Allen Iverson is, arguably, the most
explosively talented basketball player in the history of the NBA. There
were few aspects of his game that were not at the next level, but his lack of
desire or occasional lack of interest was a major contributor to the
occasionally negative references to his games.
Growing up, he was revered as an athlete, yet his legacy in the Hampton, Virginia area may be the 1993 brawl that he was part of. Race and racism played a major role on the peninsula he lived; however, there are some that argue that his being a superstar was a greater contributor to the resulting trial from the brawl.
Growing up, he was revered as an athlete, yet his legacy in the Hampton, Virginia area may be the 1993 brawl that he was part of. Race and racism played a major role on the peninsula he lived; however, there are some that argue that his being a superstar was a greater contributor to the resulting trial from the brawl.
Answer these questions1) It is fair to evaluate Iverson's legacy with that brawl/trial in mind? Why or why not?
2) Look up Iverson's stats and highlights. Do you think that Allen Iverson is as supremely talented of a player as he seemed to believe, as well as others? Explain what you see in his game/stats.
3) Should we evaluate athletes based on their on-field/on-court accomplishments or on their behavior off? Explain.
4) Considering your love or interest in sports, do you think that Allen Iverson wasted his place in his community and within sports by engaging and interacting within the society he was part of?
Worth 5 points per response for a total of 20 points.
DUE MONDAY, JANUARY 27th.
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1. I do not believe it is fair to evaluate Iverson's legacy with the brawl in mind, because everyone does stupid things when they're 17 and 18 years old. In my mind, they are still kids.
ReplyDelete2. Yes I believe AI was as good as he thought he was, he was very good ball handler, passer, and shooter. He did not produce as well as he thought he could have because his supporting cast was not as good as it could have been, plus he came into the league when many greats of the 90's were still producing.
3. No, I really think that they are two completely different topics. What one player is able to achieve on the field is completely different what his actions are outside of the field. Many people love Dwayne Wade and Brian Urlacher but few seem to realize that both have left their exwives in terrible economic states.
4. Yes I believe he did, he could have been a role model, not only for his community, but for every other kid that was going through the awful experience of living below the poverty line. He could have told his story and inspired millions upon millions of kids.
The sad thing is that he comes from a tremendously impoverished community that could really, really use a positive male role model. If I am a young, black kid in that area, I'd hopefully have a positive male role model in the community before I EVER considered Iverson.
Delete1) I don't think it's fair to evaluate Iverson's legacy with that brawl in mind because everybody makes mistakes. Everybody does stupid things as a kid.
ReplyDelete2) I do think he was as good as he believed he was because he held himself to a higher standard. Al Iverson pushed himself to be the best he could be.
3)I think we should evaluate ATHLETES on their on-field accomplishments because that is what we look at them as, someone who plays a sport. But if we want to evaluate them as an icon, we have to look at them off the court/field and look at their attitude.
4) I think he did, but a lot of athletes do the same thing. They could really make a difference in society, but instead hey get caught up in the money and the fame.
Kids do stupid things (staying out too late, egging a house, spray painting a wall, etc.), but not all kids beat someone to the point of needing to go to the ER or IC. Both Iverson and his friends and the white kids involved should have dealt with a harsh penalty (500 hours of community service, probation, etc.).
Delete1. It is fair to evaluate Iverson's legacy with the trial in mind, because it was something that he did take part in. I'm not saying that he brawl should define his whole career or who he is as a person, but when evaluating him you need to at least keep it in mind.
ReplyDelete2. I believe that Iverson is as talented as he is seen. The guy is a human highlight reel. If you look up some of his games the guy has better handles than I think I've ever seen. He also was a freak athlete and had numerous tip dunks. His talent was off the charts, but his ego is what hindered him. In his prime years he was averaging around 30 points a game and 7 assists which are solid numbers, but a tad selfish for a point guard.
3. I believe athletes should not be evaluated for their personal lives. These men are professional athletes and a lot of them are not cut out to be role models. They should only be judged for what they are doing on the field/court because that is what they are famous for and are being paid to do. There are some athletes I don't respect off the field that I'm a huge fan of on the field.
