common ground that had eluded them for

so

long he now

recognizes you've got to rely on

somebody else and it ain't always your

teammates you got to like rely on your

coach too you got to trust in a guy

that's not on the court with you but

it's on the sidelines with you guiding

you orchestrating you telling you to

trust and believe in him and he'll take

you there he made me concentrate on some

of the things that I never really paid

attention to to become a better leader

on and off the court he fought with me

and I think that was important for me

you know and now then looking back on it

you know I might have used to looked at

it like he just on me for no

reason you know he was trying to help me

all along

look

[Music]

You've Won for us before just keep

playing the game catch and shoot forget

it you only need to play for 4

minutes he helped me grow as a coach he

once told me he wanted to have a

relationship with me that the great

athletes have with their coaches Le and

at the All-Star Game Brown and Iverson

would put their new relationship on

display the way you play I would just

hope that we go out on the court and try

to kick their ass but but try to do it

playing the right way Iverson would win

the game's MVP but more than his actions

it would be his words that would show

how far he'd

come where my coach where my coach Coach

Brown is he Brown this this is you know

this is a tribute to Coach Brown my

teammates my family my friends he goes

up to accept the trophy and he asks for

Larry Brown coach where's my coach it

was like rock he ask him for

Adrien Philly fans had always loved Alan

Iverson for the way he

played but now they were embracing him

for who he

was I think he melted the audience all

of a sudden they started thinking this

isn't a bad guy the kids come a long

long way you see the you see the trouble

he was in last year and uh all the all

the negative about him

this year it's all

positive he's dedicated to winning

whatever it takes he'll do

it all our customers that's all they

talk about as Iris when they talk Sixers

it's it's Ai and that's it he truly is a

fan favorite because not only his play

on the court but his interaction with

them off the court I think that's part

of his success his

persona

[Music]

