Ten years later, the NBA decided to wear cornrow, ink spots MVP who led the Philadelphia 76ers in the finals, Iverson has his eye in a statement. He is determined to end a career can be assigned to the Hall of Fame in the NBA, not in a faraway country, where short clips on YouTube are the only way to keep up with the score four times champion.
The way back to 20,000 fans a night, national television and, yes, it's a race to the championship final, which still aims has already begun. Just do not be easy. Once again, few things have always been a man known as "The Answer.''
He turned 36 this week. He played only 10 games in a passage filled with injuries in Turkey after an absence of interest in the NBA was forced to seek employment elsewhere. In his last NBA season in 2009-10, Iverson left the Sixers in February.
It is not a basketball game of the aging veteran.
So what gives confidence Iverson can still play anywhere near his former top next season?
"It's me,''he said, laughing." It gives me confidence. I do not know what I can do. The whole world knows what I can do. Everyone knows what I can do is the basketball court.''
Any fan knows how the 25-year Iverson could dazzle on the field. As in the 2001 NBA Finals, when he buried a jumper over Tyronn Lue to the dead highstepped Los Angeles Lakers in Game defender first time the iconic placed slightly behind his rookie year Crossover vs. Michael Jordan as the most memorable of his career of 14 years.
Iverson added some pieces to the list of recent years. He played for four teams in his last two NBA seasons, then left the Turkish club Besiktas with a leg injury.
A mass of calcium painful spot on his right calf and went home to rest instead of opting for surgery. Manager Iverson, Gary Moore, Iverson said has not received the green light from Dr. James Andrews to resume contact drills. Iverson was not expected to get approval until mid-July.
"Give me a training camp,''he said." Maybe I rubbed people the wrong way to say what I said in my life and my career. But if the team needs me to help try and win the championship in any capacity, I waited.''
He could have waited a long time. Add to that a possible work stoppage in the NBA owners and players are far apart on a new collective agreement, and Iverson may again be forced to look outside the NBA for a team. He signed a $ 4 million, two-year contract with Besiktas. But Iverson said in a telephone interview Wednesday night, his first priority is the NBA.
"If this does not happen, I just want to play basketball, I have to weigh the options and do the best for me and my career,''he said." If this does not happen, I do not want t play basketball. I have no other years to lose.''
Iverson insisted he enjoyed his stay in Turkey.
"It was one of the best experiences I've ever had in my life,''he said." They had a lot to me. They embraced me as I never think. Everything was good this experience.''
No year was as large as 2001.
Iverson, who mashed hip-hop and basketball like no player before him, was perhaps at its peak in his fifth NBA season. He averages 31.1 points was the MVP in the All-Star Game, and supported a whole franchise on his mount 6-foot to the final.
Led by coach Larry Brown, the Sixers needed to Game 7 victories in a row the right to play for the Lakers. Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant and the Lakers swept their way into the postseason before Game 1 in Los Angeles.
Iverson scored 48 points in 52 minutes of an overtime win. The Sixers do not have enough to reach the final and the Lakers won the next four games.
76ers have won only one playoff series in the last 10 years and had a bitter farewell, with Iverson in 2006. They had patched up their differences and returned three years later.
For Iverson, points and game is not what he remembers most about th 2001
"My teammates. The love I had for them,''he said." We all had the same goal. It is not we all do in the final. It was just the partnership we had with each other. It was just the fact that we have given the city of Philadelphia, all we had every night. We're not the most talented team ever, but we compete night in the night. That's it for me.''
Ten years later, O'Neal recently retired and wants to return to Iverson has been sued by rumors of personal problems - his wife filed for divorce and a daughter battled serious health problems - but Iverson said his Life these days is great.
All that is left is to basketball.
"The only thing I do not give the people who care about me I'm fine,''he said." I just want my real fans know that I'm fine, my wife is fine, my kids are fine. I'm fine and I'm looking forward to returning to the team and is a production that I had throughout my career.''