4. Allen Iverson did waste his place in the community, but not in sports. There are still many fans out there that respect the hell out Allen Iverson's talents and see him as one of the better point guards, but in the community he could have done a lot more. He came from a rough life and he could have made a difference in that town and to all the kids who lived similar life styles to him. He didn't do that though and instead is seen as a lazy bad influence that parents would not want their kids looking up to.
I loved watching him on the court, but hated to see him get in trouble time-and-again for poor choices. The guy really, really needed someone to mentor him for the positive.
Delete1.) When evaluating an athlete's legacy, there are more things to consider besides their playing: personality, sportsmanship, the way they act off the court, etc. I believe it is fair to consider the brawl when evaluating AI, but I do agree with Garret ^ that it should not define his whole career and personality. Getting involved in a "race" brawl is a pretty intense case, so I think it is fair to at least consider it when analyzing Iverson as a Legend, but shouldn't play a huge part.
ReplyDelete2.) Yes I believe that AI truly is an incredible player. I mean, he averaged 26.7 points per game in his career, which is incredible considering Jordan averaged about 30. He played his heart out and sure he seem arrogant at some points, but a player that plays at that caliber has the right to let off steam at points throughout their career.
3.) Since we are talking about athletes, people who get payed to do what they do on the field/court, we should judge them based on their game. Personality and off court actions are important, but they don't define the player and their skills; the skills should be handled separately. When you have a job, they observe and critique you while you are at work and in the confines, they don't come home and tell you what to do and how to act better there.
4.) I believe Iverson could have improved the way he impacted society, but he for sure left a mark in the NBA. Looked at as one of the best point guards in the league, Iverson became a role model for kids looking up to him at an athletic standpoint. On the other side, he may have imposed a bad picture to communities and society outside of sports, but some people who judge him poorly can be ignorant because they don't know his story in the NBA.
Define "letting off steam" versus being a hooligan. One could make a fairly accurate case for Iverson being one of the players that contributed to the downfall of the NBA Superstar. So few live in the Magic, Michael, Larry, Charles or, even, Shaq mold. It's one thing to sleep with too many women (awful), but it's another thing entirely to always be in the middle of legal problems.
Delete1) I do not believe that it is fair to evaluate Iverson's whole legacy on the trial. Like Jack, and Anna said, kids are going to do stupid things, and make mistakes it is part of their nature. With all the success Iverson had during his legacy I do not think it is fair to evaluate based on the trial.
ReplyDelete2) I do believe that Al was as good as he, and everyone said he was. In the 30 for 30 film, it states that someone said he was the best athlete he had ever seen. So, obviously he had to have some skill. His stats were supreme for the NBA. He averaged 26.7 points per game, like Brian said. Iverson was most definitely as good as everyone said he was.
3) I think that it is a mixture of both. Obviously their play on the field/court is more important than off of the court. They are getting paid more for what they do within their sport. But, at the same time, they are viewed as role models to the common public and should watch their actions off the field/court.
4) Yes, he did waste his place in the community. Like Garrett said he came from a bad area, and in places like that young kids look up to people like that. It makes them want to be like him, and make a difference in their lives and the world. Although he was very respected on the court, he could've done more with the community, yes.
I have always believed that a player that is going to represent a city (through the team) or a product (Nike, adidas, Reebok, etc.) should be of the highest character. Maybe simply within that sport they should be representative of that, but that person is looked at around the world as an example of American life/values. That is important.
Delete1) Personally I do believe it was fair to evaluate Iverson's legacy with that brawl and trial in mind. As Garrett said, it was something he took part in so it needs to be taken into account when looking at Iverson as a whole. When asked about Iverson as an athlete the brawl should not be brought up but when asked about him and his character then yeah, talk about it.
ReplyDelete2) Allen was very good and he knew it. He was an amazing athlete in high school and if you look at his NBA stats, by his fifth year in he was averaging 31.1 points a game. Just like everyone else said, he was arrogant but a very good player.
3) Athletes should be evaluated based on both their on field/court accomplishments and their behavior off. As said, obviously their play is more important, an athlete is what they get paid to be. Jack and Garrett make a good point, lots of athletes are loved on the field/court but disliked as a person. But I personally feel that as athletes they should realize that a lot of people do look up to them and they should try to keep their behavior relatively good.