Iverson Sixers finished the 2001 season

with the best record in the East but

there was still skepticism as to whether

Allen had the character to lead his team

to playoff

glory and as fate would have it Philly's

opening round opponent in the postseason

would be the Indiana Pacers the team

that had eliminated them the past 2

years we felt like if we could beat

Indiana you know then we could get to

the finals we felt like we could beat

anybody you know because that team had

our number for so many

years the first game would be hauntingly

familiar to Philly playing on emotion

they got off to a big lead but in the

end they couldn't sustain

it we're winning the entire game winning

the entire game against the Pacers

Reggie Miller and the Pacers 3 seconds

left to play it's

7876 inbound the ball Reggie comes off a

screen catches the ball behind that

three-point Arc shoots Miller

AR Miller gives the Pacers the lead

regie Miller knocks it down and this

place is absolutely stunned we lose by

one point it was

awful you got a big league like that and

then to lose it at home front of your

own crowd it was

ridiculous in the past a loss like this

would have unnerved the Sixers but this

year they'd use it as a chance to show

how far they'd come I remember Allen in

that locker room at that time we got

this that's okay we gave him this game I

remember him getting the team fired up

after he was so angry which was a great

sign because they knew they deserved to

win that game and by gosh we were going

to win this series we got to get back on

track man right forget what just

happened let's just just go from here on

out all right 48 strong 1 2 3 come on

baby we at home baby let's get down but

it would be Reggie Miller who would try

to cut out Philly's heart as he dropped

in 33 first half points Reggie Miller

smoking the Sixers desperately needed

Allen to respond and he

did little slide of Hand by Alan goes

behind the back and hits Alan

iers with their season hanging in the

balance Iverson attacked the Pacers with

abandon and scored 45 points on route to

a crucial game game two

victory iers for

two

yes he has been

stupendous this is one of my most

rememberable um did I say that right how

you say it memorable whatever man y'all

know what I'm talking about I I'm going

to remember this

game Indiana would never recover from

Iverson's game two scoring binge and the

Sixers had vanquished their old

Nemesis Philadelphia has made the step

and they have eliminated the Indiana

Pacers Allan had passed the first test

these guys always haunted me and made it

tough for me to sleep so now I can rest

for probably a

day Allan would need all the rest he

could get if he was to keep up with the

highflying Vince Carter and the Toronto

Raptor

in the Eastern Conference

semi-finals Vince was the clean-cut

mainstream superstar that Iverson never

would be the dramatic setup was perfect

and from the start the series would be a

duel between the two

stars ion for two and he got it he's

been the Magic Man and predictably

Iverson was cast as the villain Vince

Carter says if the little guy can do it

hey I can do it wow that's all I can say

Carter again for three man holy cow he

can't miss this is this is unbelievable

it really is Allen's dropping 54 Vince

comes back and he's dropping 50 and it

was one after another one after another

it was like they were taking

turns but as the much smaller Iverson

matched Carter by sheer force of will

the storyline began to change Iverson

for the lead

yes and as the team split the first four

games Iverson was making his most

persuasive case for acceptance on his

own terms Allan Iverson has scored the

Sixers last 19 straight

points as the the media gets larger and

larger throughout the playoffs I think

he he got into a lot of people's living

rooms that didn't really know who he was

and man I'm I'm taller than that guy I'm

bigger than that guy how how does he do

it against these monsters yeah

yes 52 points for Iverson he is the

[Applause]

