The Philadelphia 76ers will retire Allen Iverson's jersey before a March 1, game home game, the team announced on Wednesday.
Iverson, whose crossover dribble, high-scoring ways, and hip-hop style became legendary over the course of his 15-year career, officially announced his retirement on Oct. 30. His jersey retirement will mark the eighth in the franchise's history.
"Allen Iverson is, without question, one of the most iconic players to ever wear the Sixers uniform," Sixers CEO Scott O'Neil said in a news release. "Allen left everything out on the court and no one could ever question his heart - he was relentless, fearless and pound-for-pound, was one of the greatest to ever play the game."
Known as "The Answer," Iverson was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft and played his first 10½ seasons with the 76ers. He was named league MVP in 2000-01, when he led Philadelphia to its first NBA Finals appearance since 1983. He went on to finish second in franchise history with 19,931 points and third with 4,385 assists.
A four-time NBA scoring champion, Iverson was revered by fans based on his combination of talent, determination unabashed charisma. At times a lightning rod for controversy, the 6-0, 165 pound Iverson is also widely saluted as arguably the best pound-for-pound performer in league history.
Iverson was dealt by the Sixers to the Denver Nuggets in 2007 and later joined the Detroit Pistons and Memphis Grizzlies before returning to the Sixers for an abbreviated 25 game run in 2009 during which he averaged 15.7 points a game to close out his career.
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