4) Yes, Allen wasted his place in the community. Like everyone said he had the potential to be a role model for lots of kids. He could have done a lot more for them. His place in the sports community was definitely not wasted though. Looking at his stats he seems to have had a pretty good career and is seen as one of the best point guards in the league.
There is no question that EVERY great athlete is arrogant and probably a little self-centered. You don't get to the highest echelon in sports without a commitment to the game and self that is far beyond that of your peers. The arrogance doesn't matter to me, but the lack of respect for the society you represent does.
Delete1) I believe it was completely fair and necessary to evaluate Iverson's legacy with the trial in mind. The trial contributes to what Iverson has done throughout the course of his life; whether that moment in his life is positive or negative. When you're an athlete and a representative of your sport you must be careful what you say and do because all eyes are on your every move.
ReplyDelete2) He was definitely as good of a player as he says he was. Back in his time, however, there were lots of players that were outstanding and the competition was fierce in terms of who was the best of the best.
3)Athletes should definitely be evaluated on and off the field/court. When you're a big name for that specific sport you are a symbol of where hard work could potentially get you. More specifically, you are not just an athlete anymore. You are a logo for athletes that play that sport all around the world.
4) Allen Iverson could have been a significant role model in terms of what it means to make it big when you come from nothing. There are kids all around the world that start from nothing and end with nothing. Fortunately for Allen, that wasn't the case. I believe if he played his cards right, he would have made a better name for himself and could have been bigger and better than any NBA player out there.
I love the logo comment. So true. You represent basketball (NBA and American). You represent your family, friends, college, high school, community, etc.
Delete1) I feel like it is fair to keep the brawl in mind when thinking about Iverson's legacy. It was something that he did, and it caused a huge racial controversy. That shouldn't be the basis of evaluating his legacy, but people should keep it in mind. Legacy also includes what the person has done off the court, and a silly brawl can have a minor impact on it.
ReplyDelete2) Allen Iverson could easily be considered as one of or even the most talened player to ever play. His stats are definitely solid. He has four scoring titles, one MVP, eleven time all-star, sixth all-time in points averaged in the regular season, and second all-time in the postseason. Reading that, you can understand that he was a very talented player. But after you watch his highlights, AI made professional basketball players look like silly. His crossover and raw athletisism made defenders never want to guard him. He broke so many ankles and made numerous players fall during the couse of his career. Relative to size, I can't think of any others players who have the talent, AI has. He may not have been the best player to ever play, but he could easily have been the most talented.
3) We should evaluate athletes on their on court accomplishments. What they do off the field does matter that much because at the end of the day, their job is to play their sport. Even if they are a great person, people care about their accomplishments way more than their off field behavior.
4) He definitely wasted his place in community. Being a role model would be the last thing I would say to describe AI. He could have made a major impact on kids who grew up in the same situations like him. But instead, he wasted his opportunities.
1) I believe that it isn't fair to evaluate Allen Iverson's legacy in basketball with the brawl in mind. The brawl didn't enhance all of the accomplishments he had in his basketball career.
ReplyDelete2) Iverson definitely deserves the credit that others give him for his skill on the court. Not only are his stats extremely impressive but the awards he received while playing were just as impressive. I do think Allen Iverson was a little too full of himself but if he was challenged I wouldn't doubt he'd rise above it.
3) I think that athletes should be evaluated on their actions on the court/field. They make the big bucks for what is done on the court/field not what they do off of it. The skill that athletes display on the field/court is what sets them apart from others not what they do in their personal lives.
4) There is no question whether Allen Iverson was a role model or not. It was very clear that the community around Iverson absolutely loved him. Although he for sure could have made a bigger impact on the community if he didn't interact with the society.
1) I believe that It is fair to look at Allen Iverson's legacy with the brawl in mind. However, he was still a high school kid. Kids make mistakes all the time. Even though it was a pretty substancial incident, he probably didn't know any better. It does show a little bit of his character and that he has a bad personality off the court. But you can't look only at that. For example, he has done numerous historic things in the NBA and i feel like those things get over-looked because most americans would prefer a decent player that is a great role model over an outstanding player that you would never want kids looking up to. Some bball fans would argue against that; like me. I think we need some guys like that because if every pro athlete was perfect then wouldn't it be boring?