man when you see the way people react to

him not only in Philly but all over it's

kind of nice you don't look at the

tattoos or the

cornrows just look at what's inside of

them I think it's the greatest story in

sports before game five the nation saw

Iverson accept the League's MVP award

every time I come

in every time I come in this gym in this

Arena I hear my favorite

song know y'all voices so um it's time

for y'all to play that song let's make

this noise and get this party jumping

during game five Iverson showed the

nation why he was the MVP scoring 52

points in a sixer win and he got it

again oh my goodness guy the MVP TRS to

the sideline asking from the fans let me

hear you Alan a lot of people

affectionately refer to you as the

little guy but could you come up any

bigger for your team than you did this

season I hope I can I always play with

my heart you know I play with my heart

first you know because I feel like

that's all I got all right

congratulations thanks for treating us

to one of the all-time great playoff

performance thanks dude but Vince Carter

wasn't finished and his 39 points LED

Toronto to a game six win and set up a

seventh and deciding

game Allan was

ready and then if you can't get going in

this type of game there's a problem man

it's a war

tonight my baby going to battle but

Toronto was ready too as they double

teamed Allen and bullied him all over

the court Iverson went down so hard he

has a hurt back and he is grimacing in

pain hurt and tired irvis would now be

forced to adjust Alec I'm must tell you

again when they double you got to go

into some kind of passing game the ball

has to

move Brown couldn't have drawn it up any

better as Iverson foiled Toronto's plan

by getting the ball to the open man

that's a nice find by Alan Iverson trust

in his teammate weaving his way through

Defenders Allen would hand out a career

high 16 assists right feed by Iverson

he's a passing machine and fittingly the

series would come down to a final shot

Sixers by a point 8887 here we go

Antonio Davis will screen Curry will

play in curry looking for Carter Carter

runs at the near side he stops he shoots

his shot is up it's off the rip and the

Sixers have pass to the Easter

Conference Finals as Vince Carter misses

a shot Iverson had outdueled Vince

Carter on a national stage and it wasn't

hard to see how much had changed the

thing that I'm proud of him he's

learning how to play he was a kid that

was so competitive wanted to play one

against five every possession you I just

see his game developing and he wants to

win so badly I'm learning a lot about

him way to go Allan had seemingly given

all of himself to beat Toronto and there

was serious questions about whether he

could summon the strength to lead Philly

past Milwaukee in the Conference Finals

Milwaukee's R out a skywalking under

half scoop by Allen is good as the team

split the first two games it was clear

that Iverson was breaking down he's

hacked foul drien a ground takes another

bruise I'm telling you the little guy he

is something he takes a be nobody else

in this league would be playing and

laying it on the

line like he is you know the kid has an

incredible heart and he's trying to play

through it and it's just pretty

difficult

it's so as

hell yeah it but but only s cramping up

real bad finally he was forced to sit

out game three he could only watch as

his teammates battled without him and

the game is tied as mcke trins the

jumper on the right side well you I said

they've got a lot of PR they won't go

away but despite Phil's Valiant

effort the Bucks grabbed the series

lead

play their

without I just couldn't wait for the

opportunity to get on the court with

those guys again and just try to take my

game to another level just try to play

just extra

hard inspired by their performance

Iverson and his teammates would take two

of the next three games and force

another game seven snow with six to

shoot takes the outside jumper from the

left

how about that with Eric snow not Alan

Iverson Eric snow Iverson was a game

away from the finals and wasn't going to

be denied Alan Iverson exploding here at

g

seven with one more brilliant

performance the answer put to rest all

questions about his leadership Iverson

shoots a long three at the third quarter

buzer SC he drill a three the MVP for

three more that game seven against

Milwaukee was something that summed up

alen Iverson's not only 5year playing

career but I think his

life what you saw was this man who

believed in himself so much that you had

to believe in

him Iverson runs down the floor he puts

his hand to his ear he jumps with joy he

had an unbelievable 44o performance here

in game seven reputations are made in

the NBA playoffs and Alan Iverson stamps

his name in the anal of greatness the

76ers are the Eastern Conference

champions and they're going to tentel

time the Sixers beat the oh yeah hey yo

man y'all boys ain't no joke man I love

y'all man hey yo hey yo that's a that's

a team man that's a team right there

[Music]

baby this coach first time man let's

make it a good

[Applause]

[Music]

[Applause]

2 how you like la love La man it's where

the stars at that's where the stars are

born I heard that but they born in

Virginia

too when I met you was like

my young boy shine Now 26 years old NBA

MVP Big Man on

Campus Allen's Journey had taken him

farther than he ever could have imagined

he had made it to the NBA finals and it

was a celebration of everything he had

accomplished happy birthday to

[Applause]

[Music]

[Applause]

you

Allen's ultimate wish of winning a

championship would go

unfulfilled but even in defeat he won

the ultimate respect of everyone who

watched him play and he did it with the

same heart and determination that had

always driven

[Music]

him just to see his desire to win was

something that I really marveled at and

I've always appreciated his

competitiveness but I think that was

really something special in my

art the way he's perceived nationally

now is pretty special you know it's not

like he's a renegade kid with talent

that doesn't know how to be a team

player now it's about a guy that

everybody admires just because of his

toughness and his character and that's

that's what it's all

about after the season was over I wanted

to be able to look in the mirror

and say you did everything that

everybody wanted you to do far as being

a leader and you won the championship or

you didn't but you should be proud of

yourself and after the season was over I

was able to look in the mirror and feel

good about everything that I

did the end of the 2001 season closed

the door on one part of Ellen's Journey

but another part is just beginning and

as far as he's come from his earlier

struggles Allan is still only glimpsing

the potential that lies ahead when he

says there are a million people out

there who love me and there another

million people who hate me I think that

was true at at the beginning when he

says it now I don't buy it and the

reason I don't buy it is that I believe

that he is not only the most exciting

player in the league I think he's the

most popular where are all those people

who dislike them check out all the

Arenas around the country go check out

how many Irish and jerseys you see more

of them than

anyone I've never seen anyone transform

from the poster in the post

office it's the recommended poster in

your bedroom I mean this was

unbelievable the baggage that this man

had a carry the questions that were

asked his first second third even fourth

year and he transcends all that and

eventually he becomes truly the poster

boy of the

[Music]

NBA what don't kill you will make you

stronger and all of the things that he

went through personally off the court

all the things that he went went through

on the court is has made him stronger as

a person he's still the same guy he's

still going out there playing hard and

being Island iron off the court but he's

learning the dos and the don'ts and how

to conduct himself so I've watch him

turn into a man over the years that I've

been

[Music]

here I remember in my neighborhood I

used to tell guys I was going to be a

professional football player or

basketball player and they used to laugh

and you know I used to always say you

know my mom said I can do anything I

wanted and that was kind of like a joke

to them but you know I'm not laughing at

them now but now I'm the one doing it

laughing I'm Alan Iverson of the

Philadelphia

76ers I'm Alan Iverson welcome to my

world no

um what I got to say I'm the

answer you know

me Iverson bu by Brooks no harm no foul

Allan away I don't believe it I do not

believe it Al Aon why um he's a man he

he the best he the best man what's up

man how much time how much

time iers having a brilliant quarter

fires Allen

iers and it's picked off by Alan

Iverson Iverson reverse

[Applause]

layup again the Bruins coming he gets it

away it is picked off Alan Iverson with

the

[Music]

interception what a play by Alan

Iverson trailing by 10 after one I has

been on fire since the start of the game

I'm not a hater but the C say blocking

my

[Music]

door Iverson Cuts back goes down the

paint for the layup is

[Applause]

good the answer is in the building who

the hell is the answer I don't

know the answer