ReplyDelete2) I think Iverson is one of the best guards ever and definitely one of the most pure athletes to ever play the game. But once again, I think all of that gets taken awayfrom him when people start looking at his character and it's a shame because he was a star in the nba for a long time. He's good, really good, but it just gets overlooked.
3) I think we should evaluate athletes on a mix of both on court and off court because obviously if you're breaking the law all the time, then there's no place for you in pro sports, but if yu're a kid with your entire life ahead of you, one accident shouldn't have to determine the rest of yur life. But I think to get publicity, you have to be a good role model off the court (go to charities, help out whenever you can, just show you care in some way about the community). I look at good sportsmanship and how they carry themselves on the court and obviously the talent.
4) I'm not sure if he neccessarily wasted his place, but he definitely made it very hard for most people to like him. Anybody who does what he was accused of doing is gong to have a rough road ahead of them. When you hit someone with a chair people are going to hate you for at it, but it depends on the way you look at it. For me, yes it's awful that he did what he did, but think of how hard his road must've been to get to the nba. That's why despite his criminal record, i somewhat admire Iverson for being strong and sticking with basketball even with all of the hate he recieved.
1)Yes I do think it is fair to take the brawl and trail into consideration when evaluating Iverson's legacy. I don't think it should define him, but ones decisions and character both on and off the court determine what sort of legacy they leave behind.
ReplyDelete2)Allen Iverson is a very talented player, but maybe not as outstanding as he liked to believe. On the offensive side of the ball, Iverson's confidence was justified. His 2P% is comparable to Kobe Bryant's who is renowned for his offensive skills and his 3P% clearly outshines Michael Jordan's who is considered the greatest of all time. Iverson's FT% is much higher than LeBron James who is the greatest player of today. But on the defensive side of the ball, Iverson's weaknesses are revealed. Many claim LeBron is defensively lazy but Iverson's numbers for blocks and steals are drastically lower than that of LeBron's.
3) I think that athletes should be evaluated solely on their athletic abilities and accomplishments. If we were evaluating them as a person then looking at their decisions off the field would be justifiable, but as athletes I believe it is unfair to make judgments based off of factors other than their athletic accomplishments.
4) Iverson was given a gift and I do think in many ways he wasted it. He had incredible potential and could have been an excellent role model and a positive impact on his community, but instead he became arrogant and made some very poor choices.
1. If you are a person who likes to include someones personal past with their professional accomplishments, then yes maybe. But if we are talking about the events that happened on the court and the history wrote in the book of basketball, then no it is not. Allen Iverson was one of the most toughest and scrappiest players to ever play. He was a scoring machine and not to mention a stat charts best friend.
ReplyDelete2. Allen Iverson was every bit as good as he and any fan of his thought. The man won multiple NBA scoring titles, that means he was the best scorer in the league multiple seasons. He won and MVP award, meaning he was the most valuable player in the entire league. The dude was filthy, and anyone who says otherwise is wrong. He may not have been the ideal basketball player or teammate, but he was the definition of a baller.
3. In AI's case, no I don't believe so. But if we are talking about someone like Aaron Hernandez, or Josh Brent of the Dallas Cowbody;s, or even Donte Stallworth, those men are responsible for the death of another human being. So I think those kinds of off the field incidents or crimes if you will should be considered in someones legacy.
4. In the end Iverson made the best of his god given talent by giving everything he had to the game at its highest stage. He put on a show for over ten years and we should all appreciate that. I do no think he is to blame for getting caught up in the rough life that is the place he was born into and grown up in.
1. I believe that it is somewhat fair to evaluate Iverson with the trial in the back of our minds because he did put himself in that situation. He may have not wanted to be there, but I think that it is more important to see how he bounced back from after the trial and to evaluate him on his actions after the incident.
ReplyDelete2. Allen Iverson was a great athlete. He was an 11 time allstar athlete during his career which is very impressive for an athlete of his height and weight. I think that many athletes looked up to Iverson because of how hard he worked to become the athlete that he was. Although he wasn't the the tallest and strongest basketball player out there, he sure made it look like he was when we was able to out-hustle and out-shoot the other players.
3. I think that we need to evaluate athletes based on both their athleticism and on their personalty when the jersey is not on their back. Being a previous athlete for 2 teams, I always wanted to put my team first. I knew that it was important to always think before I acted and to never be in the wrong place at the wrong time because putting your team in a situation in which they may lose a player due to injury, suspension, etc. is not right for the athlete. In order to be apart of a team, one must always act as if they are wearing that jersey at all times of the day.
4. I don't think that Iverson wasted his place because I think that if he truly wanted to become a better athlete and be more successful than he was, he would have made a different decision. Everything happens for a reason and I believe that Iverson just didn't want to engage in the teamwork and responsibility that is given to an athlete when they commit to a sport. Iverson was an inspiration to many young basketball players, but could've been a much better one if he bounced back from his trial in a better way and was able to move forward from it to give young kids an inspiration when they might think that they don't have a chance of being successful.
1. I don't think Iverson's basketball legacy should be tarnished by a stupid fight he got in when he was in high school, regardless of how bad the injuries to the other person/people were, because that has nothing to do with basketball.
ReplyDelete2. I believe he was as good of a player as he and many others seemed to believe, being in the top 25 scoring leaders of all time and only being 6 feet tall is an insane accomplishment.
3. I think we should evaluate athletes off the field actions, but not to ruin their reputation as an athlete, but as a human being. Kids look up to athletes, and if they see them doing things like getting in fights they'll be more likely to do the same.
4. I don't blame him for who he hung out with, considering not many people think of the people they hang out with at 17 as something that will determine where they end up in in their life.
1. I believe it is not fair to judge Iverson's career on a brawl. What the man did on the court was remarkable. It isn't fair because there was insufficient evidence to determine if he was actually guilty or not. When I think of Allen Iverson's career, I think of all star, not a 17 year old kid involved in a fight.
ReplyDelete2. Allen Iverson is one of the greatest players I've watched. I didn't have the opportunity to watch the NBA stars of the 90's but Iverson in the 00's I was glad to have witnessed. I think Lebron was right when he said Iverson was pound for pound one of the greatest who ever played. He led the Sixers to a finals appearance but came up short. It was a one man team in my opinion. He did all he could with the supporting cast he was given.
3. We should evaluate athletes based on their on the court actions/behavior. Professional athletes have one job and that is to perform in their sport. To me their reputation as a player shouldn't be judged on what he does off the court. Yes I think athletes should be responsible but they aren't getting paid to be "Daddy" to little kids.
4. I don't think he wasted his place. He knew his friends, he knew himself. His community loved him and he appreciated the love when they were on his side during the trial. He also appreciated the parade and Iverson day. I believe he could've been more responsible but then again he was just a 17 year old kid. He was still a kid and kids do stupid things.
1) It would be completely unfair to evaluate Iverson's career with the trial in mind for a few reasons. One reason is because it happened in high school. When people look at MJ's career, you don't start at high school. For most players, you barely look at college. Another reason why it is unfair is because of how the trial was handled. It was a very confusing trial that had a lot of different stories and conspiracies behind it. One of the most controversial trials of its time.
ReplyDelete2) The numbers Allen Iverson put up being only 6 feet tall were almost unheard of. I believe that he was definitely as good as he thought he was, if not better. Iverson had a tough time winning an NBA Championship due to the lack of talent surrounding him.
3) Athletes should be evaluated on their on-field performances. But how they act off the field should be evaluated, just not as much as on-field. It's always great to see athletes helping out the community and doing good things off the court. That's always awesome to see. But it's always a shame to see some great athletes getting in a lot of trouble off the field. Although, if you are solely looking at them as athletes, then those things are not applicable.
4) Iverson got caught up in the money and fame like a lot of famous athletes have done. He was so famous that the town named a day just after him. It would not have been hard for him to make an impact on his community. Especially for how much poverty it was in. It's always a shame to see this happen in great athletes.
1. Not at all. When you think of him most people don't even think about that. He is an amazing asker all player and also a great athlete in general.
ReplyDelete2. He led the league in scoring several times and an 11 time all star speaks for itself.
3. If you are looking at it as an athlete just on field. That's the only thing that matters. If it's as a person then you look at it as of the field.
4. Of course people will look at what he was looked at and what his legacy was to the fan around him, but stats speak for themselves
1. I don't think you should judge Iverson based on what he did in high school. It shouldn't alter how people view him as a basketball player. We don't know what he went through during his childhood.
ReplyDelete2. Iverson was a fantastic basketball player and fun to watch. He stood toe to toe with greats like MJ and could get by him with his lethal crossover. He also shows that he was good based on his multiple scoring titles and all star game appearances. I think he lived up to the hype.
3. You should definitely look at a player and their off-field issues. Aaron Hernandez ruined his career by making big mistakes. You could also look at Josh Gordon. He's had two off field altercations and one more and the NFL will suspend him for a season. Not only does that change the way you feel about a certain player, it also changes how the coaches view the players and whether or not they are worth signing. It is definitely something that should be considered when choosing someone to look up to.
4. I think Iverson might've wasted his place in his own community, but we dont know what he was going through when he was growing up. I don't feel like I am in the position to judge him because I don't know what experiences he had growing up. I don't think he wasted his place in sports. His stats were amazing and he was the face of the football and basketball program at his high school. He was an elite athlete.
1. I do not think that we should assosciate both with eachother. first of all everyone mad at himn was not even there to see the fight and the video is bad so they have no right to judge him based on that.
ReplyDelete2. According to his stats he was a scoring machine andn a team leader, he has some pretty impressive stats.
3. I think it depends on the person, because some people can be crazy off the court but still be enough of a respectable person that it does not matter as much.
4. I think everyone knows whats right for them, and maybe the hero life just was'nt for him. I don't think we should look down upon him for the things he does because thats just the type of person he is, he is still an amzing player no matter what.
1.) I don't believe it is fair to evaluate Iverson's legacy with the brawl/trial in mind. I don't think it should be on people's mind when they think of Iverson's legacy because he was just a kid when that happened and kids make mistakes. Also, the two things have nothing to do with each other. Just because he had trial for that fight has nothing to do with the fact that he's so good in basketball.
ReplyDelete2.) I believe Iverson is as good as everyone says he is, he might be a little too full of himself but by looking at his impressive stats and who he has played against who wouldn't think that they are the best?
3.) I do not think we should evaluate athletes based on their on-field/on-court accomplishments or on their behaviors off. I say this because they can be really good on the court but off the court they could be a completely different person. When you're watching the basketball game you aren't going to be wondering what the player is like off the court so the two should not mix. Just because you're really nice off the court doesn't mean you are super good at the sport or just because you're an amazing player doesn't mean you're nice off the court.
4.) I think he did waste his place in the community but he did the best he could and him being in that community didn't seem to affect how he played on the court so in a way it didn't matter. It also wasn't his fault he was raised there so for being raised in a place like that he did good in his career choice.
1) it's not fair because everyone at the age of 17-18 do stupid things. Everyone makes mistakes and that's what happened to iverson. Plus, the trial shouldn't even be happening because you can't see full proof that iverson was involved in the situation
ReplyDelete2) iverson was a talented basketball player because according to his stats, he averaged 26 points a game. Not that many people can average that much, you have to be an elite athlete in order to achieve those goals. I mean he juked one of the greatest basketball player of all time, Michael Jordan. So that right there shows you that iverson superior ball handling skills.
3) Both because in order to know more about the player, we have to see how he plays and what he can do for the team. Out of the court is also very important because it shows the true side of the player. Whether he's going out and partying or staying loyal to the game and practicing. It can show character and determination of the player.
4) Not really because, every decision you make leads to your future. And obviously iversons decisions weren't smart but without learning your mistakes, iverson could of been in a worse situation like being involved in gangs. His community loved basketball and that's what he did. He did it for the community/family/ and for himself.
1) I believe that it is fair to evaluate his legacy including the brawl. I understand that every one makes mistakes and that its part of life. But because making mistakes is part of life that also means that you should be remembered for the good and the mistakes you’ve made in life.
ReplyDelete2)After looking at Iversons stats there is no arguing that he was a great player. He was a very entertaining player that made people want to watch him, which I believe is half of what it means to be a good player. And on the other half he was just a good well rounded player from a technical standpoint.
3)We should most defiantly evaluate athletes from both on and off the court. Because so many people look up to these players in the game and in their personal life it only makes sense to take into consideration what they do off the court.
4)Yes I do believe that if Iverson where to have stayed out of trouble he most defiantly could have gone further in his career and have been more revered in the game